Somnambulism in adulthood, alcohol?

[Jux]

My brother lives with us. He is a sweet, kind, generous man in his late 50s. He drinks nearly a bottle a night. I know that's far far too much though actually when he lived alone he drank 2 bottles a night.

Recently, he has started sleepwalking. He used to do that when he was a small child, but he grew out of it and I haven't thought about it for years. His exw never mentioned him sleepwalking so I assume he didn't.

He has only done it twice - to my knowledge - since he came here 2 years ago?(maybe one year ago - I have lost track of time). The first time he did it was a week or so ago, and then last night. Last night he peed on the stairs. On both occasions, I went straight to his 'flat' (it's a granny flat and part of our house) but he was fast asleep.

This morning when I spoke to him, he was astounded and shocked, and horrified and embarrassed. He is making an appt to see a doctor about sleepwalking.

Is it exacerbated by alcohol?
Is he sleepwalking (and sleep pissing) because of the alcohol?

What can I do, if anything?

PS. You may remember that before my brother moved in, we had my SIL living here for a while. She's an alcoholic too.

It says that alcohol can cause it (or make it worse) on the NHS website. XP used to sleepwalk and it was definitely worse when he'd been drinking (most nights), he also used to eat in his sleep. I woke up one night to find him hunched over in bed eating raisins whilst asleep and there would be wrappers left on the side in the kitchen quite regularly.

I think the doctor will ask him about his alcohol intake but I'm not sure what you can do in the meantime other than show him the page and suggest that drinking isn't a great idea? I hope he cleaned up after himself Jux.

I sleep walk (but afaik I don't sleep wee ). For me it's not alcohol related, but is worse in periods of stress and uncertainty. I'm assuming that there's a traumatic backstory to you DB living with you, maybe that has an impact.

It's stress that makes it worse for my DH, not alcohol alone, FWIW.

Not much of a backstory, Thereinmadnesslies, I'm afraid. He split from his wife and they divorced a very long time ago - he gave her the house (which he had bought and paid for completely before he met her). He has lived in rented flats ever since. He was living near Wimbledon when he was made redundant, which was a heck of a shock, but that was 2 years ago. He came to live with us a few months later.

He and I are only just getting to grips with our younger brother's unexpected death, only a few weeks after our mother died - but that was in 2009, so aaaages ago.

I don't think stress is really a contributory factor, though I wish it were.

I hope the doctor does ask about his consumption. I'm pretty sure that it is the major factor, and also that he won't lie.

This evening he has had a bottle of beer, with supper, which is when his major consumption usually happens. I am hopeful that this is all he has had. He didn't go out today, so has not had an opportunity to buy any. Oh gosh, I do hope that he can sort it out. Please keep your fingers crossed.

It can't have been easy for him to come here, or for him to be living here for so long. I know he didn't intend to. He was had a great idea, executed it, and then there was the bank collapse and the company he could have sold it to (who had a really good look at it) wanted it but weren't spending. So he's stuck here. Poor man, poor poor man. And he's getting on for 60, and no one wants to employ him. So it's probably depression, not stress, that he suffers from.

Sorry, rambling.