I used to be a sleep walker. It was the most confusing feeling ever. I was being repeatedly raped to this point in my life. So I get the connection between mental stress and it causing sleepwalking. But technically how and why. Of all the ways for one's mind to deal with things, why sleepwalking. I would wake up in my sleep in odd places (in my room or house) I could not see. I might not have been fully awake. I would have panic attacks in my sleep because I could not sort out the details of where I was and how to get back to my bed. I would have panic attacks. It happened so often I learned to just lay down in the floor where ever I was and stay put. It seemed to lessen the panic. (my boyfriend at the time would desert me at night and leave me, he came back later with "conditions" I would have to meet to get back in the truck) I changed clothes in my sleep, ate in my sleep, walked, and even showered in my sleep. Due to this man and also due to being unable to either wake up enough to know were I was in my room or because it was dark and I could not see, I have a great fear of the dark still today. I was just curious if anyone knows how great amounts of stress correlates to sleepwalking and other strange sleep habits.