Orbs 'r' Us

I'VE DONE IT AGAIN...?

Sleepwalking (also called somnambulism or noctambulism^[1]) is a parasomnia or sleep disorder where the sufferer engages in activities that are normally associated with wakefulness while he or she is asleep or in a sleep-like state. Sleepwalking is usually defined by or involves the person affected apparently shifting from his or her prior sleeping position and moving around and performing normal actions as if awake (cleaning, walking and other activities). It is inexact to assume that somnambulists are unconscious during their nocturnal sleepwalking episodes. They are simply not conscious of their actions on a level where memory of the sleepwalking episode can be recalled^{[citation needed]}, and because of this, unless the sleepwalker is awakened or aroused by someone else, this sleep disorder can go unnoticed. Sleepwalking is more commonly experienced in people with high levels of stress, anxiety or psychological factors and in people with genetic factors (family history), or sometimes a combination of both.

A common misconception is that sleepwalking is acting out the physical movements within a dream, but in fact, sleepwalking occurs earlier on in the night when rapid eye movement (REM), or the "dream stage" of sleep, has not yet occurred.


Well, that's how Wikipedia explains it.


Yesterday morning I awoke to find that someone had done my dishes?

At first I thought my son had come back home but knew that washing up my dishes would have been the last thing he would have wanted to do...at 27 what do you expect? Anyways it wasn't him he, hadn't come home?

A cold chill ran down my spine...I had slept-walked again!

This only seems to happen when I am upset over something or feel there isn't enough time in the day to get things done. I've had LOTS of free time to do things around here so I guess it has to be that I'm still upset? Strangely, I don't feel that way.

The earliest that I remember this affliction [sleep walking] affecting me, was when I was a child around 11 or 12 yrs of age. I love to go camping and I got the opportunity to attend a "Girl Guide" Jamboree. The only drawback was that we could afford the camp but not the uniform that was required. This consisted of blue shorts/pants and blue shirts. I had the pants/shorts but not the shirts! My stepmom came up with the idea that I could wear my older sister's army shirts [she was a cadet in training], sad thing was...she was eight years older than me and a lot bigger [I was a puny thing back then]. I wanted to go so badly that I thought that it wouldn't matter. I was wrong! Right from the start I was buggged by this mean girl in our tent about wearing clothes WAY too big for me and "what was I...poor?" This is probably why I still have a clothing issue when I have to go somewhere...to the point of having nightmares about it!

Anyways...

This girl made my life hell...she just wouldn't let up...rubbing my nose into how perfect her brand new shirts were and I was a "Baggedy Anne". We were nearing the end of our trip when one morning she awoke to find her last clean shirt was missing! This made me smile LOTS! But the odd thing was I had awaken that morning with my hands being dirty, like I had just played in the sandbox? That whole day was ruined because of that missing shirt...we all had our bags checked...especially mine, as she was sure that I had took it! I was an unhappy person when I went to bed that night and strangely feeling guilty?

The next morning I was awaken by screams of anger...the missing shirt had been found. The only thing was it was covered in dirt! Looking at my hands I found them to be clean but my fingernails were full of dirt? Later that day, a camp councilor pulled me asside and we had a talk.

She told me that last night, she was coming back from the outhouse when she spotted me walking into the forest. Alarmed, she said that she called out to me but I was unresponsive and acting strange? So she followed me and watched what I did. I dug up the missing shirt and was bringing it back to my tent. She then told me that she had confronted me with it but looked at her weirdly...then she realized that I was sleep walking. She said that she made me wash my hands and put the shirt back. Happily she didn't say anything to anyone except my parents when they picked me up. I didn't remember a thing.

I haven't done it alot through the years but do notice when I'm upset it tends to happen. I've been seen rearranging pictures on the wall, taking dresser drawers out of there places and stacking them on the floor and even awoke to find folded clothes piled on my bed! Hopefully I never wander outside.

My grandson has this problem also. It's really quite creepy to see someone walking around with their eyes open but not there mentally. He even tried to leave the house once to go to a party across their street because he knew his uncle BillyRoo was there, thankfully his auntie saw him and stopped him. This uaually happens to him after his day has been too exciting. I guess it runs in the family?

Anyways...


My only complaint is...why didn't I clean the house or finish my sign work while I was at it?