There is no single treatment that permanently stops sleepwalking for everyone. 

Some people—particularly children—may experience fewer episodes as they grow. For others, management may focus on: 

• Reducing injury risks 

• Getting sufficient sleep 

• Maintaining a regular sleep schedule 

• Addressing sleep disruption 

• Identifying possible medication or substance contributors 

• Treating another sleep condition 

• Using behavioural or, in selected cases, medication-based treatment 

The most appropriate approach depends on the frequency, severity, possible causes, and effect of the episodes. 

Based primarily on: Irfan et al. (2021); Ntafouli et al.; Mayo Clinic (2017); Zergham (2023). 

Can sleepwalking be cured?

Yes. Sleep terrors are more commonly associated with childhood, but adults can also experience them. 

New episodes in adulthood may deserve professional assessment, particularly when they: 

• Cause injury 

• Occur frequently 

• Significantly disrupt sleep 

• Are associated with medication or substance use 

• Occur with other unusual sleep symptoms 

• Affect daytime functioning or emotional wellbeing 

An adult nighttime event that appears frightening is not automatically a sleep terror. Other sleep or health conditions can produce similar behaviours. 

Based primarily on: Irfan et al. (2021); Ntafouli et al. 

Can adults develop night terrors?

Can anxiety cause sleep paralysis?

The supplied articles discuss associations between sleep paralysis and stress, anxiety, poor sleep, and disrupted sleep schedules. However, an association does not prove that anxiety is the sole cause. 

Sleep paralysis occurs when awareness returns while the muscle immobility associated with REM sleep briefly continues. Possible predisposing factors discussed in the supplied literature include: 

• Sleep deprivation 

• Irregular sleep schedules 

• Jet lag 

• Insomnia or disrupted sleep 

• Stress 

• Other sleep conditions 

Repeated or highly distressing episodes can be discussed with a healthcare professional. 

Based primarily on: Sharpless (2016); Stefani and Högl (2021); Cleveland Clinic (2021). 

Occasional sleep talking can occur in both children and adults and may not indicate a disorder. 

The person is often unaware of speaking and may not remember it afterward. Speech may consist of unclear sounds, individual words, or longer statements. 

Assessment may be helpful when sleep talking: 

• Begins suddenly 

• Occurs very frequently 

• Seriously disrupts sleep 

• Is accompanied by forceful movement 

• Occurs with leaving the bed 

• Is associated with distress or other concerning symptoms 

Based primarily on: Cleveland Clinic (2021); Miller (2023); Suni (2023). 

Is sleep talking normal?

Does sleep talking reveal someone’s true thoughts? 

Sleep speech should not be treated as a reliable or intentional statement. 

It may be unclear, fragmented, or unrelated to the person’s waking beliefs, intentions, or memories. Avoid blaming, confronting, or embarrassing someone because of something they said while asleep. 

Based primarily on: Cleveland Clinic (2021); Miller (2023); Suni (2023). 

Can children outgrow parasomnias? At what age should I be concerned?

Some NREM disorders of arousal—such as sleepwalking and sleep terrors—are especially common during childhood and may decrease as the child develops. 

However, not every child follows the same pattern. Episodes can persist, and some parasomnias can also occur in adults. 

Families should focus not only on age but also on: 

• Injury risk 

• Frequency 

• Severity 

• Sleep disruption 

• Daytime effects 

• Family distress 

• Other symptoms 

The supplied articles do not provide one exact age at which every child should be assessed. 

Consider speaking with a healthcare professional at any age when episodes: 

• Cause or risk injury 

• Involve leaving the home 

• Become frequent or severe 

• Regularly disrupt sleep 

• Affect school, mood, behaviour, or daytime energy 

• Cause substantial family distress 

• Occur with breathing problems or other concerning symptoms 

• Change noticeably from their usual pattern 

You do not need to wait until a particular age if you are worried about the child’s safety or wellbeing. 

Based primarily on: Irfan et al. (2021); Ntafouli et al.; Mayo Clinic (2017). 

When should I be concerned?

