Sleepwalking in Children

Does your child sleep comfortable through the night? Does he awaken in the middle of the night wandering about and you do not know what to do? How can you explain sleepwalking? What can you do to make your child's nights calmer?

Maybe you have encountered a situation where your child wakes up in the middle of the night, talks to you but still seems to be sleeping having his eyes wide open but acting a little somewhat awkward. This is surely an episode of sleepwalking. How did this happen?

When is the child in danger?

If you belong to a family with sleep disorders, sleepwalking is more common in children aged 6 to 12 years. It normally disappears around puberty and is more common in boys. Sleepwalking occurs in the phase of deep sleeping and lasts from 5 to 30 minutes. Certain children talk during their sleep while others go to have a drink from the refrigerator. Other can put themselves in danger by sticking a cupboard or climbing out of the house.

The origin of sleepwalking is still under research. Some studies link the disorder to epilepsy problems of epilepsy or migraine. The sleepwalker will be in a state of deep sleep and this is why he does not remember anything but at the same moment being half-awake makes him able to move. This state is called "ambulatory automatism" which occurs in the middle of sleep at around 1 to 3 hours after falling to sleep.

How to act?

Calm or agitated, common or rare, every kind of sleepwalking has its remedy. The first thing you need to know is not to wake up the child unless he is in danger. Talk to him calmly and escort him back to his bed. You will see that he will let you do it liberally and will not even know what has happened the next morning. If he is agitated think about his security like blocking access to stairs.

Sleepwalking can affect the health of your child. If these episodes are common (2 to 3 times per week) and put your child in danger, do not hesitate to consult a doctor. Similarly, if the disorder is still present after puberty or simply if you are worried, your doctor may advise you on what to do in this case and decides if treatment that regulates sleep will be necessary.

Medications may also be necessary, especially if the sleepwalking is associated with other disorders like enuresis and night terrors or if there is a family history.

Sleep is essential, so you must ensure that your child will get enough sleep and be serene. His overall health, his everyday behaviour and his academic achievement depend on all this! Do not be worried but if you see a small robot in your home all you have to do is to escort him gently to bed!

Sources:

http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/slpwalking.html