Noctambules, or Night-walkers; a term of equal import with somnambuli, applied to persons who have a habit of rising and walking about in their sleep. The word is a compound of the Latin *nox*, "night," and *ambulo*, "I walk."

Schenkius, Horstius, Clauderus, and Hildanus, who have wrote of sleep, give us divers unhappy histories of such noctambuli. When the disease is moderate, the persons affected with it only repeat the actions of the day on getting out of bed, and go quietly to the places they frequented at other times; but those who have it in the most violent degree, go up to dangerous places, and do things which would terrify them to think of when they are awake. These are by some called lunatic night-walkers, because fits are observed to return with the most frequency and violence at the changes of the moon.—For the cure some recommend purging and a cooling regimen: others are of opinion that the best method is to place a vessel of water at the patient's bedside in such a manner that he will naturally step into it when he gets out of bed; or if that should fail, a person should sit up to watch and beat him every time it happens. See Sleep-walkers, or Somnambuli.