The Dive of My Life
Imagine waking up to find yourself wearing nothing but your socks and having no recollection of what transpired the night before. For some people, sleepwalking has led them to do things that one only expects to see in movies. But sleepwalking is real, and it can cause all sorts of crazy shenanigans in the dark of night.
Also called somnambulism, sleepwalking is a mysterious sleep disorder in which a person is able to perform complex behaviors while still asleep…which means they rarely remember what happened. Although it seems funny, it can also be quite dangerous, and luckily, the people in these stories lived to tell their tales.
I’ve been a sleepwalker for as long as I remember, and the last time I sleepwalked was a disaster. I had a high sleeper bed, and I vividly remember dreaming about standing on a big rock with the sea below me. Not too long after, I made a very elegant swan dive, but instead of landing in the water, I was woken up by the feeling of my torso slamming on my desk and breaking it in half….
A Burning Sensation
If that wasn’t bad enough, my fall triggered a series of other things falling over, which concluded with my wardrobe coming down on me and breaking. Luckily, my body was more or less intact, but that room was ruined. Reddit User: pseudophant
I passed out with my gas permeable contacts in, but when I woke up, there were nowhere to be found. I stepped into the bathroom and there they were, so I popped them back in, and for some reason, they were burning like crazy. When I went into the bathroom, I found that I’d covered them in toothpaste instead of contact solution….
“It’s About to Get Worse”
My eyes burned in minty fury for hours that day, and I have no recollection of ever having destroyed my expensive contacts. It took about four to five cycles of scrubbing before I could keep them in my eye and not tear up. Reddit User: robots_control_us
I have no recollection of this, but apparently, a few weeks ago, I fell asleep on the couch while my boyfriend was up playing video games in the bedroom. According to him, I walked into the bathroom, turned on the hot water, and filled up a cup of water….
My Mom’s Book Club
I then walked into the bedroom with the cup and asked how his game was going. He told me that he was getting slaughtered. He said that I laughed and said, “It’s about to get worse” right before I threw the water at him. Reddit User: labeille87
My parents told me that when I was in middle school, I used to sleepwalk and sleep talk quite a lot. As proof, my mother got into the habit of videotaping all my sleepwalking/sleep talking adventures. This one time, she was showing me a video of myself walking into the living room while she had 10 of her friends over for their weekly book club reading….
Broken in Two Places
I watched as I stopped at the edge of the room and just stood there for 2-3 minutes. Before I left, I waved my hands in an arch over my head and said, “Death to all of the ladies,” then I went back upstairs. Reddit User: Trapped _in_Riddit
I’ve had a few scary incidents while sleepwalking. The one that stands out the most is when I slipped and fell all the way to the bottom of the stairs while walking down. My foot went right through the wall, but the weird part is that it didn’t even wake me up. I removed my foot from the wall, went back upstairs, and returned back to my bed….
That’s Not the Toilet
I woke up a few hours later to my foot throbbing. The pain was unlike anything I’ve ever felt. Confused, I went to the doctor to get an x-ray, and I found out that I broke my foot in two places. I found the hole in the wall when I got back home. Reddit User: KateMt
It wasn’t me, but my brother. I woke up to this weird noise, and when I got up to see what it was, I saw him peeing into my clothes hamper. When I yelled at him to wake up, he responded by softly shushing me. Why? Because it’s not my place to question his actions….
Souvenirs from the Night
The next morning, we washed those clothes twice over. Despite the evidence (smell and damp clothes), my brother vehemently denied it happened. Reddit User: Bracks3
My worst “episode” occurred when I was a teenager. Thankfully, with medication, it has almost stopped completely. That night, or morning, I should say, I got out of bed at 2 am in nothing but my underwear. I was woken up by someone pressing down hard on their car horn as they drove past me….
