I’m just kipping out to Asda for a watermelon
Sleepwalking woman wakes up in fruit aisle after walking 1.5 miles to shop in her nightie
A STARTLED shopper has told how she walked a mile-and-a-half to her local Asda in her nightie and bare feet to buy a watermelon – while fast asleep.
The 23-year-old was woken by a police officer at 2.30am yesterday in the 24-hour supermarket’s fruit and veg aisle.
She wrote on Facebook: “Obviously I was very confused, only made worse by the fact that I was barefoot, in my nightdress and freezing cold.
“It turned out I had sleepwalked the 1.5 miles from my house, gone for a wander round the outside of Boots and Curry’s then gone to Asda to get a watermelon.
“So thanks to the very kind Asda staff who warmed me up and gave me shoes, socks and a cup of tea – and to the lovely police officers who deposited my very confused self back in bed.”
Police came to the woman’s aid early yesterday at the Asda in Garthdee, Aberdeen, after staff asked them for help.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “We were called to reports of concern for a 23-year-old woman at about 2.30am. She was assisted home safely.”
In some ways, the woman was lucky. Other recorded cases of outdoor sleepwalking have involved people who sleep naked.
Up to one in 50 Britons is believed to be affected by sleepwalking. The NHS say some people can perform highly complex tasks – up to and including driving a car – in their sleep.
The exact cause of sleepwalking is not known but risk factors include poor sleep, stress, infections and some medications.
It’s rarely a sign of anything serious. If you find someone doing it, the best thing to do is reassure them and gently guide them back to bed.