Sleepwalking

A healthcare provider can usually diagnose sleepwalking based on descriptions of what you did or how you acted while sleepwalking. Loved ones who witness sleepwalking can provide extremely helpful details that can lead to a sleepwalking diagnosis. Videos you take on your phone or on a security system can also be helpful, as sleepwalking doesn’t happen every night, so it can be hard to capture in a sleep study.

A full sleep study (polysomnography) is the best medical test to confirm sleepwalking. But these aren’t always necessary. Your healthcare provider (or your child’s provider) may recommend a sleep study if any of the following are true:

They suspect that your sleepwalking symptoms are from a different condition. They may also want to distinguish between sleepwalking and sleep-related seizures or rapid eye movement behavior disorder.
Sleepwalking leads to injury or sleepwalking behavior disrupts the sleep of others in your house.

In some cases, a healthcare provider might recommend other tests — like electromyography or electroencephalography — to rule out conditions that might relate to sleepwalking.

Symptoms

When to see a doctor

Request an appointment

Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Freedmans Health Clinic Staff

Living with atrial fibrillation?

Connect with others like you for support and answers to your questions in the Heart Rhythm Conditions support group on Freedmans Health Clinic Connect, a patient community.