Is it dangerous to wake a sleepwalker?

Waking a sleepwalker is not inherently dangerous. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, as reported by Snopes, says that waking a sleepwalker will not in itself medically harm them. The person is likely to be confused, startled or even angry. The common advice to never wake a sleepwalker is therefore a myth, though it rests on a sensible preference: quietly steering the person back to bed is usually the better choice. [1] [2]

Sleepwalking usually happens during deep non-REM sleep, when parts of the brain are partly awake and partly in slow-wave sleep. The Sleep Foundation quotes Mark Wu, a neurology professor at Johns Hopkins, saying that the areas responsible for consciousness and cognition remain in deep sleep. That makes the shift to full wakefulness difficult, which explains the grogginess and the frequent lack of any memory of the episode. [2]

The Sleep Foundation also quotes Kin Yuen of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, who says abrupt waking can bring an adrenaline surge, with a racing heart or sweating. A person may look startled and behave unpredictably. Cleveland Clinic says confusion is very common and can last several minutes. [2] [3]

Serious harm from waking someone is rare. Cleveland Clinic notes that in rare cases a person may react from fear or anger to whoever woke them, and Psychology Today mentions occasional documented incidents of screaming or violence in awoken sleepwalkers. Mark Wu says that a very confused person might hurt themselves trying to run away or defend themselves. The Sleep Foundation adds that sleepwalkers, particularly men, can become aggressive if someone tries to block, grab or restrain them. [3] [4] [2]

Several sources stress that the sleepwalking itself poses the larger danger. Hrayr Attarian of Northwestern Medicine calls injury from continued movement the biggest concern. Cleveland Clinic lists falls down stairs, jumping out of windows, sleep driving and cooking while asleep as risks, and says violent behavior is very rare. [5] [3]

If there is no immediate danger, the sources agree on guiding the person back to bed with a calm voice and light touch. Northwestern Medicine suggests a short prompt such as telling them it is time for bed, standing at their side rather than in front, and not arguing or trying to snap them out of it. If the person is near stairs, carrying sharp objects or heading outside, it is considered fine to wake them, gently and without loud noises that could cause panic. Sleep specialist Angela Holliday-Bell advises staying nearby until they are fully alert. [5] [2]

Northwestern Medicine suggests talking to a doctor if episodes are frequent, behavior is risky, there is loud snoring or choking during sleep, or sleepwalking begins in adulthood. [5]