Do Sleepwalkers Remember Confrontations During Their Episodes?

While it is a widely known fact that people can talk in their sleep, a question often arises about the memory of these conversations when the person wakes up, especially in cases of sleepwalking.

My own experience with sleepwalking during childhood provides insight into this phenomenon. My father recounted instances where I talked in my sleep, stating, 'Where’s all the food' and 'Give me all the money.' Surprisingly, I did not remember these conversations at all.

Insights from My Own Experiences and My Partner's Observation

I have experienced sleepwalking a significant amount as a child, with my daughters at times asking me questions and occasionally receiving coherent answers. Yet, I have no recollection of these conversations. My girlfriend also shares these experiences with me, adding an interesting perspective. She keeps a Sharpie by her side of the bed, and if I sleepwalk, she writes on my hand with it, something I would never allow while awake, even jokingly. The only evidence of these conversations is her description upon waking the next morning.

Understanding Sleepwalking and its Impact on Memory

The question of whether a sleepwalker remembers a conversation when they wake up is best considered in the context of the nature of sleepwalking as a disorder of slow-wave sleep (SWS) rather than during REM sleep. Slow-wave sleep is the most challenging to awaken from, making conversations during this period nearly impossible.

Characteristics of Slow-Wave Sleep (SWS)

During slow-wave sleep, which often occurs at the end of a car ride, a sleeping person can be moved from a car seat to a bed without signs of awakening, as evidenced by bedwetting if it occurs. This period of sleep is characterized by the inability to have interactive conversations and the presence of behaviors that are not fully realized.

The Emergence of Sleepwalked Behaviors

During SWS, complex behaviors like sleepwalking emerge as the person withdraws from the environment. Although they can be guided, the behavior is often disorganized, almost as if the person is a movie zombie. This has led to the creation of zombie tropes in literature and media.

Impact on Memory Systems

The memory systems are particularly affected during slow-wave sleep. Subjects who are forced to awaken from SWS have difficulty recalling or demonstrating previously learned tasks upon morning testing, even if they were trained to perform them.

Interestingly, SWS is associated with improved and permanent memory formation for material learned during the day, though it can be amnestic for material learned just before going to sleep. This explains the phenomenon of not remembering conversations during sleepwalking episodes but potentially remembering learned material from the day.

Conversations involving complex back-and-forth dialogues during slow-wave sleep are extremely unlikely to occur, and if they did, the likelihood of remembering them upon waking is virtually nonexistent.

Understanding the nature of sleepwalking and the impact of slow-wave sleep on memory provides insight into why sleepwalkers often do not remember their conversations when they wake up. If you find yourself talking to a sleepwalker, you may want to consider the possibility that their memory of the conversation will be sadly absent upon regaining consciousness.

In conclusion, while sleepwalking is a fascinating phenomenon, the lack of interactive memory during episodes underscores the importance of understanding the sleep stages and their impact on our cognitive processes.