A Case of Re-Emergent Sleepwalking in Adulthood, Primed by Sleep Deprivation and Triggered by Sleep Apnea

Abstract

Non-rapid eye movement sleep parasomnias including sleepwalking tend to disappear spontaneously during late childhood and adolescent period. Sleepwalking is not as common in adults as in children. Sleepwalking in adults could happen with triggering factors such as hypnotics or metabolic derangement including hypoglycemia. We report a case of an adult patient with recurrent, frequent sleepwalking and complex motor behaviors during sleep in his mid-twenties after spontaneous remission of sleepwalking in the childhood. The triggers were severe sleep deprivation and obstructive sleep apnea. No more sleepwalking was reported after the treatment of sleep apnea by tonsillectomy.