For a long time, people have always believed that sleepwalking is the devil forcing unlucky sleepers to reach the night; Others think it has something to do with some divine power and supernatural power.
In fact, this is totally superstition and misunderstanding.
There are many reports of sleepwalking, which are also very bizarre.
There is a "sleepwalking city" in Peru-Manita, with about 1 10,000 inhabitants. Unusually, the night here is quiet: there are many people walking around the street, and some are still performing and dancing. Many of them sleepwalk in their pajamas.
Sometimes, sleepwalkers often do things that they dare not do during the day, such as climbing eaves, climbing trees and drilling sewage pipes. It seems that they don't know the existence of danger.
Mechnikov once described such a thing in On Optimism:
A hospital in Paris hired a girl as a nurse. This girl is 24 years old and a sleepwalker. One night, the doctor on duty saw this scene: the girl left the bed and boarded the top floor of the attic, where she usually slept. "When she stepped on the top platform of the stairs, she opened the window facing the roof, climbed out of the window and walked along the protruding narrow wall. Another nurse saw this situation and stared at her in horror, but she was afraid to talk to her. Then she climbed in through another window and went down the stairs. " The doctor on duty said, "At this moment, we saw her walking silently and moving mechanically, her hands hanging down, her body leaning forward slightly, her head straight and motionless, her shoulders covered with long hair and her eyes rolling round. It's like a strange ghost. "
Sleepwalking is a disease. Some people used to think that this disease was related to moonlight. In fact, moonlight has no effect on sleepwalking, because this kind of problem will still happen at night without moonlight.
Modern science has proved that sleepwalking is related to seizures, and may also be caused by alcoholism, hyperthyroidism and various brain diseases. At present, the cause of this disease is not clear.
According to Pavlov's theory, sleep is the development of cerebral cortex inhibition. Therefore, when normal people sleep, the cerebral cortex should be completely suppressed. Sleepwalkers are not like this. After they fall asleep, the neurons in the cerebral cortex that control the motor center of the body are extremely excited. Therefore, people who are sleeping should be lying quietly, but there will be all kinds of involuntary movements.
It should be noted that sleepwalkers may harm people and things, and they should seek treatment from a neurologist in time.
At the same time, experts put forward the following preventive measures:
Encourage sleepwalkers to form the habit of taking a nap, because taking a nap will make people sleep better at night and rest more at ease.
Put the sleepwalker's bed on the first floor; Close all windows and residential doors; Hide knives, firearms and other dangerous tools.
You can't set up obstacles in front of the sleepwalker, and you can't tie the sleepwalker to the bed with a rope in advance.
Avoid scaring sleepwalkers. If possible, slowly put him (her) back to bed. If he (she) is in danger, be sure to wake him (her), but don't shout. Just gently shake his body or splash cold water on his (her) face, calmly call his (her) name repeatedly until he (she) responds, then try to dispel his (her) doubts and bring him (her) back to bed.