What on earth happened

[WTFStressed]

Really sorry, I know this is AIBU but I'm posting for traffic and some help.
Over the weekend I had a very stressful situation to deal with. It's still not resolved but within a few weeks we should know what's going to happen there.
Anyway, I managed the situation as best I could, getting home late and having a cup of tea to unwind. A couple of hours after getting home I went to bed.
This is where it get weird. I have absolutely no recollection of this but apparently I got out of bed, went to a corner of the bedroom, and proceeded to pee on the carpet. I'm so embarrassed, and have scrubbed the carpet several times.
I hadn't been drinking, or taking any substances, had been to the loo before going to bed and all my usual bedtime routine had been followed, albeit a few hours later than usual.
Since then I've been so worried about going to sleep in case it happens again. I've been keeping myself awake at night for as long as possible in fear of it happening again.
Wtf happpened and could it happen again. I'm not ill so it can't be a uti, what if I do it again! It's not something I feel comfortable talking about in real life with friends and have apologised profusely to my partner. It just is going round and round in my head.

Welcome to Mumsnet!

Sleep walking due to the stress, try to have a relaxing bedtime routine, no phones, TV in the bedroom etc.

I'm not new, I changed user name because I don't want it linked to my usual name. I'm not a troll and deliberately haven't included many details because I don't want anyone getting their rocks off over something I am mortified about.

Sleepwalking? Commonly happens during stressful periods. Hope it gets sorted soon. In the meantime take time for some self care

I’ve heard of this happening before but only when people have been under the influence. Not much help I know! But I would be tempted to write it off as stress related and a one off. If it happens again (and there’s every chance it won’t) maybe visit a sleep specialist

This was a one-off, due to the stress you'd been under the previous evening.

I bet it won't happen again.

I sleepwalk, and also sometimes have dreams where I need a wee, sometimes (not often) the two combine, and depending on where I have walked to, a puddle may occur. I do find its usually a stress situation when I sleepwalk, so try not to get too uptight about it as it makes everything so much worse( and then more likely)

Many years ago when very very stressed about an exam at university, I wet the bed because I had a very vivid dream about going to the loo in the middle of the exam - I woke up out of the dream to find myself starting to wee. Never happened before or since.

Stress and lack of sleep can do some very odd things to the body, I honestly wouldn't worry about this unless it happens again. Be kind to yourself, you didn't do it on purpose

You were sleep walking due to stress. It's really very common. Honestly, you're making a massive deal out of this when there isn't one. And why would you deny yourself sleep? You really think that will help anything? Just calm down and relax.

curtains open ffs

Yes it is most likely sleep walking though I haven't done that since I was a small child. Yes I know it's stupid to stay awake and I haven't been very successful at that. It just seems so out of the park, especially as there was no drink involved. My partner has been totally lovely about it but I'm so embarrassed. Apparently I was muttering something about looking for my shoes at the time.

Honestly I think it's a one off. I have a friend who is in her mid/late 20's, and recently (maybe a year or two ago?) she wet the bed - she was sober, she'd never done this drunk and can't imagine why she did it. She's always been a heavy sleeper, but it was a total one off bizarre situation. She was totally bewildered by it, but told us a few weeks later as a 'wtf' story.

I know it's a bit different to what is happening in your life but I just wanted you to know you're not alone. I bet things like this are more common than people realise, it's not a thing most people would want to discuss.

It's so unlikely to happen again - after all it's never happened before! The brain reacts strangely under stress, and as you say things are likely to resolve themselves soon. There is no reason to think it will repeat, so please don't deprive yourself of sleep.

Thank you

Sleepwalking is very commonly linked to stress. I used to do all kinds of weird things while sleepwalking - made a sandwich, went into my brother’s bedroom and put on one of his jumpers before going back to bed, lifted a painting off of the wall and went back to sleep with the painting lying on my chest. I stopped doing it when my life improved and stress levels decreased!

It almost certainly won’t happen again - and sleep is probably just what you need right now. Try not to dwell on it

I've done the exact same thing. While muttering that the bouncer said I was allowed to use the toilet. Worst part was that I was in a friend's house and 16! Mortified but luckily she was a very good friend and as far as I'm aware she kept it to herself.

Please don't try and deny sleep, as I've found lack of sleep actually makes my sleep walking worse. Something that has helped is wearing a sleep mask to bed. I think when I open my eyes and see darkness my brain just goes back to sleep....or it might be a coincidence

A sleep mask sounds good, I might not notice when the kids leave the landing light on.

I have CFS so take amitriptyline of a night to put me into the restful phase of sleep. I've been on it for several years now so can't really proscribe my weekend issue to that.

I wonder if it's something to do with your ametriptyline?

www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-8611/amitriptyline-oral/details

Oh derp - I read your post properly and you don't attribute it to that.

I think ametrip + stress is your answer. X

I've sleepwalked 3 times in my life as an adult (that I know about), each time when I was stressed. One time I thought I'd dreamed about crawling through mud, seeing a snake, getting caught in branches... then woke up in my sleeping bad and someone asked how I'd got covered in mud, I had leaves in my hair and was filthy. I think the last time was 10 years ago. So it might not happen again, or not for a long time.

*sleeping bag, not bad

I used to sleepwalk regularly as a child (whole family of us did) and talk too. My daughter has also inherited it...I can usually tell she's sleepwalking when she plonks herself down on the side of my bed for a chat because her eyes are far too wide open for the middle of the night!

In the interest of full disclosure I (relatively) regularly take a whole arsenal of pain medication (codeine, tramadol....) along with the amitrip and have never once failed to wake when I need the loo. On this particular night I didn't have anything other than the amitrip so I can't use that excuse.

I've apologised profusely many times to my other half but it's all been playing through my head since then. She's been so lovely about it but I wish I knew what I had been thinking before it happened. At least if I could remember a dream where I thought I was in the loo that would explain it a little but no, there's a big blank space in my head.

I think the only reason I even know what happened it because she turned the light on and that woke me. I was so upset and asked her to switch the light off and ignore me while I washed and cleaned the carpet.

My sister does this when she has a seizure usually overnight and has no memory of the seizures or what she does during one. Can you set up a camera overnight to keep an eye on what goes on? Sounds more likely to be sleepwalking in your case though, if you’re under any stress speak to a doctor about this

My five year old is a night wee(er) he climbs out of bed a pees on different things around house, he has no recollection and is totally unaware during the episodes. It’s just like sleep walking, the more you worry and stress the more likely it will happen again.

Try not to worry too much about it.
Get some decent sleep.
It's a one off and will probably never happen again.
It's wee. It's easy to clean up.