A Three Course Meal
It turns out that I had walked a quarter of a mile across a busy four-lane road. It took me about 15 minutes to figure out what was going on and for me to figure out where I was. I walked back home to the open front door and a few cactus needles in my feet as souvenirs from the night. Reddit User: [redacted]
I never knew myself to be a sleepwalker, but according to my mother, I cooked an entire meal at 3 in the morning. At the time, I was only a preteen, and after I made the meal, I even made myself a pitcher of lemonade: one of those powdered mixes. My mother woke up to find me plating my food….
My Mom’s Flight
After asking what I was doing, she realized that I was sleepwalking. She allowed me to eat, then put me back to bed. The next morning, she told me what happened. Reddit User: Phanton1thrd
My mother was a sleepwalker who once had a dream about flying. On that night, my father was awoken by her squirming. He watched her as she climbed on top of their small side table on the other side of the bedroom. Before he could get up to stop her, she leaped off the table while flapping her arms….
It’s Scary Not Knowing
She ended up smashing her rib cage on the side of a table, which resulted in three broken ribs. She woke up with a very painful jolt and had to be taken to the hospital. Reddit User: bluegnome
I have no idea what I did, and that’s the problem. I live on my own, but I woke up one morning with dirty feet and a few leaves in my bed. The worrying thing is that I sleep in the nude, and I woke up to find that my clothes were still hung up from the day before….
My Dad’s Business Trips
So, one of two things happened. Either I was very tidy with my sleep-undressing or the scarier option: I was wandering around the garden in the nude. I’m hoping that it was the first. Reddit User: Emily_Starke
My mother and I are both sleepwalkers, which means that my poor dad has always been the one who takes care of us during our “episodes.” There are times, however, when he is not around, like whenever he has to travel for work, that my mom and I barricade the front door with the sofa so we can’t sleepwalk out of the house….
Being an Avenger for the Night
I honestly think his “travels” are just an excuse to rent a hotel room to get a decent night’s rest every once in a while. When I was nine, I took all of the family savings we kept at home and threw it out of the apartment window while sleepwalking. Dad couldn’t even be angry at me because I was asleep while doing so. Reddit User: [redacted]
I used to sleepwalk ALL the time, and I have so many stories that I don’t know where to start. The one that sticks out in my mind is the time I completely trashed my newly cleaned room, all because I had a dream that I was with the Avengers and we lost the Tesseract….
Having a Productive Sleep
I got really angry as we looked all over the place for it. We eventually found it, and that’s all I remember. I woke up with my bare mattress on top of me on the floor. All my books were torn out of my bookshelf, and my closet was completely emptied. In the middle of it all was a neatly folded sweatshirt (the Tesseract). Reddit User: Notbackwardtext
My brother, who lives in Florida, once walked a few hours to Cumberland Farms very early in the morning, filled out a job application, then walked back home. A few days later, we got a call from him telling us how surprised he was to have gotten a job interview that he had no recollection of applying for….
The Clues Lead Back to You
My brother didn’t think it was very funny. Imagine learning that you are more productive sleeping than awake. Reddit User: caro822
When my sister was younger, she used to sleepwalk all the time. The rest of my family would wake up in the morning to find her sleeping in random parts of the house. One night, my mom made chocolate cake right before our bedtime but refused to give us any despite our begging, so we went to sleep….
Stay Out!
The next morning, my mother woke up to find what was left of the cake in the middle of the kitchen floor. Not only that, but there was cake all over the kitchen with chocolate handprints and footprints leading up to my sister’s bedroom. When she followed them, she found my sister sound asleep, covered with chocolate. My sister had no recollection of the incident. Reddit User: yourestreetsbehind
My boyfriend was a sleepwalker, and although I’ve only witnessed him doing it twice, it was worse when he was younger. He told me about this one time when he locked his entire family out of the house and fell asleep in front of the door in a fetal position….
An Astronautical Adventure
They could see him through the windows and were yelling until they broke into their own home. When they asked him if he knew why they were upset, he said, “I know. It’s because I was spinning the frozen towels over my head.” Reddit User: whiskey_and_bacon
My friend once told me the story about how he woke up his entire house by screaming at the top of his voice, “TEN… NINE… EIGHT… SEVEN… SIX… FIVE… FOUR… THREE… TWO… ONE… BLAAAAASSST OOOOFFFFFFFF!” He took a step closer to their bedroom with every number. By the time he got to one, he was outside of his parents’ bedroom door banging on it….
