Somnambulism Case Study

There have been numerous case studies on the sleep disorder somnambulism. Somnambulism is more commonly known as sleepwalking. Genetics tend to play an extremely big role in sleepwalking; however, recent studies show that it is more commonly related to mental sleep disorders and psychological factors. Due to the risk of injuries and danger, many people experiencing sleepwalking tend to seek medical attention. The most common treatment is the use of certain drugs. However, some patients do not respond to the drug at all or present many unwanted side effects. The aim of this report was to show psychological factors as a corresponding effect and to describe sleep disorder focused psychotherapy as an option for treating sleepwalking in adults.

Joyce Kales night terrors are episodes of extreme terror and panic that occur out of deep sleep. Fortunately, only one to six percent of people experience night terrors. It had been earlier suggested that night terrors only occur in children ages 3 to 12, and they never transition into adulthood. Night terrors were determined to be more frequent in home lives that were more stressful. Dr. Joyce Kales selected three patients that had been experiencing night terrors through childhood, adolescence, and even into adulthood. The goal was to determine if psychotherapy would be an effective treatment method to help eliminate night

Each case patient was in his late 20's, and had experienced frequent night terrors since childhood. Both participants were well-educated men with no understanding as to why the night terrors continued to occur. The researcher tested each patient separately with MMPI. Both tests came back with two similar disorders. The patients were diagnosed with Hysteria and Psychasthenia. This was a form and type of variable that the researchers had no control over. These disorders are controlled by the mind, not the researchers. The researchers scheduled 50-minute sessions, once a week with each patient for 23 months. Both participants attended the sessions on a regular basis. As they went through therapy, case A and case B patients began to appear less stressed. Night terror episodes were also not triggered as easily. Their night terrors became less frequent and eventually, by the 23 month, had disappeared