Professional advice may be appropriate when an episode: 

• Causes an injury or near injury 

• Involves leaving the home 

• Includes driving, cooking, or another hazardous activity 

• Includes repeated punching, kicking, or falling from bed 

• Begins unexpectedly in adulthood 

• Becomes more frequent, intense, or complex 

• Causes fear of sleep 

• Disrupts the person’s or household’s sleep 

• Affects concentration, energy, school, work, or relationships 

• Occurs with breathing problems or severe daytime sleepiness 

• May be connected to a medication or substance 

• Is difficult to distinguish from another condition 

Seek emergency help for a serious injury, breathing difficulty, unusual prolonged unresponsiveness, or an immediate threat to safety. 

Emergency wording should be reviewed by the website’s clinical team before publication. 

Waking a sleepwalker is not inherently dangerous, but an abrupt awakening may cause confusion, fear, or agitation. 

The greater danger may come from the surrounding situation—for example, stairs, windows, traffic, or unsafe objects. Immediate safety should determine the response. 

Based primarily on: Irfan et al. (2021); Mayo Clinic (2017); Zergham (2023). 

After a nightmare, a person generally: 

• Wakes fully 

• Becomes alert 

• Remembers the dream 

• Can describe what frightened them 

During a sleep terror, a person may: 

• Scream or cry 

• Appear intensely frightened 

• Remain partly asleep 

• Be difficult to comfort 

• Become more agitated if abruptly awakened 

• Remember little or nothing afterward 

Nightmares and sleep terrors can both be distressing, but they arise from different sleep states and have different typical patterns. 

Based primarily on: Stefani and Högl (2021); Irfan et al. (2021). 

Both involve incomplete awakening from NREM sleep. 

During a confusional arousal, the main feature is disorientation. The person may sit up, stare, speak unclearly, or respond unusually while remaining in bed. 

Sleepwalking includes leaving the bed or performing other behaviours while awareness and judgment remain impaired. 

The two conditions can overlap, so the distinction may not always be obvious from one episode. 

Based primarily on: Irfan et al. (2021). 

During REM sleep, most voluntary muscles are temporarily inactive. Sleep paralysis occurs when this REM-related muscle immobility continues briefly as awareness returns. 

A person may be aware of the room but temporarily unable to move or speak normally. Vivid sensations or perceptions can also occur during this transition. 

The experience can be frightening, but movement returns when the episode ends. 

Based primarily on: Sharpless (2016); Stefani and Högl (2021). 

The fear and sensations experienced during sleep paralysis are real to the person. However, seeing, hearing, sensing, or feeling something during an episode can arise from the overlap between REM sleep and waking awareness. 

Explaining this connection should not be used to dismiss the person’s distress. 

Repeated or highly distressing experiences can be discussed with a healthcare professional. 

Based primarily on: Sharpless (2016); Stefani and Högl (2021). 

There is no guaranteed way to prevent every episode. 

Because the supplied articles identify sleep deprivation and irregular schedules as possible predisposing factors, it may help to: 

• Allow enough time for sleep 

• Keep sleep and wake times reasonably consistent 

• Address persistent sleep disruption 

• Plan for jet lag or major schedule changes 

• Seek advice for repeated episodes 

These measures may not work for everyone. 

Small movements can occur during sleep, but repeated or forceful dream-enacting behaviour should not automatically be considered normal. 

Examples include: 

• Punching 

• Kicking 

• Grabbing 

• Shouting 

• Jumping from bed 

• Falling from bed 

These behaviours may cause injury and may be consistent with REM sleep behaviour disorder or another condition. Professional assessment is recommended. 

Based primarily on: Dauvilliers et al. (2018); Jung (2016); Pacheco (2023); Roguski et al. (2020). 

Not necessarily. 

Dream enactment can have different explanations. A definite diagnosis of REM sleep behaviour disorder requires clinical assessment, and the supplied reviews describe overnight video-polysomnography as important for confirming the diagnosis. 

Information from a bed partner, medication review, health history, and neurological assessment may also be relevant. 

The supplied reviews describe an association between confirmed REM sleep behaviour disorder and certain neurological conditions. An association does not mean that every person with dream enactment has or will develop one of these conditions. 

