Parasomnia: What happens inside a sleepwalker’s brain?

Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have taken a first step in exploring a rather complex question: what is happening inside the brain of somebody who may be considered ‘stuck’ between sleep and wakefulness?

Many poeople imagine a sleepwalker as someone who is unconsciously walking around while their eyes are closed and their arms are stretched out in front of them. In reality, sleepwalkers typically have their eyes open and may have complex interactions with their environment. Sleep scientists refer to such abnormal sleeping behavior as ‘parasomnia’, which can include simple behaviors like sitting up in bed and seeming confused, but also more elaborated ones like getting out of bed and moving around or screaming with a fearful facial expression.