Sleepwalking is a behavior in which you wake up and then walk or do other activities at night. And the next morning, you may not remember anything about what you have done before. This behavior can occur at any age. Luckily, sleepwalking does not harm your health and you can reduce the risks for sleepwalking by applying some natural treatments.
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List Of Simple Ways On How To Stop Sleepwalking And Sleep Talking:
If you are wondering what natural ways can help you deal with sleepwalking, you should spend time reading this article on Healthy Guide to discover a few simple yet effective ways on how to improve the sleep quality and reduce your risks of sleepwalking. However, at first, you should have a general understanding about possible causes of sleepwalking and some typical sleepwalking behaviors.
CONTENTS
- I. Causes Of Sleepwalking
- II. Typical Sleepwalking Behaviors
- III. How To Stop Sleepwalking And Sleep Talking Naturally
- 1. Have More Quality Sleep
- 2. Build A Proper Bedtime Routine
- 3. Have A Dark, Quiet And Cool Bedroom
- 4. Have More Exercise
- 5. Limit Alcohol And Stimulants
- 6. Have Sex
- 7. Regulate The Light Intake
I. Causes Of Sleepwalking
Studies found that the most common cause of sleepwalking is an erratic sleep schedule or poor sleep. Besides, being sick, stress and a few underlying conditions that involves in quality sleep can also affect sleep and cause sleepwalking. Some underlying conditions that can be causes of sleepwalking are sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy, GERD, hyperthyroidism, stroke, head injuries, migraines, etc.
In children, sleepwalking is often caused by a change in routine, including:
- Not having enough sleep or feeling overtired
- Having an irregular sleep schedule
- Having a family history of sleepwalking
- Having magnesium deficiency
- Having alcohol intoxication
- Having different sleep environment
- Stress
- Fever or illnesses
- Sleeping with a full bladder
- Taking some certain medications such as antihistamines or stimulants
Read on 18 Tips On How To Prevent Cold Sores In Children And Adults to discover some of the preventive measures for cold sores in both children and adults.
II. Typical Sleepwalking Behaviors
Sleepwalkers often walk in their sleep, but there are some things they will also do, including:
- Talk in their sleep
- Do strange things such as urinating in a closet
- Perform repeated motions in bed
- Scream
As long as sleepwalking is not caused by any underlying medical condition, it will not be harmful. However, if a sleepwalker does not know her surroundings, it could be at higher risk for being hurt or hurting other people. Sleepwalkers do not know what they are doing, so in some cases, their behaviors can become risky. Studies found that sleepwalking is a common cause of sleep-related self-injuries as well as sleep-related violence. According to a study about the facts of sleepwalking [1], their episodes can be various in length. While some episodes only last for about 30 seconds, other episodes can go up to about 30 minutes.
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III. How To Stop Sleepwalking And Sleep Talking Naturally
When you start to sleepwalk regularly, you should talk with a doctor to determine your underlying causes and proper solutions. There are many over-the-counter drugs and pills for managing sleepwalking, but they can cause some unwanted side effects. Therefore, you may want to know natural treatments for sleepwalking. They include:
1. Have More Quality Sleep
This should be the first way on how to stop sleepwalking in adults naturally that we want to mention in this article and want all of my readers to apply for good. As you know that sleepwalking can be caused by fatigue and sleep deprivation. In these cases, the first defense for you should behaving more sleep time. You should start by trying to have 8 hours of sleep per night. Children may need up to 14 hours, depending on their age
2. Build A Proper Bedtime Routine
When it comes to improving the quality of sleep, you should remember that routine is very important. At a certain time every evening, you should try to create regular patterns that will send a signal to your brain that it is time for going to bed. You can reduce the lights, take a warm shower or bath, put away your cellphone, or try several minutes of yoga or meditation. Also, you should try to wake up and sleep at the same time per day, even in summer vacation or weekend.