It is also important not to assume that every nighttime movement is REM sleep behaviour disorder. 

A qualified healthcare professional can assess the episodes, explain what the evidence means for the individual, and recommend appropriate follow-up. 

Not everyone experiencing a parasomnia needs a sleep study. 

A healthcare professional may consider one when: 

• The events are unusual or difficult to identify 

• Forceful dream enactment is suspected 

• Another sleep condition may be present 

• Episodes could have another neurological explanation 

• The diagnosis remains uncertain 

• The findings would affect treatment 

The supplied REM sleep behaviour disorder reviews describe overnight video-polysomnography as important for confirming that diagnosis. 

Stress may contribute to sleep disruption and is discussed in relation to several conditions. However, its role differs between people and conditions. 

Stress should be described as a possible contributing factor—not as the explanation for every parasomnia. 

Experiencing a parasomnia does not automatically mean that someone has a mental-health disorder. 

Some medications are associated with sleep-related behaviours or experiences. The effect depends on the medication, condition, dose, timing, and individual. 

If episodes begin or change after starting or changing a medication: 

• Record what happened. 

• Contact the prescriber or pharmacist. 

• Do not stop the medication abruptly unless instructed to do so. 

The supplied articles discuss medication-related effects across NREM disorders of arousal, nightmares, REM sleep behaviour disorder, and secondary bruxism. 

The supplied NREM review describes familial patterns in sleepwalking, sleep terrors, and confusional arousals. This suggests that inherited susceptibility may contribute. 

However, having an affected family member does not mean that another person will definitely experience a parasomnia. Sleep, environmental, health, and medication-related factors may also be relevant. 

Based primarily on: Irfan et al. (2021). 

An occlusal splint or related dental device may help protect the teeth and reduce grinding sounds. It does not necessarily eliminate the underlying jaw-muscle activity. 

The Guaita and Högl review found that effects on recorded bruxism activity may be temporary. 

A dentist should assess: 

• Tooth wear 

• Pain or sensitivity 

• Jaw symptoms 

• Existing dental work 

• The suitability and fit of an oral appliance 

• Possible signs of another sleep condition 

Avoid treating a store-bought device as a substitute for dental assessment. 

Based primarily on: Guaita and Högl (2016); Suni (2023). 

Depending on the condition, non-medication approaches may include: 

• Education and reassurance 

• Safety modifications 

• Adequate and regular sleep 

• Addressing another sleep condition 

• Scheduled awakenings 

• Relaxation or stress-management strategies 

• Psychological treatment 

• Imagery rehearsal therapy for nightmare disorder 

• Dental protection for sleep-related bruxism 

The evidence supporting each approach differs by condition. The Ntafouli review notes that many non-pharmacological interventions have been studied only in small samples or case reports. 

There is no single medication that treats every parasomnia. 

The supplied articles discuss different medications for different conditions, including: 

• Melatonin and clonazepam in REM sleep behaviour disorder 

• Prazosin in trauma-related nightmares, with mixed findings across studies 

• Various medications reported in selected NREM parasomnia cases 

• Medications studied in small or short-term bruxism studies 

A medication mentioned in a case report should not be interpreted as an established treatment. 

Always consult a licensed physician or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing a medication or supplement. 

It may be helpful to bring: 

• A sleep and episode diary 

• A description of what happens 

• Approximate timing and duration 

• Frequency 

• Memory or dream recall 

• Information about injuries or near misses 

• Sleep schedule 

• Recent sleep loss, travel, illness, or stress 

• A list of medications and supplements 

• Alcohol or substance information 

• Symptoms such as snoring, breathing pauses, or daytime sleepiness 

• Observations from a partner, roommate, parent, or caregiver 

A witness may be helpful when the person experiencing the episode does not remember it. 

Depending on the symptoms, an appropriate starting point may be: 

• A primary-care professional 

• A pediatric healthcare professional 

• A sleep-medicine professional 

• A neurologist 

• A mental-health professional 

• A dentist for sleep-related bruxism 

The appropriate referral depends on the type of event, possible contributing factors, and the person’s health history.