Woman Drives 200 Miles…Asleep!
We’ve all heard the expression, “I could do that in my sleep.” Of course, most of us are exaggerating when we make a claim like that. Astonishingly, a woman in New Zealand actually proved that she could do that in her sleep, that being drive nearly 200 miles around New Zealand.
The so far unnamed woman took sleeping pills and then proceeded to get into her car and drive away from her home. According to the UK’s Daily Mail Online, the woman drove through the night and ended up at her former home, 186 miles away!
Police found the woman at her previous home after her friend had called and reported that she witnessed her friend consume sleep medication and then proceed to drive away from her home. According to the woman who phoned the police, a similar incident had occurred 10 months earlier.
Police confirmed that during the woman’s drive, she sent text messages to friends who assumed she was simply sleep texting them, not realizing that she was driving at the same time.
During her drive, police attempted to track her car down using her mobile phone but were unable to track her specific location because she was in motion. Police were alerted to watch for any suspicious or alarming driving in the area, but according to sources, none was ever reported. Eventually, police found her slumped over her wheel in the driveway of her old house, with no recollection of the night’s alarming and interesting events.
Police are now forbidding the woman from driving and considering taking her driver’s license away. They are urging her to speak with her doctor about her condition.
While sleep medication can be very handy, it has been proven to lead to cases of somnambulism, or
sleepwalking. Even in today’s world of medical and technological advancements, sleepwalking still remains somewhat of a mystery. In most cases, sleepwalking is merely an unsettling experience for the sleepwalker, and sometimes for those who witness it, but sometimes it can result in very dangerous circumstances for the sleepwalker. For instance, in 2005 a teenage girl sleep walked to a nearby construction site, climbed a 130 foot crane, and then continued out onto the arm of the crane where she remained asleep until firefighters were able to retrieve her. Although this bizarre incident ended without any harm being done to the girl or someone else, it portrays the extent sleepwalkers can go and still remain in their slumber.
“Sleepdrivers,” such as the woman in New Zealand, are increasing in number as well. Reports of sleepdrivers getting into their cars and driving long distances with no recollection of the event are being reported at an alarming rate. According to the online magazine, Divine Caroline, “More often than not, the prescription sleep aid Ambien appears to be at the root of this trend” (Awake but Not Aware: The Dangers of Sleepwalking).
Whatever the reason, sleep walking is becoming an increasingly perilous problem for many adults as a result of the rise of stress and increase in prescription medication available in today’s world. If you or a loved one is dealing with these or similar issues, be sure to notify your doctor before you or someone you love is put in harm’s way.
Often, sleep walking is a result of sleep deprivation. If you are experiencing sleepwalking or sleep deprivation on a consistent basis, something may be wrong. One easy step is to consider whether or not your mattress and pillows are doing you more harm or good. If you think your mattress may be too old, I suggest reading our blog post and then checking out our selection of TempurPedic mattresses. TempurPedic mattresses are designed for pressure relief to give you a better night’s sleep. Be sure to give us a call if you have any questions, we would love to help you achieve a great night’s sleep! If you think your sleep deprivation may be a result of something more serious, be sure to talk with your doctor at the earliest convenience and get yourself on a path to better sleep and better health.
Cheers and sleep well.