~Sleep Walking~

                           When I sleep walk

This may sound unusual, but I can remember so far back, I can remember being in my crib. I had to wear braces on my legs and feet because my legs were turn out, and when I turned, the hit the crib and woke up my mom and my aunt. Thats how far back that I can remember. I find it odd myself. :o)
I was probably about 3 years old. I remember getting out of my bunk bed at night and walking around. Being half asleep, and half awake. In my mind, I was going somewhere and doing something, if that makes sense. But, after I would either get half way down the steps or to the front door, I'd wake up. It took me a bit to wake fully and just go back to bed.
This continued. I was 4 years old when my mom remarried, and we moved to Piqua. As I got older, it seemed to have gotten worse. I would end up in more places, places that were further away. But, I would still wake up, and just go back to my bed.
Now, I didn't know that everyone didn't do this. I thought that everyone did. And I just didn't see them like they didn't see me.
By the time I was 5, I was sleep walking out side at night. I would wake up in my yard! When I was going on 6, we moved to a house. We were living in a half double, and we lived in the down stairs. We had great nieghbors to our right, and they ahd teen agers that stayed in their yard late at night. Next to them were an elderly couple. I remember how they made home made ice cream and I loved it! :o)
My bedroom was like it is right now, in another living room, becasue my mom was pregnant for my little sister. I remember in the morning, waking up in between this elderly couple in their bed! I was scared to death! I started crying! I had no idea where I was! I never seen their bedroom! This was in the late 60's early 70's! They took me home. My mom told me what had happened the night before. She said that the niebors where out in their yard, and had seen me walking in the middle of the street! I guess they were yelling my name and I didn't answer. They made sure no cars were coming and watched over me. Then I walked in the other neighbors house and got in bed with them! I guess they had called my mom to let them know I was there! From then on.....my sleep walking went on to be like that night!

We moved again.  I was still sleep walking. I was waking up in the oddest places! And, outside! I would try to tell myself before I went to sleep, to try and wake myself up, if I would do it again! Because it was scaring me! I never knew if I would end up in my own home! In this new house, I was 9. When we moved from there, I was 13. It just got worse! The older I got, the worse it got. I had no control over it.
Fast forwarding......
I had my children. I still was doing it. I would tell my neurologist about these, and that I was doing this for many years! He told me that there was nothing that could be done! :o( My hope was going away. I had children to take care of and I didn't want to put their lives in any kind of jeperday! Then, I was having what is called "fugue" states. Those were during the day! Yes, I was still functioning like I normally would, carry on a normal conversation, drive, etc....but, my brain was on like a "generator!" The longest I was in one of those, was 6 hours! Those scared me the most! I kept thinking, what if I got in the car and drove all the way someplace with my children, then woke up! Well, my brain coming off the "generator." Because when I was in one of those....I couldn't and never remembered anything! My children had to tell me what I said and did! I had to try and teach them when and what to look for when I would go into one of those! And I still was sleep walking. This was all happening in the last house we lived in...not that long ago.
In that house, we had huge gorgous stair case, and when I would sleep walk, and go all the way down those, and wake up someplace other then upstairs, I knew I was going to be going outside! And I did all the time. I remember a few times ending up in my car! I was in our shed in the back yard, walking down our street late at night, and so many other things that are scary for me. When I woke up, I'd just go back up to bed! What else was I to do? Yes, I did keep a sleep journal. It didn't seem to help though with my neurologist. He wasn't a nice man. He's the one that screwed my life up by telling me that my pains were all in my head.
I finally found a sleep specialist. I went in for an appoinmtent, and I loved him! He was so nice and veryconcerned! I took a sleep test and he has helped me since then! For a few years, he had it to were I was not having any sleep activity at all! :o) Lately, I have been having sleep activity in my bed! And it's scaring me! You can probably see why now. And then this morning I wake up on the side of my bed? Oh no! I can't sleep walk now....I could seriously hurt myself pretty badly! Or worse! :o(
So....This is my shortened story about my sleep walking history.
My daughter has it too. :o( I've handed it down to her. :o( I took her to a specialist when she was younger, and she hasn't done it since! Thank the Lord! I do not want her to experiance what I went through. When I see things on tv about people killing, or doing other things while sleep walking....I can believe it! I know what I went through. I know I never did anything like that, but I do know that you can go anywhere and not know it! Even in a "fugue" state!

Tags: Sleep Walking, Fugue State