Introducing Zzz-Mailing

[ALien]

Doctors have reported the first ever case of someone using the internet while asleep, after a sleeping woman sent emails to people asking them over for drinks and caviar.

It was only when a would-be guest phoned the next day to accept, that she found out what she had done.

The 44-year-old woman, whose case is reported by researchers from the University of Toledo in the latest edition of medical journal Sleep Medicine, had gone to bed at around 10pm, but got up two hours later and walked to the next room.

She then turned on the computer, connected to the internet, and logged on by typing her username and password to her email account. She then composed and sent three emails.

Each was in a random mix of upper and lower cases, not well formatted and written in strange language.

One read: "Come tomorrow and sort this hell hole out. Dinner and drinks, 4.pm,. Bring wine and caviar only."

Another said simply, "What the……."

The new variation of sleepwalking has been described as "zzz-mailing".

The report says: "We believe writing an email after turning the computer on, connecting to the internet and remembering the password displayed by our patient is novel.

"To our knowledge this type of complex behaviour requiring coordinated movements has not been reported before in sleepwalking.

"She was shocked when she saw these emails, as she did not recall writing them. She did not have any history of night terrors or sleepwalking as a child."

The neurologists say that unlike simple sleep walking, the activities their patient was involved in requires complex behaviour and coordinated movements including typing, composing and writing the messages.

She was also able to remember her password and turn the computer on and connect to the internet, although she has no memory of the event.

It is thought that the woman's sleep walking may have been triggered by prescription medication, although the causes of the phenomenon are not fully understood.

Sleepwalking, or somnambulism, has been linked to tiredness, stress, anxiety, alcohol, seizures, and a number of medications, including some sedatives. Some research also suggest it runs in families.

Sleepwalking behaviour, which usually lasts a few minutes although it can persist for more than half an hour, can involve a whole range of different behaviours. Mostly it ranges from simply sitting up in bed while still apparently asleep, or getting dressed, and walking around in a daze.

However, cases of sleepwalkers driving a car, cooking, playing a musical instrument, and painting have been reported.

In rare cases it can involve violence, including sexual assaults and even murder.

It can include repetitive and bizarre behaviour and can be annoying and irritating for the bed partner.

In a case reported by researchers at the University of Minnesota, a husband would, almost every night, suddenly grab his wife's buttocks during sleep for no apparent reason.

Other activities experienced by sleepwalkers:

Sleep sex

There have been a number of cases where sleepwalking has been used as a defence against accusations of inappropriate sexual behaviour and assault.

Earlier this year, Jason Jeal, a 37-year-old roofer admitted sex had taken place with a 33-year-old woman, but was cleared of rape after insisting he had been asleep and had no idea what he was doing. She was asleep at home when Jeal, who had been a house guest, started having sex with her.

Three years ago, 22-year-old James Bilton was found not guilty of rape on the basis of automatism. He claimed to have no recollection of any of the events for which he was charged.

Somniloquy or sleep-talking

Talking aloud during sleep is relatively common, especially in children. It can be loud and ranging from simple sounds to long speeches and may sound like gibberish.

Sleep dropping

There is a popular perception that sleepwalkers never injure themselves. In fact, falls are quite common. A 17-year-old sleepwalker who stepped out of a fourth-storey window of his apartment in Demmin, in Germany, fell 10 metres to the ground, where he continued to sleep, despite having a fractured limb.

Homicidal somnambulism

A number of sleepwalkers have been acquitted of murder charges. Sixteen years ago, the Canadian Supreme Court upheld the acquittal of a man who had said he was sleepwalking when he drove 14 miles, stabbed his mother-in-law to death and seriously injured his father-in-law. In Arizona, it was claimed that a man was sleepwalking when he stabbed his wife 26 times, and he was acquitted on the ground he was temporarily insane.

Sleep art

North Wales nurse Lee Hadwin is an artist who produces works of art during his sleep and has no recollection of his endeavours the next day. Inevitably dubbed "Kipasso", he has no interest or particular talent for art by day.

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[kidflash2008]

This could also explain some abduction cases. Good article.

[SuperJesus]

Tl;dr

[Guayamar]

Somehow, that seems like a good excuse. If its possible to send e-mails while asleep, then it should also be the case for posting on forums. So it will just be a matter of time before we hear "I have no idea what the message is supposed to mean; I must have posted that in my sleep"