Keeping an Eye Out for Aliens
When they opened their door, they found him sleeping soundly in a heap on the floor. When he woke up, he had no memory of his astronautical adventure or how he got the large bruise on his arm. Reddit User: Lokken
My family and I would go on camping trips all the time, and at the time, I must have been about 10 to 12 years old. During the night, when we were all supposed to be asleep, I unzipped the tent with my hand shaped like a weapon. My mother, who heard me getting up, asked me where I was going, and I responded groggily….
Trying to Change My Clothes
“Aliens are coming, and we must keep quiet.” I continued walking outside, talking to myself about the upcoming invasion. I continued on my rant until someone came to get me. Reddit User: ClarkeRLY
I’ve often been told stories about my sleepwalking, but the one that stands out the most is the time my mother told me that she woke up to a banging noise coming from my bedroom. When she came to check on me, she found that not only had I come down from the top bunk, but I’d also taken off all my clothing….
Check Her Room
Apparently, all I wanted to do was put on different clothes, but all I was doing was banging my head against the side of the dresser. Sleep is something, isn’t it? Reddit User: ScotchyWorldview
A few years ago, my stepfather worked as a live-in warden in a block of student halls at a university. One night at around 10 pm, he answered the door to find one of his friend’s 6-year-old daughters standing there. She was obviously sleepwalking, so he tucked her in my sister’s bed, since she was away at the time. He then phoned the friend to say that she was at his flat….
Falling for a Sleepwalker
The friend said that it wasn’t true, but when my stepfather urged him to check, he said in a very shaken voice, “I’ll be straight over.” We later found out that the friend’s daughter sleepwalked to go downstairs, outside, across two roads and a carpark, and through the student district to get to my stepfather. Reddit User: James72090
This sleepwalking story is about how my friend and I went from friends to boyfriend and girlfriend to husband and wife. One night after a party, we decided to spend the night at his place after a party. He had a huge bed, so we decided we would just share rather than someone having to sleep on the floor.
Scaring My Father
The next morning, I was upset that he didn’t say anything about what happened between us the night before. I thought the friendship was ruined, but then I brought it up to him. It was then that he explained himself: he didn’t remember. He was surprised that I was okay with it and that I liked him. The rest was history. Reddit User: tinsil
Back when I was in middle school, I used to sleepwalk constantly, but I never did anything unusual…at least until one night when my father was watching television in the basement. So he hears me coming down the stairs, and I sit down and silently watch with him. Although he knows that I’m not awake, he still tries to get my attention….
Becoming a Ninja Turtle
He says that I slowly and steadily turn my head to face him with my eyes half open and my face expressionless. I then say, “You’re always staring at us.” Obviously creeped out, my father puts me back in bed, then I wake up with bells tied to the door. Reddit User: Capt_Ido_Nos
My husband and I had been married for a few months when he went cold turkey on some pain medications for a recent surgery. They made him sleepwalk, so he decided to get off of them. The problem was that the sleepwalking didn’t stop as soon as he stopped the medication. One night, I heard metallic rattling from the bathroom….
My Husband’s Bubble Bath
When I turned on the lights to see if he was okay, I saw that the bathroom was a mess. The shower curtain was completely ripped down, and the blinds were down from the window. I turned to him in confusion to ask what he was doing, and this was his response….
“I need this stuff.” I asked for what, and he replied, “Because this is what Ninja Turtles are made from.” At that moment, I realized that he was sleepwalking. Reddit User: Amphibology
I was woken up by my husband singing in the shower at 3 in the morning. He always told me never to interrupt him when he was taking his bubble baths, so I decided to leave him there, as per his request. He ended up falling back asleep in the tub….