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3. Have A Dark, Quiet And Cool Bedroom
If you are looking for a great way on how to stop sleepwalking and sleep talking, you do not skip out this trick. For higher quality of sleep, you should decorate your bedroom in some calming colors like blue, yellow or green and try to block outside lights by using dark shades or curtains. Change the mattress if you feel sore the next morning. Replace old pillows with new ones in order to support your head and neck better. Look for other softer sheets if you feel itchy. Besides, you should keep your bedroom temperature cool. In case the surroundings around you is noisy, you can consider wearing earplugs or using a white noise machine.
4. How To Stop Sleepwalking In Adults – Have More Exercise
People who have more exercise tend to have better sleep than those who do not. Studies found that exercises can help improve sleep quality and simultaneously give us more energy throughout the working day. The relaxation will be more effective if you do what you enjoy. You can try jogging, swimming, fast walking, or taking part in a community sports team. If you just have time to exercise in the evening, you do not need to worry because nighttime exercise almost does not affect our sleep. However, it is better to exercise no later than 1- 2 hours before your bedtime.
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5. Limit Alcohol And Stimulants
At first, alcohol might make you tired, but the intake of alcohol can lead to sleep disturbances and even sleepwalking later at night. Therefore, you should avoid drinking alcohol before going to bed if you want to reduce the risks for sleepwalking at night. If you are pregnant, you should stop drinking alcohol because it can cause a stroke, heart, liver, or pancreas problems.
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Simultaneously, stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine will also affect your night’s sleep. If you cannot quit smoking right now, you can limit the use of cigarettes in the evening. And, in terms of caffeine, you may not know what products contain caffeine. Apart from coffee, caffeine can be used in many kinds of foods and drinks such as coca cola, tea, chocolate bar as well as some flavors of ice cream. After knowing what products contain caffeine, you should stay away from them at night before going to sleep.
Addition to this, you also need to reduce the intake of other stimulants such as sugary foods and beverages because they contain substances that make you more awake like sugar and caffeine and those that make you drowsier like alcohol.
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6. Have Sex
If you want to know how to stop sleepwalking fast and naturally, you can try having sex with your partner before going to sleep. It sounds strange but the fact that having sex will be able to make you more tired. After sex, the body will produce much more hormone called prolactin, which is linked with sleep. Also, keep in mind that having an orgasm also gives you a higher level of oxytocin, which can make you sleepy.
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7. Regulate The Light Intake
You should spend more of your waking hours in indirect sunlight, at least 6- 8 hours daily. By having more sunlight, you will be able to help your brain associate “dark” with “sleep” and “light” with “wakefulness”. After a few weeks of higher exposure to daylight, you can feel more tired when the bedtime is coming. This could help you have deeper, and more relaxed sleep, involving in less sleep talking. Actually, this is known as one of the best ways on how to stop sleepwalking in adults that we want to introduce in this article.
8. How To Stop Sleepwalking Fast – Reduce Stress
Reducing stress is worth mentioning in this list of great ways on how to stop sleepwalking in adults. We all know that anxiety and stress during the daytime can contribute to the act of sleepwalking at night. According to a research about sleep disorders [2], anxiety and depression are common causes of insomnia and sleepwalking. Therefore, it is time for you to take some simple steps to manage your stress. You can write a diary, talk to your best friends, yoga, meditation, or anything that can help you deal with your issues.
Read More: Top 48 Best Home Remedies For Stress Relief And Removal
9. Only Use The Bed For Sleeping
You should only sleep, not do anything else in your bed. This means that you should not be lying in bed while watching television, listening to music, reading book or surfing the Internet. By using your bed for only sleeping, you will be able to train both of your body and brain to associate the bed with sleep. And then, once you lie down, you will fall asleep quickly as well as have deeper sleep.
On a similar note, it also helps to sleep in the same spot on the same bed each night. You may talk more in your sleep if you begin to rest in different locations because your brain will be more “awake” and alert in these new spots.
10. Stop Eating Before Bed
Another natural way on how to stop sleepwalking and sleep talking is to stop eating before bed. If you often eat something right before going to bed, you need to change your routine by not consuming about 4 hours before your bedtime. If you find difficult to completely stop eating, you should reduce the amount of food you consume. Studies found that having heavy meals would be able to cause more health problems than light snacks.
