# Is it possible to fall asleep while walking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 5, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-fall-asleep-while-walking/577278 "2011-04-05T15:51:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-fall-asleep-while-walking/577278/1 "2011-04-05T15:51:37Z")
Yesterday, when I was out going for a walk, the air was just the right temperature where it felt like a giant blanket enveloping me, and I swear if I tried hard enough I could have closed my eyes and coaxed my body to fall asleep, even while walking… Is that actually possible? ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-fall-asleep-while-walking/577278/2 "2011-04-05T18:55:24Z")
I believe it was in Bill Mauldin’s _A Sort of Saga_ memoir where I read that it was fairly common for soldiers to fall into a state of sleep while marching long distances during World War II. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-fall-asleep-while-walking/577278/3 "2011-04-05T19:12:52Z")
I’ve seen it happen. You’ve got to be _really_ tired. It’s not a deep sleep, but you can be talking to folks and not register a response. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-fall-asleep-while-walking/577278/4 "2011-04-05T21:03:33Z")
Yup, when I was still in Basic Training in WWII, a couple of times on long marches I fell asleep. It was indeed a light sleep, more like dozing off. But when the Sgt hollered a “Column LEFT” or some other command, I woke up. Very weird feeling. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-fall-asleep-while-walking/577278/5 "2011-04-05T21:56:16Z")
A couple of years ago I was on a medication that put me to sleep. One evening, I fell asleep while jogging on the treadmill. That was not good. I hit the side railing and woke up and managed to keep my feet, but I’m not sure how. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-fall-asleep-while-walking/577278/6 "2011-04-05T22:18:34Z")
Evidently [not if you’re a rat](http://www.springerlink.com/content/u1t1760844t14727/). ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-fall-asleep-while-walking/577278/7 "2011-04-06T16:05:51Z")
You should try to sleep more in your bed, if you feel like falling asleep while walking, because you sound over-tired. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-fall-asleep-while-walking/577278/8 "2011-04-06T17:10:29Z")
I’ve done it, back when I was living in NYC and working graveyard shift. In addition to being sleep-deprived, I was taking an antidepressant that was a narcotic. Sometimes the med would kick in on my walk to the train station, and I actually fell asleep for several seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-fall-asleep-while-walking/577278/9 "2011-04-06T17:36:39Z")
Yep, I call it my magic feet. When walking home late really tired and/or drunk I can close my eyes and have a cat nap and my feet take me home. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-fall-asleep-while-walking/577278/10 "2011-04-06T18:56:06Z")
While I haven’t done it myself, I’ve seen it firsthand when I was in Navy basic training. ---
**Author:** ![Diamonds02](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Diamonds02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diamonds02)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-fall-asleep-while-walking/577278/11 "2011-04-07T14:31:32Z")
I fell asleep standing once. Quite a scary experience, it was like I was fainting. As I fell asleep I collapsed to the floor. ---
**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-fall-asleep-while-walking/577278/12 "2011-04-07T23:21:57Z")
I’ve done it. No booze or meds involved, just a six-week-old and the kind of sleep deprivation that no one can describe to you in advance. We were walking home from somewhere, my husband had the baby in a sling and I had my hand through his arm, and suddenly the pull of his arm woke me up - I’d fallen asleep walking and veered completely off course. We were about fifty yards further down the road than I remembered being. ---
**Author:** ![cantara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@cantara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantara)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-fall-asleep-while-walking/577278/13 "2011-04-08T14:11:20Z")
It wouldn’t surprise me. My wife has a sleep disorder that they are currently calling ‘sleep attacks’. Yes, I immediately thought of Garfield as well. I suspect it is related to her MS and/or medication. She has fallen asleep standing up (in the kitchen), bending over (kissing the kids goodnight), 3 minutes after getting in the car (as a passenger), sitting at the table (head propped up on her coffee cup), and on the toilet. She is able to remain standing or sitting for quite some time (more than a half-hour), but has fallen a few times. Oddly enough, if she is actively thinking or participating in something she stays awake. As soon as she is relaxed she is susceptible to napping. The terrible thing about it is that she insists that she is not tired but can’t stay awake, and frequently denies that she’s nodded off.