On Lockdown
When he woke up, I explained to him what happened. The thing is that my husband is 6′ 5″, so he was very sore from sleeping in the tub. I still feel bad every time I think about it. Reddit User: gelindin
My friend and his parents were very worried about his sleepwalking as a teen, and they decided to chronicle it in the hopes of better understanding it so he wouldn’t hurt himself. They also decided to keep locks on all the doors that led to the outside and hide the keys somewhere he couldn’t find them….
My 40-Year Problem
One night, he sleepwalks over to his parents’ room, manages to find the keys, and opens all the locks to the doors. His mother finds him just as he is about to open the final lock. He turns to her and sings the Superman theme song. Reddit User: myrealgrandparents
I’ve been a sleepwalker since I was 8 years old, and now I’m 48, so for the last 40 years of my life, I’ve been struggling with this issue. I moved to a new place that had a mirror in the hallway, and one night, I woke up in the middle of the night and just stood in front of the mirror, and you’ll never guess what happened next….
My Ex’s Chant
I woke up and saw my reflection and immediately went into defense mode. I tried to punch the person in front of me, but I quickly realized it was me. My heart was racing, and I couldn’t go back to sleep. I still have nightmares about it. Reddit User: MadlintElf
This wasn’t me, but one of my ex-girlfriends. One night, I woke up to her standing and pointing out the window. She was chanting “moo-moo moon” over and over. I was so drowsy, but I knew that something was off. After asking her what was going on, she turned around, pointed at me, and said, “You next….”
Asking About Cocoa
She then crawled back in bed and went straight to sleep. I asked what the heck that was about, and she didn’t remember a thing. Reddit User: forwhombagels
Late one night, my college roommate, whom I had just met the week before, just walked into my bedroom laughing hysterically. It was a little weird, but I went with it; we just watched each other for a little while before he asked me what percentage of cocoa I enjoyed in my chocolate….
My Weird Little Sister
I responded with a high number like 98% just to see where the conversation was going, and he replied by saying, “Good, cause we don’t go for that 50% crap.” When I spoke to him the next day, he didn’t remember any of the conversations. Reddit User: acleverwalrus
My little sister did a lot of creepy things, one of which was her sitting up and giggling in her sleep. It was the one thing that really scared me and my other sister. At the time, we were about 9 or 10 and our little sister 5 or 4. My parents put my little sister to bed, and we, the older children, would watch television until it was our bedtime….
My Cousin’s Cravings
My little sister would walk out of the room with her eyes closed and say in a horror movie voice, “Coming for you. They don’t like you,” laugh, then go back to her room. Reddit User: Vveinor
This was not me but my cousin. She lived in the basement of her home, and at the time, she was 10 and I was 6 years old. I spent the night at her home and slept in the living room when I heard some weird noises, which ended up being her going into the kitchen….
Explaining the Weight Gain
I walked over to her, incredibly confused and nervous, when I saw her exchange her favorite teddy bear for a bag of pepperoni. When I asked her what she was doing, and she said Raba (her toy) needed to cook down. Reddit User: princess_zoe
I’m not a regular sleepwalker; I only developed the condition when I took Ambien to help with my chronic insomnia. My boyfriend, who I am no longer with, found me eating a stick of butter in the middle of the night like it was a candy bar. I even ate the paper it was wrapped in….
Conversations and a Bus Trip
So every night, he came to check on me, and it turns out I’d do a lot of sleep eating, including things I don’t usually eat, and that’s why I put on so much weight so quickly. I don’t use sleep aids anymore. Reddit User: [redacted]
My parents told me stories about how often I would sleepwalk when I was younger. It wasn’t anything serious; I’d just walk into their room and stand in the doorway. My mom would always walk me back to my room, telling me that it was really creepy waking up to a child standing in your room….
Saving My Life
It stopped, but when I was in my twenties, I took Ambien for insomnia, and it made me sleepwalk. People have told me that I’ve had entire conversations, and there was even one occasion when I took a bus trip. Reddit User: Batterybandit
I was a very active sleepwalker, and I’m so thankful that I had the issue that I’m talking about, because it probably saved my life more times than I would like to think. I could never get doors or windows to open when I sleepwalked, and it seems like it’s always the first place I would go to during an episode….