11. Reduce The Intake Of Liquids
When it comes to learning how to stop sleepwalking fast, reducing the intake of liquids is a really amazing treatment for this condition. We all know that liquid is important for children’s health; however, there is a fact that it can negatively affect your sleep. According to a study [3], sleeping with a full bladder can cause sleepwalking. As a result, you should not let your children drink plenty of liquids in the evening and also ensure that your children will go to the bathroom right before they go to bed.
12. Check Your Current Medications
Some certain drugs can affect your ability to have a good night’s sleep, increasing the risks for sleepwalking. They can include drugs containing alcohol, antidepressants, pain relievers containing caffeine, corticosteroids, diuretics, and drugs for high blood pressure. If you are taking one of these medications regularly, you should talk with your doctor about other medication options that can help you sleep more easily.
There are some other great tips on how to stop sleepwalking fast in this article. So, you should keep both of your eyes on the rest of this article and then try to apply one or more of these tips for good.
13. How To Stop Sleep Walking- Have A Diary
You can track your sleepwalking episodes by getting a diary. This method may need somebody else in your house to help you keep a record of when in the night and how often your sleepwalking occurs. This sleepwalking diary can help you find out the reasons why you are sleepwalking. For instance, if you sleepwalk after stressful days, which means that stress is the cause of your sleepwalking episodes.
14. Use Essential Oils
The power of smell may be what you need to sleep more easily. Some essential oils such as spikenard, lavender, vetiver, myrrh, clary sage and frankincense can help you reduce anxiety and simultaneously promote relaxation. To use any of these essential oils, you can try placing a couple of drops on a clean tissue, keeping it close to your nose and then deeply breathing in.
Actually, this is considered as one of the best tips on how to stop sleepwalking and sleep talking that you should not look down, yet try using essential oils for good.
15. Increase The Intake Of Omega-3s
Another natural way on how to stop sleepwalking and sleep talking is increasing the intake of omega-3 fatty acids, which is highly recommended for sleep problems. If you are a regular fish-eater, you just need to add a few servings of tuna or salmon to your diet plan per week. If you do not like eating fish, you could consider increasing the intake of essential omega-3s by taking supplements. Just 600mg per day may be enough to help you have better night’s sleep.
16. Get More Magnesium And Calcium
Many people do not have enough calcium and magnesium, and the deficiency of these minerals can negatively affect our sleep. To get more calcium, you can consume more milk, yogurt, leafy greens, cheese or fortified nondairy milk. Meanwhile, to get more magnesium,you can add beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains to your daily diet. In case you cannot have enough minerals through diet alone, you can consider taking supplements.
17. Consume Tryptophan-Rich Foods
Tryptophan is considered as an essential amino acid required for the body to release the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is responsible for making you feel sleepy. Therefore, eating more tryptophan-rich foods could help you have good night’s sleep. Some great sources of tryptophan are turkey, nuts, quinoa, seeds, cheese, tofu, chicken, oats, fish, beans, eggs and lentils.
18. How To Stop Sleepwalking Fast – Onions
It may be strange when it comes to effective tips on how to stop sleepwalking in adults, but cooked onions actually does work. You can try adding more onion to your meat dishes or consuming boiled vegetables along with boiled onions. If possible, you can also cut an onion into 4 thin pieces, boil it before consuming it. This home remedy can give you a deep sleep, and stay away from sleepwalking.
19. Drink Sleep-Promoting Tea
This is another effective trick on how to stop sleepwalking and sleep talking that you should try out! Studies found that drinking relaxation-promoting herbal teas can help you have better night’s sleep. A few options for you to include in your bedtime routine:
- Chamomile: This daisy-like flower helps to promote the calmingfeeling, thereby reducing anxiety and insomnia. Before going to bed, you can place 1 tsp. of chamomile leaves in hot water for 10 minutes. Then, add honey for taste and then drink it. Alternatively, you can add some chamomile essential oil to your warm bathwater and then enjoy yourself in the water.
