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| Kids who go bump in the night
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How to manage sleepwalking
All children will show signs of sleepwalking at some point. Maybe once or twice. Maybe a handful of times. Possibly regularly or frequently. Most parents will be aware of their child's sleepwalking activities (especially if they tend to turn up in the doorway while you're watching your late night TV or they might get into bed with you). However many parents won't even realise their child is sleepwalking, because it involves more than just walking around the house.
Generally speaking sleepwalking or somnambulism is not dangerous in itself and doesn't present any need for long term worry. Activities can range from sitting up in bed to wandering through the house or outside or doing things like opening up a wardrobe and having a pee. And it's not just kids who do this.
However we have probably all heard terrifying stories about children who have sleepwalked out of the house and into traffic, a neighbour's pool or other dangerous situations.
While you're sleepwalking your eyes are open, but you are generally non-responsive and you don't see the same way as when you're awake and you can think you're in different rooms, houses or places altogether. It can be very frightening, although it's unlikely that you'll remember it at all afterwards.
So if you find your child sleepwalking, try not to wake them, because this can be very scary. Instead, gently guide him or her back to bed.
What causes sleepwalking?
As we sleep, our brains pass through five stages of sleep — stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Together, these stages make up a sleep cycle. One complete sleep cycle lasts about 90 to 100 minutes. So a person experiences about four or five sleep cycles during an average night's sleep, unless of course you're a mum of a small baby, in which case you probably don't experience one at all!
Sleepwalking most often occurs during the deeper sleep of stages 3 and 4. During these stages, it's more difficult to wake someone up, and if you are woken up in this phase, you tend to feel groggy and disoriented for a few minutes.
Children tend to sleepwalk within an hour or two of falling asleep and may walk around for anywhere from a few seconds to 30 minutes.
Sleepwalking is one of those developmental activities that may have no real reason but it can be brought on by lack of sleep or fatigue, irregular sleep schedules, illness or fever, some medications or stress. It is very rarely caused by an underlying medical, emotional, or psychological problem.
More often than not sleepwalking will stop by the teenage years
Prevention of sleepwalking
There isn't really any way of preventing sleepwalking episodes but you can reduce the likelihood of sleepwalking by making sure your child has regular bedtimes, is getting enough sleep, doesn't get overtired and talk through anything you think is bothering your child.
A full bladder can also contribute to sleepwalking, so reduce bed time drinks and don't let your child have caffeine close to bedtime.
Managing sleepwalking
Aside from taking measures as above to reduce the likelihood or sleepwalking, really the main thing to do is to make sure that if your child does sleepwalk, he or she is safe.
- Lock the windows and doors, not just in your child's bedroom, but throughout your home to avoid any chance of your child leaving the house. You may consider extra locks or child safety locks on doors.
- Car keys should be kept out of reach for kids who are old enough to drive or might think they are!
- Don't let your sleepwalker sleep in a bunk bed.
- Remove sharp or breakable things from around your child's bed.
- Keep dangerous objects out of reach throughout the house.
- Remove obstacles from your child's room and throughout your home to prevent a stumble.
- Try to eliminate clutter on the floor (i.e. in your child's bedroom or playroom).
- Install safety gates outside your child's room and/or at the top of any stairs.
The good news is that sleepwalking is usually temporary and children outgrow it by their early teens.
However, if your child does continue to sleepwalk or is experiencing other things like frequent bedwetting or night terrors, or if your child is sleepwalking very frequently, then you should consult your GP.
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