F51: Nonorganic sleep disorders

F51.3: Sleepwalking [somnambulism]

There are different reasons why we sleep. The reasons have not been fully understood. So far we know, for example, that sleep helps the body to recover. Sleep also develops the memory, and it brings feelings into equilibrium. Sleep has a particular sequence. There are deep sleep phases and lighter sleep phases. These phases alternate during sleep. The sleep-wake cycle is controlled by different influences such as messenger substances in the body. These messenger substances can be influenced by activity and light.

You often get out of bed during the night and walk around. At these times your brain is in a state between being awake and being asleep. It is difficult to wake you up out of this state or to influence you. The next morning or after an event like this, you do not remember it. There is no physical reason for this.