Sleepwalking and Disorders

Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing repeatedly starts and stops during sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic here are two main types of sleep apnea, i.e. "obstructive sleep apnea", and "central sleep apnea". Obstructive sleep apnea results from the muscles in the throat relax and block airflow into the lungs, while central sleep apnea is caused by the brain failing to send the proper signals for breathing to occur. According to the Sleep Foundation, these pauses can inturrupt the sleep cycle dozens of times every night, preventing the body from entering REM sleep,. and potentially giving rise to sleepwalking

According to the Mayo Clinic, restless legs syndrome is a condition which causes extreme discomfort in the legs while sitting or laying down. While there is no known cure for RSL, walking around helps to alleviate the discomfort. The discomfort is present even during sleep, which disrupts the brain's ability to fall into deep sleep, and, according to the Sleep Foundation can ultimately lead to frequent nighttime arousals and sleepwalking.

Neurodigenerative conditions are, according to the Cleveland Clinic, are chronic, permanen, incurable which damage and destroy the nervous system, especially to the brain, over time, e.g. Parkinson's disease. Due to the nature of these conditions, they can cause damage to the parts of the brain that are responsible for certain tasks which work to prevent sleepwalking, e.g. according to the National Institute of Health, dementia with lewy bodies causes damage to the brainstem, cortical regions. and limbic system, which caused almost 80% of patients to suffer from sleep disturbances, including sleepwalking.