Skip to main content

What causes sleepwalking? - Emmanuel During

  • 358,468 Views
  • 2,329 Questions Answered
  • TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

Mumbling fantastical gibberish; devouring blocks of cheese in the nude; peeing in places that aren’t toilets; and jumping out of windows. These are all things people have reportedly done while sleepwalking, a behavior that can be dangerous in some cases. It’s estimated that around 18% of people sleepwalk at least once in their lives. So, what exactly is sleepwalking? Emmanuel During investigates.


Customize this lesson31

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Emmanuel During
  • Director Laura Jayne Hodkin
  • Narrator Jack Cutmore-Scott
  • Storyboard Artist Laura Jayne Hodkin
  • Animator Laura Jayne Hodkin
  • Clean Up Animator Lydia Reid
  • Art Director Laura Jayne Hodkin
  • Composer Salil Bhayani, cAMP Studio
  • Sound Designer Amanda P.H. Bennett, Chengqing Zhu, cAMP Studio
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Producer Anna Bechtol
  • Associate Producer Abdallah Ewis
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Editorial Producer Cella Wright
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Want to know more about sleepwalking and other sleep disorders?

Head over to the CDC’s website for some basics about sleep. To learn more about sleepwalking, how it works, and some common misconceptions check out this explainer video. For an overview of sleepwalking symptoms and causes, check out this article from the Mayo Clinic. For more reading about other kinds of sleep disorders, take a look at the CDC’s overview.  Finally, if you’re looking for tips and information about getting better sleep, Sleep Education is a good place to start.  
0 Guided Discussions
3 Open Discussions
Start a discussion
Avatar for Pebbles xD
Pebbles xD
Describe the time you sleepwalked (if you have).
Comment down below! ↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓
10/26/2022 • 
 2 Responses
 / 2 Updates
View discussion
Avatar for NANDA EGA
NANDA EGA
behavior of sleepwalkers
sleepwalkers habit I ever experienced when I was little. it could happen maybe due to fatigue playing, because I was classified as active at that time. My mother said that what usually happens is opening the cupboard or walking to the living room. the incident stopped when I entered kindergarten.
03/01/2023 • 
 0 Responses
 / 0 Updates
View discussion

Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Emmanuel During
  • Director Laura Jayne Hodkin
  • Narrator Jack Cutmore-Scott
  • Storyboard Artist Laura Jayne Hodkin
  • Animator Laura Jayne Hodkin
  • Clean Up Animator Lydia Reid
  • Art Director Laura Jayne Hodkin
  • Composer Salil Bhayani, cAMP Studio
  • Sound Designer Amanda P.H. Bennett, Chengqing Zhu, cAMP Studio
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Producer Anna Bechtol
  • Associate Producer Abdallah Ewis
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Editorial Producer Cella Wright
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler

More from Getting Under Our Skin