Mumbai:  Watching someone walk in their sleep, can be a scary experience. Actor Sameera Reddy would know considering she's been sleepwalking since she was a kid. Sameera claims that her condition has spooked many, and while she's tried a variety of treatments, nothing has really worked.
So, is there a cure for Sleepwalking, and what can you do if you found that that you roam the corridors of your home, raat ke barah baje? Read on to figure out.
Sexy Sam walks in her sleep
Actor Sameera Reddy has been diagnosed with somnambulism, a sleep disorder. In an interview, she confirmed, "Yes, I do walk in my sleep with my eyes open. I discovered I had it when I was a kid. It sounds funny and we laugh about it, but my parents have had sleepless nights. They have turned into light sleepers since they were always worried about me."
Since Sameera and her family stay on the ninth floor of a high rise, and she was accustomed to walking in her sleep towards the large windows in the hall, they were terrified enough to fix grills and double-locks on all windows. "I even tried homeopathic treatment. Now, I don't want to do any of that. I am quite used to the condition, and I normally tend to walk around only in my room, subconsciously."
But people who are unaware of sameera's condition, get petrified. "Once, while I was shooting outdoors, I woke up in the middle of the night and realised that I was trying to break the door lock. The noise woke up the cast and crew," she laughs. At another shoot, one night the cast was indulging in a chat about ghosts. Later that night, Sameera walked around in her sleep, and it scared the whole lot. Sameera now travels with a qualified assistant, who knows about the disorder.
What does the sleep expert say?
Dr Ashok Mahashur, Consultant Chest Physician and sleep specialist at PD Hinduja National Hospital
4% of adults across the globe suffer from somnambulism
Symptoms: There are no specific symptoms that help diagnose this condition. We treat a patient on the basis of his/her case history. We speak to family members and collect information about the patient's condition.
Treatment: After finding out the cause, which could vary from stress, anxiety, addiction, and a noisy environment to breathing problems due to congestion, we suggest different treatments like
medication, breathing and relaxation exercises, losing weight, even counselling in certain cases.
What is sleepwalking?
1) Somnambulism or Sleepwalking is a disorder characterised by walking or indulging in other activity while seemingly still asleep.
2) It affects up to 40 per cent of children aged five to 12.
3) Celebs like Scottish golfer Sam Torrance broke his sternum while sleepwalking. Friends star Jennifer Aniston (below) has been known to set off her house alarm in the course of a nocturnal meander.
Tips that sleepwalkers can use
1) Make sure you get plenty of rest. Exerting yourself a lot can trigger a sleepwalking episode.
2) Follow a calming bedtime ritual. Meditate or do relaxation exercises to de-stress.
3) Empty your room of hazardous or harmful material.
4) A sleepwalker's bedroom should be on the ground floor of the house. The possibility of the patient opening windows or doors should be eliminated.
5) An assessment of the sleepwalker should include a careful review of the current medication, so that modifications can be made if necessary.
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