Sleepwalking in your child: causes and prevention

Do you ever find your child walking while he/she is in a deep sleep? Then you are not alone. It can be daunting to see your child wandering at 3 a.m. but sleep walking is very common in kids. Most sleepwalkers do so occasionally when they are kids and outgrow sleepwalking by the teen years.

Sleepwalking behaviour can range from harmless to harmful. Sometimes you might find your kid simply walking around his room but sometimes he/she can get him/herself into risky situations.

Here’s all you need to know about sleepwalking

Signs and symptoms

• Your child gets up in the middle of the night and walk around the house.
• They can carry out takes like changing clothes, going to the restroom etc. easily while they are asleep.
• Some kids may urinate in strange places, but they won’t remember doing the same in the morning.
• They can have a conversation with you which won’t make any sense.
• Your child won’t recognise you while he/she is sleepwalking even when they have their eyes open.

Causes of sleepwalking

• If you have a family history with sleepwalking, your child may be too.
• Lack of sleep
• Fatigue
• Illness or fever
• Irregular sleep schedules
• Medications
• Stress

Is sleepwalking harmful?

Sleepwalking isn’t harmful by itself but your child can get hurt by walking into the furniture or falling from a height etc.

How to protect and help your sleepwalker

• Do not try to wake your child up while he/she is sleep walking because this might scare your child. Instead, gently guide them back to bed.
• Have child safety locks on the door. Make sure all the doors and windows are locked properly.
• Remove sharp objects from your child’s bedroom
• Removes obstacles such as furniture from your child’s bedroom and around the house to prevent your child from stumbling and getting hurt.
• Don’t allow your child to sleep on bunk beds or upstairs.
• Play soft music for your child before going to bed.
• Have a regular sleep schedule.
• Your child needs at least 8 hours of sleep every day.
• Avoid coffee, tea, or any kind of caffeinated drinks before bed time
• Full bladder can cause sleepwalking as well, make sure your toddler go to the bathroom before going to bed.