- Valerian root: According to a study about herbal sleep aid [4], the sedative properties found in this herb help to treat insomnia, nervousness and restlessness. This herb is also known for helping us fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. You can also use valerian root to make the herbal tea.
- California poppy: This flower can be used to reduce anxiety, and simultaneously promote relaxation. It is ideal for using right before bed. You just need to steep some dried California poppy leaves for about 10 minutes before drinking.
- John’s wort: This yellow flower can be used for treating anxiety and insomnia. You can make a herbal tea from it, but remember that this herb can make the skin more sensitive to the sunlight. Therefore, you should avoid direct sunlight after drinking this herbal tea.
- Passion flower: This tropical flower contains mild sedative properties. You can try steeping 1 tsp. of this flower in hot water for about 10 minutes before consuming it.
20. Try Anticipatory Awakening
This technique is ideal for the case when you know when in the night you often sleepwalk. This works by having someone else in your house wake you up right before that time. Studies found that the patient should be woken up about 15 minutes right before the time he often sleepwalks and then he should stay awake for 5 minutes later. This method helps to disrupt your sleep cycle and then cause you to go into a different stage of sleep after you fall back asleep, reducing the risks for sleepwalking. In case you live alone, you can perform this technique by setting an alarm in order to wake you up.
21. Avoid Horror Movies
In some cases, a person can experience sleep talking when they have seen horrible images in the heads. In case you plan to watch a movie before going to bed, remember to ensure that it is not a horror movie. Instead, you should watch funny or romantic movies because they will not cause traumatic images.
In fact, avoiding horror movies can be effective in reducing the risks for sleepwalking and sleep talking that you should not look down, yet try to apply as soon as possible.
22. Ask The Help From Others
One of the best treatments for how to stop sleepwalking and sleep talking that has been used by many people is asking the help from other people. Actually, you should keep close connections with your family members and friends. They can give you a support and simultaneously help you deal with the root of your anxiety. Otherwise, you can take per in a support group or ask the help for a counselor in case you do not dare to tell your friends or family. The doctor will recommend counselors or support groups that would fit your case.
23. How To Stop Sleepwalking In Adults – Try Medications
This is the last but very important treatment for how to stop sleepwalking and sleep talking that we want to mention in this article and want all of my readers who suffering from these behaviors to try using. For some people, your doctor may prescribe some over-the-counter medications to help them deal with their sleepwalking. Some medications can be prescribed are:
- Benzodiazepines: They can help you deal with sleep problems thanks to their sedative effects
- Antidepressants [5]: They are often helpful for dealing with anxiety-related disorders
Here are some tricks that can help sleepwalkers safe:
- Keep all of the doors and windows locked, making it harder for sleepwalkers to get outside.
- Keep all of the dangerous items such as knives or scissors in the drawers instead of being on the counter.
- Keep the car keys out of reach if you think that you can drive away.
- Remove items such as toys, shoes, etc. from the floors because they can cause tripping hazards for sleepwalkers.
If you kids are sleepwalkers, you should take some preventive measures in order to keep them safe. For example:
- Have a bell in your kids’ bedroom door. The bell will jingle if your kids open it. Although it might not wake up your kids, but it will be able to wake you up. Then, you can help get your kids back to their bed.
- Do not let your kids sleep in a bunk bed because they will find easy to fall and hurt themselves. In case your kids sleep upstairs, have a baby gate to prevent them from falling down.
- Avoid waking your kids because it can cause them to lash out, leading to somebody getting injured. Instead, you should guide them back to their bed in a gentle way. If they are still stubborn, sit with them and simultaneously keep them safe until they get back to their bed.
- If you want to wake them up, you can try making a loud noise.
The simple tips as we mentioned above can help you resolve your sleepwalking and sleep talking problems. If you still express anger while talking or keep sleepwalking in your sleep, then you should seek medical help as soon as possible.
Hope that some of these 23 tips are helpful for you. Then, do let us know if this article can help you deal with your problem and how effective these treatments are by leaving your comments in the comment box below. To know further simple but effective beauty and health tips, remember to visit our How To Page regularly.
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