Not
all sleepwalkers experience pain when they are injured while sleepwalking,
according to a study published in Sleep.
When
awake, sleepwalkers face increased risk for migraines and headaches.
Researchers
examined 100 sleepwalkers as well as 100 people who slept normally. The
sleepwalkers were 10 times as likely to experience migraines and four times as
likely to experience headaches.
Of
the 100 sleepwalkers, 47 suffered at least one injury while sleepwalking, and
79 percent of those 47 felt no pain at time of injury, according to the
findings.
The
lack of pain felt was the most surprising result of the study; this study was
the first to come to this conclusion.
One
participant even suffered broken bones after he jumped out from a third-story
window during a sleepwalking episode. He did not feel the pain until he woke
up. Another participant walked and fell from his roof while sleepwalking. He
broke his leg but did not wake and feel the pain until the next morning.
Researchers
believe this study could lead to an understanding of sleepwalking mechanisms.
It’s possible the dissociative state of arousal alters pain perception,
consciousness, and sleep-wake behavior.
As
many as 4 percent of adults in the United States experience sleepwalking
episodes, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.