What does sleepwalked mean?
“Sleepwalked” is the past tense and past participle of “sleepwalk,” meaning to walk or perform a purposeful movement while asleep. The behavior is most commonly associated with sleep disorders, particularly partial arousal during non-REM sleep, although it can also occur in other sleep stages. A person who sleepwalked may have little or no memory of the episode afterward. Figuratively, the verb can describe someone proceeding through an activity in a distracted, dazed, or unthinking manner. This use is informal but widely understood and can suggest a lack of awareness or deliberate control. In medical contexts, “sleepwalked” is the appropriate verb form when describing a particular incident, while “sleepwalking” more often names the behavior or condition in general.
verbTo walk while asleep, especially during a sleep disorder or partial arousal. It can also be used figuratively to describe moving through an activity in a distracted, dazed, or unthinking way.
- To walk or engage in similar purposeful movement while asleep, usually with little or no awareness of doing so.
- To move through an activity in a dazed, inattentive, or semi-conscious manner, as if acting without full awareness.
"She sleepwalked into the kitchen and made a cup of tea without waking."
"The child sleepwalked across the floor just after midnight."
"He sleepwalked through the presentation, following the slides without really listening."
"The investigation revealed that the patient had sleepwalked near the edge of the pool."
Sleepwalking is a parasomnia: the body performs a familiar movement while the sleeper is not fully conscious.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sleepwalked come from?
The word was formed by combining “sleep” with “walk,” both of which are old English words. “Sleep” comes from Old English “slæp,” related to Old Norse “slepn,” while “walk” comes from Old English “walcan.” The compound “sleepwalk” was established in the 16th century, and the verb form came to be used for both the literal behavior and later figurative meanings.
Related word forms
How sleepwalked is actually used
In its literal medical or everyday sense, “sleepwalked” describes a person walking while asleep. The figurative sense is informal and usually suggests distracted, thoughtless, or almost unconscious behavior. “Sleepwalking” is generally more common when referring to the condition or activity as a whole.
Easily confused with sleepwalked
“Sleepwalked” is the past tense and past participle of the verb, while “sleepwalking” names the activity in general or its usual form.