Sleepwalking

Sleepwalking is a parasomnia involving complex behaviors during partial arousal from sleep, usually deep non-REM sleep, with little or no later memory.

NREM sleep: Non-rapid eye movement sleep comprises stages of sleep without rapid eye movements, including deep slow-wave sleep. Sleepwalking usually begins during deep NREM sleep, when arousal is incomplete.
Parasomnia: A parasomnia is an unwanted behavior or experience occurring during sleep or transitions between sleep and wakefulness. Sleepwalking is classified as a disorder of behavior during sleep.
Sleep deprivation: Sleep deprivation is insufficient sleep to meet a person's biological needs. Lack of sleep can make episodes more likely by destabilizing deep sleep.
Childhood sleepwalking: Childhood sleepwalking is sleepwalking occurring during childhood, often resolving as the nervous system matures. Episodes are common in children and often diminish with age.
Slow-wave sleep: Slow-wave sleep is the deepest NREM sleep stage, marked by large, slow brain waves. Episodes most often arise from this deep stage, especially early in the night.
Confusional arousal: Confusional arousal is an incomplete awakening from deep sleep involving disorientation and limited responsiveness. It shares the partial-awakening pattern but usually lacks sleepwalking’s complex movement.
Obstructive sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea is repeated interruption of breathing during sleep caused by upper-airway collapse. Breathing-related arousals can trigger episodes in susceptible people.
Familial sleepwalking: Familial sleepwalking is the tendency for sleepwalking to occur in multiple members of a family. Family clustering indicates that inherited susceptibility contributes to risk.
Partial arousal: Partial arousal is a state in which some brain systems awaken while others remain in sleep-like activity. It accounts for movement without full awareness during an episode.
Sleep terror: A sleep terror is an abrupt episode of intense fear and autonomic arousal arising from deep NREM sleep. It often occurs in the same sleep stage and can accompany sleepwalking.

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Charles Brockden BrownRelated: Edgar Huntly made sleepwalking a central device for exploring agency and responsibility.