Just Turn Off the Lights
I always get befuddled by the door locks, which eventually wakes me up. I’ve only made it out the door once, and luckily, my husband caught me before I made it very far. Reddit User: [redacted]
My cousin was spending the night at our grandmother’s house one night when he was very young, and he was caught doing something no one should ever do in their grandparents’ house. He got up during the night, took the usual route that led him to the toilet, but ended up at the top of the stairs….
Sleeping With Her Friend’s Parents
He got caught peeing off the top of the stairs down to the living room below. My grandfather didn’t care; he told him to “turn the freaking light off when you’re finished, you’ll waste the electricity.” Reddit User: mersock
A friend of mine has had problems sleepwalking her entire life. Back when she was in the 7th grade, a friend of hers invited her to a sleepover, and she was really excited because the girl who asked her was a cool kid, while she was on the other end of the spectrum….
A Sleepwalker and a Klepto
On the night of the sleepover, my friend got out of her sleeping bag and walked into the friend’s parents’ bedroom. She climbed into bed with the girl’s parents. Reddit User: [redacted]
I woke up one Saturday morning to my mother crying and freaking out. I tried to calm her, but she didn’t want to talk about it. Finally she admitted it was because she couldn’t find her wedding ring. She religiously put it next to the sink every time she took it off, so she was on a frantic search to find it….
“Slap Me in the Face”
I got this weird feeling that I might have had something to do with it, and I instinctively felt the urge to lift my mattress. There it was: my mother’s ring. Not only was I a sleepwalker, but now a klepto. Reddit User: athomps
Back in college, I frantically started yelling my roommate’s name. He woke up and stumbled over to the top bunk where I was sleeping, asking me if I was okay or if I needed anything. I said, “Dude, slap me square in the face.” I even turned my face in his direction, still with my eyes closed….
5 Miles Away in Nothing But Underwear
What?” He repeated. I said, “SLAP ME SQUARE IN THE FACE.” So he slapped me. Very hard. I told him thanks, then turned over and went back to sleep. He and my other two roommates went on and on about it for an entire week. Reddit User: Sugay_buddy
When I was younger, my father was diagnosed with severe PTSD from fighting in the Vietnam War. His doctors put him on some medication that was causing him to sleepwalk. It started out with him just waking up and grabbing his weapons, which was very scary, but then one night while we were sleeping, we got a phone call from an unknown number….
Inviting Strangers In
It was my dad at 2 in the morning. My mother was so confused. It turns out he had walked all the way to St. Louis, which was more than 5 miles away. He was only wearing his underwear. Reddit User: Vrgom
I woke up one morning to find that my laptop and my wallet had gone missing. After asking around if anyone had seen them, my neighbor told me that I should ask my friend who came over the night before. Wait, what friend? I found out that I invited a complete stranger in….
Waiting for Him to Go Home
I had no idea who the person was, but my neighbor saw the whole thing. They told me, “I thought she was your friend.” At least I know it’s a female. Reddit User: mrcoldplay
My cousin, a police officer, was once called to stop a civilian from streaking. They had no idea that he was sleepwalking. Instead of waking him up and giving him the scare of his life, they let him be, but they stayed to keep an eye on him until he got back home….
Overeating Vitamins
My cousin left a note on his door, and a few days later, they visited him to drop off a few muffins and to tell him what he did. Poor guy didn’t remember a thing. Reddit User: [redacted]
During my freshman year in college, my roommate told me that I sleepwalked a few times, but the one I remember the best is the time I jumped out of my bed and I walked around our dorm to our shared pantry. Once there, I pulled out all my vitamins and began to eat them….
She followed me, and when she saw what I was doing, she told me to stop and go to bed. I whipped my head at her and said in a mean way, “NO! I NEED IT!” and then I proceeded to eat vitamins for a few minutes before going back to sleep. Thank goodness I didn’t get sick from eating so many. Reddit User: blue_silver_stuff