Zzz-Mail: Coming to a Computer Near You

By Sarah Z. Wexler

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Talk about a nightmare: Recently, a 44-year-old woman climbed out of bed at midnight, logged on to her computer, and sent her friends a news flash — make that a snooze flash. "Come tomorrow and sort this hellhole out. Dinner and drinks, 4 p.m., bring wine and caviar only," she wrote, in a random mix of upper- and lowercase letters. The next morning, her bewildered friends asked her what was up. She had no idea — she'd sent the note while zonked on generic Ambien.

Zzz-mailing, the act of e-mailing while asleep, is the latest trend in sleepwalking, and scientists cite this woman (who prefers to remain anonymous) as the world's first reported case. "I've seen patients who report motor activity during sleep … but never before with such a complex activity," says Dr. Edgar Osuna, a neurologist who coauthored a study on Zzz-mailing for the journal Sleep Medicine.

Bottom line: Now you'll know what's up if your friend invites you to "Make A Banana Split With Your Ex-Friend's Mom."

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