What Causes Sleepwalking and How Does It Happen?

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Sleepwalking is a complex disorder where individuals can perform activities, such as cooking or studying, while in a state of unconsciousness, often without any memory of the event afterward. This phenomenon occurs because certain brain functions remain active while others, particularly those related to memory storage and recall, may not be fully engaged. As a result, sleepwalkers can navigate their environment and perform tasks, yet they do not retain memories of these actions. The discussion highlights the potential dangers of sleepwalking, as it can lead to hazardous situations, emphasizing the importance of understanding this disorder.
Wild Angel
How is one able to sleepwalk and enact a dream without even knowing it? I have already sleepwalked , sleep studied (amazing huh? i got an 'A' for that paper) and sleep eaten.My parents saw me & let the episode pass and I cannot recall even a moment.
 
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My ex-husband used to cook while sleepwalking. His mother would find him in the kitchen frying eggs and he'd be asleep. It can be a very dangerous condition.
 
Wild Angel said:
How is one able to sleepwalk and enact a dream without even knowing it? I have already sleepwalked , sleep studied (amazing huh? i got an 'A' for that paper) and sleep eaten.My parents saw me & let the episode pass and I cannot recall even a moment.
The states of consciousness and unconsciousness are not on/off. Nor is memory storage and recall.

When sleepwalking, parts of your brain are perceiving and acting (even on knowledge, such as 'where is the door'). Not remembering can merely be a matter of short-circuting the memory-storage mechanism.

We're so used to everything in our brains working tickety-boo we forget that it's pretty kludgy.
 
This week I found out that my uncle was a sleepwalker.:zzz:
 
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