Sleep-Swimming Woman Treated for Hypothermia
A 31-year-old woman in Idaho was treated for hypothermia after a late-night swim. According to authorities, the unnamed woman was in a trance or sleep state, during the incident, which was her third in the past five weeks.
The woman's husband called authorities for help after she was missing in the early morning hours. A sliding glass door was left open, but she was nowhere to be found. Officials began searching and located her approximately a quarter of a mile downstream from her home.
She was hypothermic and soaked after swimming in the Snake River. Authorities rushed her to the hospital, where her temperature was raised. A judge ordered the woman to be psychologically evaluated; she was not found to be a danger to herself or others and was not held.
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According to the American Sleep Association, only one percent of adults sleepwalk; the disorder is much more prevalent in children. Three to 17 percent of children will sleepwalk at some point in their youth. Sleepwalking usually wanes with age, and it's very rare for adults to start sleepwalking.
Sleep-swimming is one of the more unusual forms of sleepwalking, though people have reported doing strange things while still asleep. For example, stories that sleepwalkers have engaged in activities requiring attention and alertness, such as driving, have surfaced in recent years.
"Episodes of sleepwalking can range from quiet walking about the room to agitated running or attempts to 'escape.' Typically, the eyes are open with a glassy, staring appearance as the person quietly roams the house. On questioning, responses are slow or absent. If the person is returned to bed without awakening, they usually do not remember the event," WebMD noted.
Authorities are fearful that as temperatures continue to drop, the Idaho swimmer could be in real danger. They have urged her husband to seek help for her disorder.
