Sleepwalking is one of the parasomnias, a group of disorders that also includes night terrors, nocturnal enuresis and nightmares. This disorder of arousal is much more common in children than in adults, and it is commonly associated with other parasomnias. Sleepwalking typically occurs during the first three hours of sleep, when sleep stages 3 and 4 (non-rapid-eye-movement sleep) are most prevalent. The episodes usually last 30 seconds to 30 minutes. The differential diagnosis of sleepwalking...

Concurrent acute onset of night terrors, somnambulism, and spontaneous daytime panic attacks meeting the criteria for panic disorder is reported in a 10-year-old boy with a family history of panic disorder. Both the parasomnias and the panic disorder were fully responsive to therapeutic doses of imipramine. A second case of night terrors and infrequent full symptom panic attacks is noted in another 10-year-old boy whose mother has panic disorder with agoraphobia. The clinical resemblance and...