00:00Whoa, look at that jump! Yeah, he's so fast! Wait, what's he doing? He's sleepwalking! Whoa!
00:06We've all seen the cartoons, a sleepwalker with their arms stretched out, wandering aimlessly.
00:11But in reality, sleepwalking is much stranger, and sometimes much more dangerous, than the movies
00:17suggest. It's a state of dissociated arousal, where parts of your brain are in a deep sleep,
00:23while the parts that control movement are wide awake. 1. The Brain in Limbo
00:28Sleepwalking occurs during N3 sleep, the deepest stage of non-REM rest. While your rational frontal
00:34cortex is essentially offline and emitting slow delta waves, your limbic system, which handles
00:40emotions, and your motor cortex are buzzing with activity. Essentially, your body is ready for a
00:46marathon, but the pilot of your brain is fast asleep. 2. Beyond Just Walking
00:52It isn't just about wandering the halls. Sleepwalkers have been known to get dressed,
00:57cook full meals, and even drive cars. Because the rational part of the brain isn't functioning,
01:03they can perform these complex tasks without any memory of them the next morning.
01:07Before we debunk the biggest myth about waking a sleepwalker, welcome to Fact Space. If you find
01:13the human mind as fascinating as we do, hit that subscribe button. Comment below if you or someone
01:19you know has a crazy sleepwalking story, and share this with someone who needs to hear the truth about
01:24the night. 3. The Don't Wake Them Myth
01:28You've probably heard that waking a sleepwalker will give them a heart attack or cause brain damage.
01:33That is 100% false. However, there is a reason you should be careful. Because they are in such a
01:40deep
01:40sleep, waking them causes extreme confusion and a massive adrenaline surge. This startle response can
01:47trigger a fight-or-flight reaction, making them lash out or accidentally hurt themselves or you.
01:534. The Sleepwalking Defense
01:55Believe it or not, homicidal somnambulism, or sleepwalking murder, has been used as a successful
02:01legal defense. In 1846, Albert Turrell became the first person acquitted of murder after his lawyer
02:08proved he was a chronic sleepwalker and had no conscious control over his actions. So, if you catch
02:13someone wandering at night, don't scream. Just gently guide them back to bed. The brain is a mysterious
02:20place, especially when it's half awake. Thanks for watching Fact Space. See you on my next video.
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