You don't imagine them picking up a paintbrush and making millions of pounds from it.
Yet remarkably, Lee Hadwin has a rare condition that means he can paint incredible artworks while asleep.
Over the past 11 years he's made buckets of cash from his bedroom, even selling his work to Donald Trump.
Lee, who is 44 and lives in London with his partner Clint, is one of an estimated one in 50 adults in this country who are sleepwalkers.
The former nurse claims to be unable to draw when awake and is the first "sleep painter".
Drawing in his sleep since childhood
Welsh-born Lee's sleepwalking started when he was four.
"I would run around my bedroom while asleep," he tells Sun Online.
"A year later, I began to draw on walls – my favourite spot was a wall under the stairs. My mum took me to the doctor but she was told it was normal and that I'd grow out of it."
An estimated one in five children will sleepwalk at some point, but the majority will stop after puberty.
However, it was as a teenager that Lee's scribbles became a lot more intricate.
"When I was around 15 I woke up to find I'd done three drawings of Marilyn Monroe in my sleep," Lee recalls.
"I couldn't believe it – I was stunned. I don't have any artistic talent when awake, I'd get Ds and Es in my school art classes."
Since then he has produced hundreds of artworks, which are for sale from £1,000 to undisclosed six figure sums for a painting purchased by President Trump, making enough money to quit his job.
Lee is now living in upmarket Battersea, South West London, and enjoys luxury holidays in destinations such as Barbados and Marrakesh.
He is also a regular fixture of TV shows and documentaries, and has rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous at charity events, a far cry from his former life as a carer for older people.
How Lee's life changed overnight
It was in 2007, Lee says, that his life changed "overnight".
At the time, he looked after people with Alzheimer's and head injuries on a rehab unit, but came to international attention after raffling a couple of his pieces to raise money for a local hospice.
Lee raised £250, and was approached by a South Korean documentary company who made a short film about him after they saw an article about him in Lee's local paper.
His work was exhibited in galleries around the world, and he attracted high-profile fans.
"Eight years ago, representatives for Donald Trump got in touch offering me a six-figure sum for one of my paintings, which they must have either seen on my website or read about in the media," says Lee.
"The Marilyn Monroe Museum in Hollywood also paid £4,000 for the portraits of her."
Drawing on the walls with barbecue coals
Lee still gets up to sleepwalk around two to three times a week, and on those nights can get in and out of bed up to three times.
He doesn't leave his art materials out, as he believes this makes it seem staged, but he keeps everything under his bed.
"I don't only do portraits or intricate artworks – a lot of the time I just scribble or just rip up pieces of paper," he says.
He's also kept his childhood habit of scribbling on the walls.
"I've got a big piece on my bedroom which I did when I was staying with a friend," says Lee.
"She was renovating her house, and that day we'd had a barbecue. In my sleep I went and got the coals and drew massive circles all over the plaster boards covering her new walls.
"I can use any materials I find to make art – it's not just paint or pencil."
Similar themes often crop up in his paintings. "Circles and numbers feature a lot. I'm not sure if that's something I've seen in my dreams, as I can't usually remember them.
"I've also done a lot of paintings of fairies, although art critics have said to do those drawings I would have needed to have models in front of me and obviously I didn't, so it's a bit freaky.
"In terms of the Marilyn portraits, when I was at high school there was a lot of her memorabilia around, so I think I also replicate things I see a lot in waking life."
A baffling case
Due to his talents, Lee has been the subject of much scientific study, most taking place at the leading Edinburgh Sleep Clinic.
Experts there have been baffled by his abilities, describing him as a "truly unique" case.
Lee has had many gruelling tests, including being kept up for 38 hours so he is sleep-deprived to see if that has an effect on his sleepwalking.
He admits that if he drinks alcohol or has poor quality sleep for a few days, he's more likely to paint in his sleep, although experts are unsure as to why that is.
These, however, are factors that tend to increase people's likelihood of sleepwalking more generally.
Lee has seen two psychologists, who have put his sleepwalking down to "childhood trauma", although he says he doesn't personally make that connection.
"I lost two friends when I was 11 and 12, however this started eight years before then," says Lee.
"My childhood was happy and normal. Psychologists have also analysed my drawings, but they say they can't find any problems with them.
"I've not put myself in danger with my sleepwalking so specialists aren't too concerned about it."
Accused of being a fraud
The mornings after a night-time drawing session Lee would wake up with horrific migraines, which have even driven him to A&E when they became unbearable.
"I'd wake up after painting, and 10 minutes later I'd feel awful," Lee recalls. "Luckily, for some reason this has started to subside, however I'm still painting in my sleep.
"There must be a link there, but nobody is sure exactly what it is."
But one of the hardest things for the artist has been proving he's not a fraud.
"My friends and family believe me – I've been with Clint for 19 years so he's used to me getting up in the night to paint and has seen it firsthand.
"The doctors at the Edinburgh Sleep Clinic have also said I am genuine.
"I do get people saying I'm a liar, especially on Twitter and on forums. However, I'm not here to force anyone into believing in what I do," says Lee. "I know my condition is real."
Lee was recently tipped to appear on the current series of Big Brother, but this fell through.
This is something that could well have put an end to the speculation that has surrounded him for the past few years, given the cameras that would have filmed him 24/7.
Selling off his £1m art collection
Caring Lee, who describes himself as "very fortunate", is more than happy to donate 40 to 50 per cent of his earnings to charity. "It's something I've always believed in doing," he says.
Despite art experts telling him to hang on to his collection as it would only increase in value, in 2013 he sold £1m's worth on Ebay for the charity Missing People, giving £500,000 of the profits to them.
He has also raised thousands of pounds for Amnesty International over the years, and has donated artworks to The Alex Lewis Trust, which fundraises for Alex Lewis, who lost his limbs due to sepsis, and the Caudwell Children's Charity, among others.
Lee is about to exhibit his work in Melbourne, Australia, for four weeks starting from 3 October, and is writing a book about his experiences.
He is also due to appear on an upcoming Channel 5 documentary on sleepwalking, presented by Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, where he will undergo further tests, which could answer some of the cynicism directed at him.
Still, despite his incredible life he admits over the years people have asked him if his gift scares him.
"I don't know any different," he says. "It's something I've done since I can remember and it's normal for me."
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