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Crazy Things We Do In Our Sleep

Sleep Number


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Which of these crazy things do you or your sleep partner do in your sleep?

Taking a stroll, having an entire text conversation you don't remember, even eating while sleeping—about 10 percent of the population does things that they're not aware of while they are sleeping. Known as parasomnias, these events occur during REM sleep and in deeper sleep stages:

Texting while Sleeping

Research from Villanova University found that sleep texting is a common occurrence among students. Almost one third were found to hear and respond to texts while they were asleep. The students were unlikely to remember texting the next morning, and the texts were often complete gibberish or downright embarrassing.

Sleep Talking and Sleepwalking

If your partner suddenly yells out “Yellow gladiolas!" while wandering around the room in the middle of the night, they may be experiencing somnambulism. It's possible to appear to be awake, with eyes open, but actually be asleep. Sleep talking and sleepwalking are typical of somnambulism. Most often, sleepwalking occurs during non-REM sleep, early in the night.

Sleep Eating

Why is your kitchen so messy in the morning, with buttered napkins and empty candy wrappers scattered all about? You may be experiencing nighttime binge eating. You quickly stuff your mouth with foods you might not indulge in during the day, like high-calorie snacks. And things could get ugly if someone tries to stop you. This strange eating spectacle occurs even though you're not hungry, and can happen at any time—sometimes even multiple times—during the night. It could also explain why you may have no appetite for breakfast in the morning.

Acting Out Your Dreams

Ever hear stories of people punching holes in walls or jumping out of hotel room windows while they're sleeping? Occurring during the normal sleep stage of REM sleep (a stage where there is normally no movement), people with this rare condition may act out their dreams. These sudden outbursts can happen once in a while or several times each night, and are as surprising to the sleeper upon waking as they are to those around them.


If you or someone you know does any of these things, you're not alone. It's always good to let your physician know if you have concerns. And it might be a good idea to give your roommates a heads up too.


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*Based on internal analysis of sleep sessions assessing sleepers who use multiple features of Sleep Number® products. Claim based on sleepers achieving over 15 more minutes of restful sleep per sleep sessions.



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