Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Sleepwalking — also known as somnambulism — usually involves getting up and walking around while asleep. Most common in children between the ages of 8 and 12, sleepwalking often is a random event that doesn’t signal any serious problems or require treatment.

However, sleepwalking can occur at any age and may involve unusual, even dangerous behaviors, such as climbing out a window or urinating in closets or trash cans.

If anyone in your household sleepwalks, it’s important to protect him or her from sleepwalking injuries.