Sleepwalking

I do weird things in my sleep. I have since I was about 10 years old. Please don't laugh, but I am a 32 year-old sleepwalker. When I was twelve, I woke up in the middle of the street with my bedspread wrapped around me. I was dreaming that my bedspread was actually my neighbor's across the street and I had to run over and return it...in the middle of the night. I can't imagine my neighbor's faces if I hadn't woken up. There I would have been, at 3am, in my pajamas, trying to give them my bedspread. Other nights, my mom would hear someone walking around the house, panic a bit at the thought of an intruder, only to find out that it was me. I'd wake up a bit startled to mom yelling, "Erin, get back to bed." I had no idea what was going on. LOL...I don't blame her though. I'd be a little freaked out too.

So, for most of my life, it has only been my parents and sister that have been able to experience this, beyond weird, night time phenomenon of mine; that is, until I got married. Oh, poor Noah. He didn't know when he married me that he was going to have to experience some of the craziest nights he could imagine. It's something that most people grow out of, but not me. Being a sleepwalker is a bit embarrassing to admit, but Noah and I always have a good laugh about it. It's really nothing I can help, I just need to go with it and hope that I may still grow out of it before I really do go and knock on my neighbors door at 3am.

Last night, Noah got to, once again, experience one of these sleepwalking experiences. He had almost thought that the episodes were done since I had not had one in a few months, but no such luck. Noah was awoken to me in a bit of a panic because a "spark" from a neighbors' campfire (at 3am) had made its way into our bedroom and was now floating into the bathroom. In my state of mind, I somehow thought that the spark was going to set fire to the house, so I asked if Noah would go stomp it out. Noah, being frustrated about being awoken and knowing that I was dreaming, simply said, "No, it will be fine." I remember getting pissed that he was going to make me go and do it. Note: From my experience of sleepwalking, I am in a state of dreaming and yet still conscious. It's really weird. I think this is why I am often able to remember what's going on and how I am feeling. Anyway, I get frustrated with Noah, let out a big sigh as I get out of bed, go to our closet, proceed to find a sturdy shoe, and go back to the bathroom to stomp out the spark that some how had found its way into our house. Low and behold, when I make it to the bathroom, no spark is to be found. I turn on the light and see absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. It is at that moment that I start to think about what is going on and the actual possibility of it, and realize that I am in fact sleepwalking. I get back into bed, my heart racing (it always does that when I wake up from one of these episodes) and relax enough after a few minutes to fall back asleep.

This morning, as I get out of bed, I stumble on one of my winter shoes, wonder what it's doing there, and then go to Noah and ask, "Did I sleepwalk last night?" Noah bursts out laughing and proceeds to tell me what happened. As soon as he sparks my memory, I'm able to remember everything. We just sat and laughed at my silliness. If nothings else, it provides some great entertainment.

Wow, dreams are funny things. Please tell me that I am not the only 32 year-old sleepwalker out there.