raywest

30th Sep 2025

The Long Walk (2025)

Question: Is it really possible to fall asleep while walking? Sure, one can stand up and walk around while sleeping (sleepwalking), but does it work the other way around too?

Dangar

Answer: Yes, it's possible. People with a neurological disorder called narcolepsy can fall asleep while standing or walking. Some can even engage in complex activities like driving a car.

raywest

But what if you aren't narcoleptic? Can a normal person fall asleep while walking just because of general fatigue?

Dangar

Yes, it is possible for a person to fall into a state of semi-sleep or "doze" while walking without having narcolepsy, especially under extreme conditions like those shown. When the brain is severely deprived of sleep, it can involuntarily enter microsleeps. These are brief, uncontrolled episodes of sleep lasting from a fraction of a second up to about 30 seconds.

No, there would have to be some underlying neurological issue that caused it. Normal people cannot fall asleep for an extended time period while walking and remain upright and mobile. Microsleep only lasts a few seconds, but a person has to have been extremely sleep deprived for many hours and they cannot function normally during an episode like with narcolepsy or sleepwalking.

raywest

Yes, they can. When the brain is severely deprived of sleep, it can involuntarily enter microsleeps. These are brief, uncontrolled episodes of sleep lasting from a fraction of a second up to about 30 seconds.