What are the symptoms of sleepwalking?

　　In general, symptoms of sleepwalking include getting up and moving around during sleep, purposeless walking, a dazed expression, stereotyped behaviors, and difficulty waking up. If discomfort occurs, timely medical consultation and treatment are recommended. Detailed explanations are as follows:

　　1. Getting up and moving during sleep

　　During the sleep cycle, certain areas of the brain abnormally activate when they should be in deep sleep. Sleepwalkers may get up and move around 1–3 hours after falling asleep. Particularly brain regions controlling movement and behavior, such as the frontal lobe, may be affected by genetic factors, incomplete brain development, excessive daytime fatigue, high stress levels, or poor sleep environment. These factors can cause the brain to issue incorrect motor commands during sleep, resulting in getting up and moving as if awake.

　　2. Purposeless walking

　　During sleepwalking, the brain's higher centers responsible for planning and controlling behavioral goals remain suppressed, while the regions controlling basic movement are relatively active. This may lead to aimless walking after getting up. Simultaneously, the brain's ability to perceive space and the environment becomes disordered, preventing the patient from adjusting walking behavior according to goals and surroundings as they would when awake. They can only walk randomly and have difficulty perceiving collisions or obstacles during movement.

　　3. Dazed expression

　　Because areas of the brain such as the prefrontal cortex, which are related to emotional expression and responses to external stimuli, are not fully activated and remain relatively suppressed during sleepwalking, patients may display a dazed expression. This causes the patient to be unable to respond emotionally or change facial expressions normally in response to external stimuli. Their eyes cannot focus, presenting a dazed,呆滞 state, with severely impaired interaction ability with the surrounding environment.

　　4. Stereotyped behavior

　　During sleepwalking, the brain's motor control centers are in a partially and rigidly activated state. Under this condition, the brain issues simple, repetitive movement commands, while the brain regions responsible for complex behavioral planning and adjustment are functionally suppressed. This causes patients to perform only simple, mechanically repetitive actions, lacking flexibility and logic.

　　5. Difficulty waking up

　　At this time, the patient is in a special sleep state, with the brain's arousal system not functioning normally and in a mixed state of deep suppression and partial activation. When trying to wake the patient, the brain needs to quickly transition from this special state to a fully awake state, which requires some time to re-activate various brain regions and restore normal neural activity. Therefore, patients may be difficult to awaken and may experience confusion and disorientation after waking.

　　In daily life, maintaining a regular sleep-wake schedule is important. Avoid excessive fatigue and mental stress, and try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to help the body and brain establish a healthy circadian rhythm, which helps maintain normal sleep. Create a safe sleeping environment by ensuring the bedroom is free from sharp objects and obstacles, and that doors and windows are securely closed to prevent accidents and physical injuries during sleepwalking episodes.