An 18-year-old woman was seriously injured when she sleepwalked through an open window and plummeted five storeys to the ground.

The victim, not named in local media, was staying with friends when she started walking in her sleep after midnight and fell 14 metres (46 feet).

Officials in Neubrandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State, Germany, said she suffered serious injuries in the fall on 18th July.

She was found on the ground outside the apartment block by passersby who called emergency services for help.

Following a preliminary investigation, police believe the accident took place just after midnight when the victim was sleepwalking in the flat.

According to studies, around four per cent of adults walk in their sleep, and around 30 per cent of children sleepwalk at least once before reaching puberty.

The fact that children are affected more often is because their brain has not yet matured.