To sleepwalk means to get up and walk around while you're still asleep. Your body moves and your eyes might even be open, but your brain is mostly asleep, so you're not really aware of what you're doing. A sleepwalker might wander through the house, open doors, or even have simple conversations, all without remembering any of it the next morning.

Sleepwalking usually happens during deep sleep, and it's most common in children, though adults can sleepwalk too. Someone who sleepwalks isn't dreaming about walking. Their brain is in a strange in-between state where the parts controlling movement wake up while the parts controlling consciousness stay asleep.

The word also works as a metaphor for moving through life without really paying attention. If a student is sleepwalking through class, they're physically present but mentally absent, not engaged with what's happening around them. When someone says they're sleepwalking through their day, they mean they're going through the motions without focus or energy, like their mind is somewhere else entirely.