It is not dangerous to wake up a patient form sleepwalking, but experts who discourage it quote it is unsuccessful and leads to patient disorientation,” he says. “Try to ease them back to bed without making forceful attempts. ... Other factors can cause sleepwalking such as sleep apnea and periodic limb movement disorders.
Should you wake up sleepwalkers?
Waking a sleepwalker should be done as gently as possible to avoid such responses. It is difficult to wake a person who is sleepwalking, and many sleep experts recommend gently guiding the person back to bed instead. Sleepwalkers most likely will not remember the incident in the morning.
Why is it a bad idea to wake up a sleepwalker?
It's known as sleep inertia and it usually takes a while to orientate yourself and understand what's happening. It can then take some time to return to sleep, which is one reason waking a sleepwalker isn't routinely recommended; it cuts into their sleep time and may leave them sleep deprived by morning.