Top Five Frightening Stories About Sleepwalking

March 15, 2024

Sleep is a necessary part of our daily lives; however, imagine waking up to evidence of doing something you have zero recollection of or in a life-threatening situation! For many, this is a horrifying reality. While some of these sleepwalking scenarios seem like the stuff of horror movies, there are many out there that experience dreadful things while under the spell of sleep that bleed into their waking lives. Read on to find out about some of the most horrifying sleepwalking stories—and try to get a good night’s rest again!

5. A Fall from 50 Feet

Imagine falling asleep comfortably in your own bed and then waking up in a hospital bed. Unfortunately for a sleepwalker named Amy Wigfull, this was a waking nightmare. While vacationing in Spain, Amy was sleepwalking in her hotel room when she opened the bathroom window and leaped, falling 50 feet to the ground. Against all odds, she survived and started walking again only a month after the incident.

4. A Date with an Alligator Pond

77-year-old James Currens woke up in a rather sticky situation one morning, finding himself trapped in mud in a nearby pond infested with alligators! Luckily Currens was only waist-deep in the water and able to use his cane to fend off the hungry and curious alligators that were headed toward him. Neighbors called the police before any significant damage was done.

3. Trip to the Subway Track

Standing too close to subway tracks is never a good idea, but imagine unknowingly walking directly onto them while under the spell of sleep! One sleepwalker found herself in this dangerous predicament, and she was lucky that brave commuters leaped into action to retrieve her, only sustaining minor injuries to her arm. While sleeping, going to work can wait!

2. Deep Freeze

A man named Timothy Brueggeman from northern Wisconsin battled chronic insomnia and took the common sleep aid Ambien to help soothe his symptoms. Unfortunately, the prescription did more harm than good, and one morning, Brueggeman wandered out of his home while in a sleepwalking trance into temperatures measured at negative 16 degrees Fahrenheit. He succumbed to hypothermia and was discovered the following day.

1. Doing the Unthinkable

We may experience nightmares where we accidentally or intentionally hurt or killed someone. We would never dream of doing this in our waking lives. For Albert Tirrell, this horrifying nightmare fuel had occurred in life while sleepwalking. Tirell wandered into a local brothel and nearly decapitated a woman with a razor. Once awake and realizing what he had done, Tirell fled to New Orleans. After he was apprehended, his sleepwalking defense worked, and he got away scot-free.

We all sleep, but not everyone deals with both the silly and simply horrifying sleepwalking phenomenon. Experts are baffled by the experience, as it is one of the most unpredictable and downright terrifying behaviors of the human sleeping mind. Perhaps locking your bedroom door and window is a necessary precaution!