ISTF Project #06-1497 was developed in response to the 2006-2007 Internet Science and Technology Fair.
Problem:
Sleepwalking is a sleeping disorder that currently affects 16.7% of American children and, in older patients, can be a hint to stress or cases of epilepsy. People who sleepwalk have no recollection of they’ve done while sleepwalking, nor do they understand what they are doing while sleepwalking, which can lead to deadly situations.
Solution:
Sleepwalking occurs during the rapid eye movement, or REM, stage of sleep. In normal cases of REM, a chemical that paralyzes the muscles is released. Sleepwalkers are lacking this chemical, causing activity while sleeping. We have designed a patch that we believe will stimulate the brain to release said chemical, resulting in the required paralysis of the body.
