Where Am I? Amnesic Feeling After Sleepwalking

by Chaoseeker
(Arizona)

I think it started when I was very young, but I can't be sure how often. Not until I was in High School did I put all the pieces together and conclude that I sleepwalk.

I was about 14 or 15, I woke up in my bedroom with an odd sense of not knowing where I was, or how I got there. Obviously, I know my own bedroom. But the feeling is more like having a memory taken out that you can't get back. That's the best I can explain it. I've gotten this feeling since I was young, but it's the feeling I can recall, not the memory of why I'm feeling it.

This particular morning I knew I had fallen asleep in a recliner in the living room, but had woken up in my bedroom wearing a pajama shirt inside out and backwards and my jeans. (I recalled falling asleep in my jeans and a school uniform shirt.)

As I was pondering this I went to the kitchen for breakfast and crossed paths with my mother. She was very cross and told me that I had said some terrible things to her the night before, she was looking for an apology.

That's just it though, I had no memory of speaking to her. I told her about this odd feeling of amnesia (for the first time) and asked her how I'd gotten in my room. She told me she had tried to wake me up and told me to put on my pajamas and go to bed. I got up and yelled at her angrily, but was mostly hard to understand, then went in my room.

I then asked her about other instances when I had had this feeling. All of those times she could specifically remember me being very angry about having been woken up. This is how I made the connection and discovered that I sleep walk.

After studying all the times I could recall this feeling I have come up with my own personal triggers and precautions. I've never had a problem falling asleep, but falling asleep somewhere I don't mean to seems to cause problems. Also, being woken up when I've fallen asleep in an odd place doesn't seem to be good. I also seem to have a hard time with complex things, so merely shutting a door seems to work to confine me in a room, I haven't been able to work the knob.

I have heard stories of family members doing this, but none that are currently alive. I've sleep talked for as long as I can remember. Aside from sleepwalking I have a number of other issues that occur while I'm sleeping (note, I have never had a problem falling asleep). But this is the only one that involves me getting up and moving around.