My boyfriend is a sleepwalker and doesn't want help

[SleepyGirl111]

My boyfriend (20's M) and I( 20's F) have been together for 3 years and recently moved in together. I have known and experienced his sleepwalking from the beginning of the relationship so none of it was a surprise to me.

 

Sleepwalking runs in his family and his father grew out of it around this age so his parents have never been too worried about him, however he has had some dangerous episodes that really worry me. None of these episodes affected me (as in he is not dangerous towards me), but more putting himself in danger. Now that we live alone I have turned into a light sleeper because he will try to leave the room in his sleep and if I don't bring him back to bed I don't know where he'll end up. He has tried many things to stop sleepwalking and they usually work for the first few months and we both get good night's rests, but then eventually his body must get used to the remedy and he begins sleepwalking again. This issue recently came to a head when we tried the last alternative we could think of to get him to sleep soundly through the night, melatonin. I asked him when he started taking it a couple months ago that if it stops working if he would please consider seeing a doctor and getting himself checked out/on a prescription to help him hopefully more long term. He assured me that he would. Well, he has sleepwalked almost every night the past 2 weeks, nothing too serious but enough that each time I wake up and have to reassure him he's sleeping and to stay in bed. Today I mentioned that I don't think the melatonin is working anymore and that he should see a doctor, but he said that it's only because he's been stressed out with school and that after this week it'll pass. I argued that no matter what you're going to stressed out for periods of your whole life so there's no harm in going to the doctor. He offered to sleep on the couch so as not to disturb me, but I'm more worried about what he'll do in his sleep if I'm not there to get him back to bed. I asked if he didn't want to go to the doctor alone, because I wouldn't mind going with him if he was but he said that he wasn't. He said that a doctor won't be able to do anything for him so there's no point. He once went when he was younger for his sleepwalking and they gave him very strong sleeping pills that he didn't like, so I think he's wary because of that. I told him that medication has probably evolved since then, and even if not he could ask to be started on a low dosage pill, or even just ask for an alternative that maybe we hadn't tried yet. But he wasn't having any of my suggestions and we've basically dropped the issue since. I'm upset because he originally told me he would go to a doctor when the time came, but he isn't. I'm also worried because I think he feels that I only want him to go because it affects my sleep, but I couldn't care less about that; I'm scared for him if he hurts himself and I'm not there to stop it.

 

This got longer than I expected, but I guess I'm looking for advice on how to get him to see my side and get him some help. Also, if anyone is a recovered sleepwalker, advice on how to stop would be cool too!

 

Thanks for reading

[DanZee]

Well, I hate to tell you, but doctors are pretty helpless about sleepwalking and your bf is correct, they will just try to drug him. According to WebMD:

 

"There is no known way to absolutely prevent sleepwalking; however, certain steps can be taken to minimize one's risk. These include:

 

"Get adequate sleep.

Limit stress. Meditate or do relaxation exercises.

Avoid any kind of stimulation (auditory or visual) prior to bedtime.

 

"These are steps you can take to prevent harm if and when you do sleepwalk:

 

"Keep a safe sleeping environment, free of harmful or sharp objects.

Sleep in a bedroom on the ground floor, if possible.

Lock the doors and windows.

Cover glass windows with heavy drapes.

Place an alarm or bell on the bedroom door.

 

"If sleepwalking is caused by underlying medical conditions, such as gastroesophageal reflux, obstructive sleep apnea, seizures, periodic leg movements, or restless legs syndrome, sleepwalking episodes should stop once the underlying medical condition is treated."

 

So that's the current medical opinion. I would suggest you also lock the bedroom door and hide the key so he can't escape at night and you don't have to worry about having him walk out into traffic in the middle of the night.

[Unreasonable]

Its best to sleepwalk-proof your sleeping area I think.

 

A comic, Mike Birbiglia suffers from this.

 

Here's his bit, which is kinda funny and has some advice about how to deal with it.