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I engage in a range of complex behaviors while asleep, and I appear to meet The American Sleep Disorders Association's minimum criteria for a diagnosis of REM sleep behavior disorder.
Although I have known about my sleep behavior for a long time, it was only after events that occurred during 2006 and 2007 while I was a research subject of "alien abduction" researcher, Dr. David Jacobs, of Temple University, that I realized that it needs to be taken into account when assessing my anomalous experiences.
My mother says that when I was about twelve years old, she has a vague memory of possibly seeing me sleepwalking outside my bedroom.
In my late adolescence, my ex-husband told me that while I was asleep he sometimes played a game in which he walked around the room with the alarm clock ringing, and that I got out of bed and crawled after it while asleep trying to turn the alarm off. He said that he also found it hard to wake me when I was asleep.
During my thirties, my ex-husband said that he sometimes called me while I was asleep and that I answered the telephone and carried on conversations with him. He said that I talked very slowly, and that when he asked me if I was asleep I said, "Yes."
In my early forties, I occasionally woke up in the process of doing something. Once I woke up as I was dialing the telephone number of an acquaintance to whom I had not spoken in years. On another occasion I woke up just after I had got out of bed and walked to my front door. My heart was pounding and I was frightened. I stood at the door for a few moments, realized where I was, and then went back to bed.
During 2004, I kept a detailed daily record of my anomalous experiences as a research project. I filmed myself with a video camera while I was asleep, and I had a piece of paper and a pen on my bed to record events that occurred during the night.
On a number of occasions, when I woke up in the morning I saw that I had written notes during the night, but I had no memory of doing so. I checked the video recordings and I saw myself asleep in bed, reaching for the paper and pen and writing the notes, and then continuing to sleep.
When I first saw myself doing this, I thought that I must have woken up briefly. However, the notes made no sense and I did not recall writing them. I then thought that I may have written them in my sleep, or possibly, in an altered state of consciousness that was in some way related to the "alien abduction" phenomenon. I now realize that it was a continuation of my sleep behavior pattern.
I put these instances of my sleep behavior in my record of my anomalous experiences, as I considered that I may have written things from my subconscious, and that it would be interesting to see if they related to my experiences. I did not think about it other than that, and I forgot about it later.
I am right-handed, but as an adolescent I periodically started to write with my left hand. It usually lasted for about ten minutes and then I switched back to using my right hand again. Since then it has continued to happen, often close to the time that I go to sleep.
In my adolescence I sometimes found it hard to write. I had to "reorient" myself mentally to be able to start doing it. It is something that has continued to occur. My writing is often poor, and I have to consciously make an effort before I can write legibly and neatly. Most of the notes that I wrote while asleep in 2004 are partly illegible, and this may be the reason. I wrote some of them with my right hand, and some with my left hand.
On January 6, 2004, I went to bed at 1:25 a.m.. On the piece of paper on my bed I recorded this with my right hand, writing, "1.25 AM light out". Underneath that I wrote "Slept". (I was recording the times that I slept so that I could correlate that data with my anomalous experiences later. I also recorded the fact that I had turned the light off, as I sometimes woke in the morning with the light turned on but with no memory of how it had happened.) I then went to sleep.
At 1:50 a.m., I am seen on the video recording writing a note with my left hand, which says, "[illegible] to show something" on the top line. This was partly written over the top of the note recording the time that I went to bed. I wrote the word "something" partly over the top of itself, so that the letters appear jumbled. Underneath that I wrote, "doesn't concern us". Below that I wrote, "[illegible] - ouo [illegible] up".
Looking at the note as a whole, I wrote, "[illegible] to show something doesn't concern us [illegible] - ouo [illegible] up".
A note that I wrote with my left hand while asleep on January 6, 2004.
For a video clip of myself writing the note, see:
On January 18, 2004, at 5:20 a.m., I wrote a note which says, "[illegible] - 5.20 CHECK" on the top line. Underneath that I wrote "Feeling", and then I crossed that word out. I did not appear to look at the time, although the note suggests that I was aware of it.
