The Dangers of Sleepwalking

The enigmatic phenomenon of sleepwalking, often portrayed as harmless or comical in popular culture, conceals a far more dangerous reality. Sleepwalking can indeed be unsafe and, in some tragic instances, even fatal.

In the quiet town of Iowa City, Iowa, a young man named Jarod Allgood lived a dual life – a gifted football player during the day and a habitual sleepwalker during the night. It seems that it ran in his family as his brothers had the same tendencies.

Because Jarod was a significant sleepwalker, his mother was filled with fear. It was discussed with doctors but they mostly downplayed its significance, treating it as a trivial issue.

Even as Jarod ventured off to college, his nocturnal adventures persisted without much incident until that fateful night on February 9, 1993.

Without any apparent awareness, Jarod abruptly exited his bed and dashed out of his apartment. His eyes were wide open and his mind was trapped the realm between wakefulness and slumber. He sprinted barefoot for over a mile across icy pavements, exhibiting the intensity of a seasoned athlete reaching the finish line.

A specialist in sleep disorders said that the nature of these sleepwalking episodes people experience being trapped in the space between wakefulness and sleep. They possess the capacity to engage in complex activities while lacking conscious awareness or responsibility for their actions.

Incredibly, Jarod deftly maneuvered around parked cars and negotiated sharp turns, only to inadvertently step into the path of an oncoming vehicle. Tragically, Jarod met his demise instantly. Initial thoughts pointed towards suicide, but his mother was steadfast in her belief that her son had not taken his own life. She soon learned from Jarod's roommate about his recurring dream of a footrace against a man from who happened to be in a car. Jarod mentioned this peculiar dream where he was racing a man in a car, while Jarod was on foot, racing with all his might.

To some, this might seem coincidental, but the eerie twist was that Jarod met his untimely end while sprinting down a road leading to the very town he dreamt of.

The exhaustive investigation eventually confirmed what Jarod's mother and the specialist had said that this was yet another instance of sleepwalking gone awry. Jarod Allgood's demise was recorded as the first case in Iowa history directly attributable to sleepwalking.

Heidee Ruiz shared a similar predilection for sleepwalking. Like Jarod, Heidee was a committed athlete and the pressures of college life weighed heavily upon her. In 1991, she held a track and field scholarship and found herself grappling with intense stress that seemingly infiltrated her dreams. On one ominous night, she became a runner while deep in sleep. She wasn't fleeing from any specific threat. It felt as if the world was ending, and there was an inner force propelling her to run.

Her mother was a first-hand witness to two particularly violent episodes. A blood-curdling scream, was heard followed by two loud crashes as she barged through doors. The sheer force with which she raced through the home left an indelible mark on her mother. Her mother felt totally helpless in preventing her daughter from injuring herself.

Indeed Heidee had once injured herself during a sleepwalking episode when she arose from bed took one step then careened straight into a wall. The impact resulted in a gash on her wrist, and she also sustained a head injury as she collapsed onto the floor.

This critical juncture prompted Heidee to seek professional help, recognizing that she could no longer bear the terror of her nocturnal wanderings. Heidee did extensive tests at a renowned sleep clinic in Northern California, where electrodes were placed on her head and various monitors tracked her vital signs. The doctors’ goal was to capture a sleepwalking episode, which can be rare since it may not happen every night. Simultaneously, they aimed to rule out other potential causes such as seizure activity, sleep-related breathing disorders, or nocturnal leg movements that could trigger these episodes.

Ultimately, no physiological factors were identified as the root cause of Heidee's sleepwalking. However, it became evident that her episodes were likely triggered by a combination of factors, including sleep deprivation and heightened stress levels. Both Heidee and Jarod fit this pattern, as their sleepwalking incidents surged during periods of emotional strain and insufficient rest. Heidee has since managed her sleepwalking condition through medication and conscientious stress management techniques.

Despite decades of extensive research into the realms of sleep and dreams, scientists still grapple with more questions than answers when it comes to understanding and mitigating the risks associated with sleepwalking. The mysterious world of the unconscious mind continues to hold its secrets which leaves individuals like Heidee and the late Jarod Allgood to navigate their nocturnal journeys with caution and vigilance.