Waking from sleep walking

Somnambulism (sleep walking) is a disorder of arousal that often includes complex, wake-like behaviour with an unclear connection to conscious intention (Whyte, 1989). Onset of this disorder usually occurs in childhood from the age of three and often remits spontaneously with puberty (Rosen et al., 1995 ... 

Hypnopompic hallucinations clearly illustrate the continuation of REM sleep dreaming into subsequent waking. That is, instead of arising out of the blue (out of thin air, as we say), they simply continue an ongoing—and perfectly normal—sleep-related hallucinatory process across the line into waking. Practically everyone has had some experience with uncoordinated state transitions on arousal from sleep. Sleep walking, being unable to move, and persistent anxiety after arousal from a chase dream are some common examples. 

In performing such sleep-walking acts, these individuals are partially aroused, but still deeply asleep in respect of the upper brain. We know this from lab studies in which brain waves have been recorded. The high-voltage slow waves of deep sleep continue to be recorded while the individual sleep walks. One old wives tale about sleep walking holds that it is a mistake to wake the person, usually a young person, up from such episodes. The answer to that one is to go ahead and try . It is usually impossible, but don t worry about it because, if you can t do it or if you do succeed in waking them, there will be no adverse consequence whatsoever. 

Chemical manufacturing and petroleum refining have enriched our lives. Few individuals in the developed world stop to realize how the chemical industry has improved every minute of their day. The benefits of the industries are apparent from the time our plastic alarm clock tells us to wake up from a pleasant sleep on our polyester sheets and our polyurethane foam mattresses. As our feet touch the nylon carpet, we walk a few steps to turn on a phenolic light switch that allows electrical current to safely pass through polyvinyl chloride insulated wires. At the bathroom sink, we wash our face in chemically sanitized water using a chemically produced soap. 

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