Unfortunately, the video tape of this has been damaged, so I am unable to present the video clip of myself writing it. However, before the tape was damaged I sent the video clip to Dr. Jacobs, together with the others of myself writing notes while asleep.
A note that I wrote while asleep on January 18, 2004.
On January 20, 2004, at 4:45 a.m., I wrote a note which says, "OPEN!!", and I underlined it twice. I think that I have a very faint memory of writing it, and of looking towards the door, so I may have started to wake up briefly as I wrote it. However, I have no idea what it refers to.
A note that I wrote while asleep on January 20, 2004.
For a video clip of myself writing the note, see:
My sleep behavior may be triggered when I am in stressful, or new, situations. My possible sleepwalking episode at the age of twelve would have occurred just prior to my parents getting divorced. The alarm clock incidents took place when I was living with someone in a relationship for the first time. The note writing occasions in 2004 happened when I was sleeping under a video camera for the first time.
Previously, I did not view the occurrences of my sleep behavior as constituting a sleep disorder. This was primarily because it happened infrequently at widely spaced intervals. However, I did include the instances of it in my record of my anomalous experiences, in case they were related to my experiences.
In March 2004, I sent Dr. Jacobs my detailed daily record of my experiences in January 2004, including the note writing incidents. I enclosed photocopies of the notes, and the video clips on a video tape. In 2005 I sent him a large section of my record of my anomalous experiences, which included the information about my mother possibly seeing me sleepwalking as a child, and about my ex-husband talking to me on the telephone while I was asleep.
During 2005 I discussed my sleep behavior briefly with Dr. Jacobs, including the note writing episodes. At that time, he did not think that it had any particular significance. Because I did not then identify myself as having a sleep disorder, I also did not think that it was important.
In 2006, Dr. Jacobs' work with me as his research subject degenerated into a psychologically abusive farce, which caused me significant stress. For further information about this, see:
• Dr. David Jacobs' Account of a "Hybrid" Warning - Audio Clip
• Conversations with Dr. David Jacobs - Audio Clips
In late 2006 and 2007, some emails were sent from my computer, and some silent telephone calls were made from my telephone, which I had no memory of. They all occurred during periods of time when I was asleep. I think that I did them while I was asleep, triggered by the stress that I was under.
Eventually, in mid 2007, I woke up sitting in front of my computer and about to type an email. I had been dreaming about an "alien" in a robe telling me about a change, and I think that I had been going to write an email about that. Subsequently, I began unplugging the computer and telephone before going to bed and that solved the problem.
Due to the social stigma associated with anomalous experiences that, in our culture, are explained as "alien abduction" events (whatever their actual origin), I have not consulted a sleep medicine specialist about my sleep behavior. However, I searched the internet for relevant information on sleep disorders. The closest description that I found to my own sleep behavior was rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder, although I did not find any references specifically to writing while asleep.
In December 2007, I sent an email to a contact person of a sleep disorders research organization in which I outlined my sleep behavior, including the note writing and emails, and I requested information about relevant sleep disorders research. I provided them with the URLs for this page and another page that I had on this website at that time containing the video clips of myself writing notes while I was asleep. I received a reply from another contact person in the organization who provided me with links to helpful sources of information on sleep, parasomnias and REM sleep behavior disorder. Because my website deals with the issue of "alien abduction" and therefore may attract the associated social stigma, I have preserved the anonymity of the organization and contact persons concerned.
The contact person who provided me with the information said the following:
"Some REM sleep disorders consist of a number of disorders generally classified as "parasomnias", including paralysis and hallucinations at the onset or end of sleep. Sleepwalking and sleep terrors are some of the disorders of arousal from sleep. Sleep starts and sleep talking happen during sleep-wake transitions. Miscellaneous disorders include such problems as sleep-related eating disorder, and sleep bruxism (teeth grinding). While we are not aware of any published studies in the scientific literature that specifically describes writing during sleep, such behavior would be consistent with other behaviors of some people suffering from parasomnias [emphasis added].
"Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is one type of parasomnia that can occur during REM sleep. The body usually experiences atonia, or a temporary paralysis, during dreaming. This is a safety precaution that prevents us from physically acting out our dreams. In RBD, this paralysis is either insufficient or entirely lacking, and the affected dreamer may act out physical activity that can, but does not necessarily, include exciting or violent dreams. RBD can be associated with several forms of vigorous physical behavior."
The article REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Neurologic Dissociative Sleep Disorder, by Neils C. Rattenborg, which was published on the Indiana State University website, says the following in regard to the criteria for a diagnosis of REM sleep behavior disorder:
"The American Sleep Disorders Association (ASDA) first officially recognized RBD as a sleep disorder in 1990. The ASDA's International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD 1990) states the following criteria for the diagnosis of RBD:
Diagnostic Criteria:
A. A complaint of violent or injurious behavior during sleep.
B. Limb or body movement associated with dream mentation.
C. At least one of the following:
1. Harmful or potentially harmful sleep behaviors;
2. Dreams appear to be "acted out";
3. Sleep behaviors disrupt sleep continuity.
D. Polysomnographic monitoring demonstrates at least one of the following electrophysiological measures during REM sleep:
1. Excessive augmentation of chin EMG tone;
2. Excessive chin or limb phasic EMG twitching, irrespective of chin EMG activity; and one or more of the following clinical features during REM sleep;
3. Excessive limb or body jerking;
4. Complex [emphasis added], vigorous, or violent behaviors;
5. Absence of epileptic activity in association with the disorder.
E. Not associated with psychiatric disorders, but may be associated with neurological disorders.
F. Other sleep disorders can be present, but are not the cause of the behavior, e.g., sleep terrors, sleepwalking.
Minimum Criteria: B plus C."
I appear to meet The American Sleep Disorders Association's minimum criteria for a diagnosis of REM sleep behavior disorder quoted above, in regard to the following:
"B. Limb or body movement associated with dream mentation.
C. At least one of the following: ...
2. Dreams appear to be "acted out""
As I have not consulted a sleep medicine specialist, I cannot say for sure whether I have REM sleep behavior disorder or not. Nevertheless, judging from the accounts of my mother and my ex-husband regarding my sleep behavior, as well as from the video recordings of myself writing notes while asleep and the occasions when I have woken up doing things, including waking up about to write an email, it seems that I have a sleep disorder in which I engage in a range of complex behaviors while asleep and that, in one case at least, it was related to something that I was dreaming about.
As I appear to have a sleep disorder, a legitimate question is whether it provides an explanation for all of my anomalous experiences. I do not believe that it does, because many of my experiences occur when I am awake, and other people have witnessed aspects of them. This includes the following:
Another child also saw a short, non-human person who came into my house when we were children, she has talked about it on audiotape as an adult, she does not believe in "aliens", and she has no knowledge of my consideration of the "alien abduction" phenomenon as a possible cause of my experiences.
In my thirties, while with a friend driving across country, we inexplicably found ourselves on a different road to the highway on which we had been. Then, my friend suddenly turned off the highway and drove up a hill without either of us having any idea why. When we eventually arrived at our destination, we were six hours late and, in spite of the unexplained detours, were unable to account for several hours of missing time. My friend has since talked about what happened on audiotape.
Neither of these people would have talked about these events if they had not happened. I sent Dr. Jacobs copies of these audiotapes, and others as well.
There is additional corroborating physical evidence associated with some of my experiences. This includes being given a physical object, and finding unexplained straight cuts on my body that heal within hours and leave no scars. I sent Dr. Jacobs photographs of some of the cuts, as well as statements signed by my former therapist verifying that he had seen them.
Dr. Jacobs told me that the "alien abduction" phenomenon is usually intergenerational. When interviewing my relatives for my record of my anomalous experiences, I discovered that a number of them have also had experiences which are possibly related to the phenomenon. I sent Dr. Jacobs audiotapes of my relatives talking about experiences that they have had.
Weighing the evidence up, I believe that it points to an objective, external phenomenon around me, regardless of my sleep disorder. However, my sleep behavior does need to be taken into account when assessing events that occurred during periods of time when I was asleep.
All content Copyright © Emma Woods except as noted.
