Cait, 11, was trying to fall asleep when her 8-year-old brother, Doug, came into her room. He looked around, but seemed really out of it. Then Doug went back into the hallway and stood there looking straight up at the light.
This was really strange. Cait didn't know what to do. Just then, Cait's father appeared and explained Doug was sleepwalking.
Not all sleep is the same every night. We experience some deep, quiet sleep and some active sleep, which is when dreams happen. You might think sleepwalking would happen during active sleep, but a person isn't physically active during active sleep. It usually happens in the first few hours of sleep in the period called deep sleep.
The truth is that not all sleepwalkers walk. Some simply sit up or stand in bed or act like they're awake when, in fact, they're asleep! Most, however, do get up and walk around for a few seconds or for as long as half an hour.
Sleepwalkers' eyes are open, but they don't see the same way they do when they're awake. They tend to go back to bed on their own and won't remember it in the morning.
You also might have heard that sleepwalkers can get frightened if you wake them up. That's true, so what do you do if you see someone sleepwalking? You should call for a grown-up who can lead the person back to bed. And once the sleepwalker is tucked back in bed, it's time for you to get some sleep, too!
