sleep-walking

A child is sleep-walking down a hallway at night.

Definition

1. Noun (countable and uncountable):

   • A state of walking or performing other actions while asleep: "sleep-walking" refers to the phenomenon where a person engages in complex behaviors, such as walking, talking, or moving objects, while in a state of deep sleep. It is a type of parasomnia (a sleep disorder).
   • Medical term: In medicine, "sleep-walking" is also known as somnambulism. It typically occurs during non-REM sleep, often in the first few hours after falling asleep.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • To walk or perform actions while asleep: "sleep-walking" describes the action of moving about and sometimes speaking or performing tasks without conscious awareness. It is not a voluntary activity and the person usually has no memory of the event upon waking.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Sleep-walking can be dangerous if the person leaves the house or encounters obstacles. (The condition of walking while asleep.)
  • The child's sleep-walking episodes were triggered by stress or lack of sleep. (Specific instances of the condition.)

• Verb:

  • He often sleep-walks to the kitchen and opens the refrigerator. (He moves to the kitchen while asleep and without awareness.)
  • She was found sleep-walking in the hallway last night. (She was observed walking while asleep.)

Advanced Usage

• "to go sleep-walking": to experience an episode of sleep-walking.

  • After a late-night study session, he went sleep-walking around the dormitory. (He had an episode of sleep-walking.)

• "in a sleep-walking state": describing a condition of being partially asleep while performing actions.

  • The patient was in a sleep-walking state when he unlocked the front door. (He was not fully conscious during the action.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sleepwalk (verb; alternative spelling): to walk while asleep.

  • She tends to sleepwalk when she is overtired. (She walks while asleep.)

• Sleepwalker (noun): a person who sleep-walks.

  • The sleepwalker was guided back to bed by a family member. (The person who walks while asleep.)

• Somnambulism (noun; technical term): the medical name for sleep-walking.

  • Somnambulism is more common in children than in adults. (The formal term for sleep-walking.)

Synonyms

• Somnambulism: the formal medical term for sleep-walking.
• Noctambulation: a rare, formal term meaning walking at night, often used synonymously with sleep-walking.

Related Idioms and Expressions

• "like a sleepwalker": used metaphorically to describe someone moving or acting without full awareness or attention.

  • He walked through the meeting like a sleepwalker, not responding to questions. (He acted as if in a daze or unaware.)

• "to sleepwalk through life": a figurative phrase meaning to go through daily activities without purpose or conscious engagement.

  • She felt she was sleepwalking through her job, doing tasks mechanically. (She was not fully engaged or aware.)