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During sleepwalking, the brain is half active, one part of the brain is working, (controlling your motor functions), while the other part is resting. The motor areas, such as the cerebellum and motor cortex, become active enough to allow complex movements like walking or even navigating obstacles. Meanwhile, regions responsible for conscious awareness, reasoning, and memory—especially the prefrontal cortex—remain in a sleep-like state. This imbalance explains why sleepwalkers can perform seemingly purposeful actions without awareness and often have no memory of the episode afterward.
During sleepwalking, the frontal lobe—especially the prefrontal cortex—shows reduced activity, which plays an important role in why sleepwalkers act without awareness or control. That part of the brain is responsible for decision-making, self-awareness, and logical thinking. When it's not active, a person can perform complex movements without realizing what they’re doing, usually with no memory of the event afterward. Since the brain's motor regions remain active while the frontal lobe is still “asleep,” the sleepwalker can move around but lacks judgment or the ability to make safe, rational decisions. This imbalance between movement and awareness is what makes sleepwalking both fascinating and potentially dangerous.
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