Top 10 Creepiest Things People Have Done While Sleepwalking
#10: Walking into an Alligator Pond
Unless you like to wrestle alligators, this situation sounds like a nightmare! 77-year-old James Currens woke up one morning to find himself up to his waist in water, legs trapped in mud. As he wondered how he got there, he noticed several alligators heading towards him. Using his cane as a weapon, he managed to keep them away while a neighbor called the police. Currens first wandered into the pond in his sleep. Amazingly, he escaped with just a few cuts and scratches. To no one’s surprise, this chilling event happened in Florida. We’re pretty sure the phrase, “see you later, alligator” took on a whole new meaning for Currens.
#9: Falling from 50 Feet
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The last thing you want to do when you’re on vacation is wake up in a hospital bed. Unfortunately, that’s what happened to Amy Wigfull. While she sought fun in the sun in Spain, nighttime had her wandering into the bathroom, opening the fifth floor window and falling a whopping 50 feet–completely asleep the entire time. Thankfully, she survived, and, against all odds, after just a month she was walking again. Interestingly, Wigfull had had no history of sleepwalking prior to this and believes sunstroke may have had a part to play. Let this be a cautionary tale about the dangers of too much sun exposure.
#8: Mowing the Lawn Naked
One wife got the surprise of her life when she found her husband mowing the lawn in his birthday suit. When she first discovered that he wasn’t sleeping peacefully next to her, she went downstairs. Outside her front window was her husband catching up on a bit of lawn maintenance completely in the buff. Since she felt it would be dangerous to wake him, she simply unplugged the mower and went back to bed. He didn’t believe her until she told him to look at the soles of his feet, which were covered in dirt and grime. That’s one way to get your yard work done!
#7: Eating Inedible Products
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None of us actually enjoy going on a diet, but a diet is even worse when you eat up to 2,500 calories per night! In 2013, the story of Lesley Cusack broke. Losing weight is a nearly impossible task for her, due to a sleepwalking habit that sees her consuming inordinate amounts of food. To make matters worse, she has no idea what she’s eaten until she examines the leftovers the next morning. She’s eaten everything from cold soups to stir-frys but sometimes, she’ll even chow down on things that are not edible. Some of the most dangerous things she’s consumed include emulsion paint, Vaseline, paint, and soap powder.
#6: Freezing to Death
Interestingly, Timothy Brueggeman didn’t have a history of sleepwalking, but he did struggle with chronic insomnia. In order to combat this lack of sleep, he was prescribed Ambien, which it seemed caused him to sleepwalk. One night, he wandered out of his home wearing only his underwear and a fleece shirt. Unfortunately, Brueggeman lived in Northern Wisconsin, and the temperature outside was -16 degrees fahrenheit. He succumbed to hypothermia and was discovered the next morning. Although Brueggeman was allegedly consuming alcohol with Ambien, this is far from the first report of sleepwalking connected to the drug.
#5: Steering a Boat
Featured on an episode of “Deadliest Catch,” this one is rather fascinating. A captain and his “greenhorn,” or newbie, are at sea. When it’s time for the nightshift, the greenhorn is put in charge and told explicitly not to fall asleep. After a long day of hardwork on a fishing vessel, though, that’s easier said than done. As the night wore on, exhaustion took its toll and the greenhorn fell into a deep slumber at the helm. Luckily, he sleepwalked into the captain’s quarters before anything bad happened. While the captain was confused at best (and peeved at worst), this was probably one of the better possible outcomes.
#4: Sleepwalking onto a Subway Track
Imagine standing on a subway platform, waiting for your train to arrive when another commuter strides across the platform and right onto the tracks. That’s exactly what happened in Somerville, Massachusetts. Miraculously, the victim managed to miss the third electric rail. In a true act of bravery, nearby commuters leapt onto the track and rescued her. The woman sustained only a minor injury to her arm, thankfully. However, what’s even more disturbing is the report from a spokesperson for the subway line. Apparently, this was the third time someone had fallen onto the tracks within the month.
#3: Climbing a Crane
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Many of us have dreamt of climbing to new heights, but hardly any of us have done so this literally. One English passerby got the shock of his life when, on his walk home, he looked up to see a teenage girl nestled on top of a 130 foot crane. More than a little alarmed, the man called the fire department. Once they realized that she was, in fact, sleeping, even the firefighter were hesitant on the best course of action to get her down. If they woke her, she could startle and fall. In the end, one of the firemen found her cell phone, which he used to call her parents. After a phone call from them, the girl woke up and was safely rescued.
#2: Nearly Taking Someone’s Head Off
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One of the most scandalous court cases to ever hit Boston occurred in 1846. Albert Tirrell left his wife for Maria Bickford, a lady of the evening. One night, Tirrell put a razor to her throat so severely that he nearly beheaded her. After that, he set fire to the brothel she worked at and fled to New Orleans. According to Tirrel and his lawyer, sleepwalking is what was to blame. At the time, little was known about the phenomenon, so the argument actually worked and Tirrell walked away scot-free.
#1: The Unthinkable
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While the case of Albert Tirrell was the first time someone used sleepwalking as a defense, it wouldn’t be the last. In 1987, a Canadian man by the name of Kenneth Parks reportedly drove 20 kilometers to his in-laws home, fast asleep the entire time. He entered their home using a key they had given him, killed his mother-in-law and attempted to do the same to his father-in-law. After that, he drove to the local police station and turned himself in. Since Parks had no motive, and had been sleepwalking through the entire incident, the jury ruled him not guilty.
