Sleepwalking

Sleepwalking is a condition where an individual walks in their sleep. Sleepwalking is an inherited tendency to wander during deep sleep. About 15% of normal children sleepwalk. Your child may perform semi-purposeful acts such as dressing and undressing, opening and closing doors, or turning lights on and off. The episode begins 1 to 2 hours after going to sleep and might last 5 to 20 minutes. During this time your child cannot be awakened no matter what the parent does. The child is usually 4 to 15 years old.

For parents who have sleepwalking children their main concern should be for the safety of the child. Since parents will most likely be asleep while their child is sleepwalking here are some helpful tips on how to prevent injury to the sleepwalker:

  • Make sure all objects are out of the way of the sleepwalker so that they will not trip over anything.
  • Do not have the sleepwalker sleep on the top bunk if bunk beds are being used.
  • Closing the bedroom door and locking all the windows can prevent injury to the sleepwalker.
  • Gently lead your child back to bed. First, steer your child into the bathroom because she may be looking for a place to urinate. Then guide her to her bedroom. Don’t expect to awake her, however, before she returns to normal sleep.
  • Put gates on your stairways and special locks on your outside doors (above your child’s reach).
  • Help your child avoid exhaustion. If your child needs to be awakened in the morning, that means she needs an earlier bedtime. Move lights-out time to 15 minutes earlier each night until your child can self-awaken in the morning.

Sleepwalking should not be considered a serious problem. The only harm usually comes from the sleepwalker roaming around the house while sleeping. Children generally outgrow this in adolescence.