In the classic children’s story “Heidi,” the household is haunted by a small white ghost that appears in the middle of the night and opens the front door. By keeping watch all night, Herr Sesemann and his physician friend discover little Heidi has been sleepwalking and been mistaken for the ghost.
Your providers here at Alzein Pediatrics know that encountering a sleepwalking child can indeed be a little spooky. A sleepwalking child looks and moves like they’re awake, but the eyes may be a little unfocused, the activity confusing, and the speech nonsensical. As a result, parents may not be sure if their half-alert child is unwell and can be even less sure about what to do.
Thankfully, even if your little one doesn’t always rest easy, you can remain calm: sleepwalking is a fairly common occurrence in children and in most cases presents limited health impacts and goes away over time.
Somnambulism or sleepwalking affect about 5 to 15% of children every year, and that number drops to 1.5% in adults. Sleepwalking can start as early as age 2 with most cases occurring between the ages of 4 and 8. It’s more common in children with a parent or parents who experienced sleepwalking.
Technically speaking, sleepwalking is a “disorder of arousal” that occurs in the deepest stage of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. For this reason, most instances of sleepwalking occur about 2 to 3 hours into sleep. Researchers see some relationship between sleepwalking and stress, fever, and most commonly poor sleep hygiene. Maintaining a regular sleep routine that centers on a consistent bedtime and a routine of relaxation and turning off screens can make sleep patterns more stable and consistent, reducing the instances of sleepwalking.
While there are no real long-term health concerns with occasional sleepwalking in children, we do recommend trying to minimize sleepwalking; ordered sleep is healthier than disordered sleep. Your child might do strange, inappropriate things while sleepwalking, like peeing in garbage cans or in closets. While sleepwalking isn’t a health threat, injuries from sleep-tripping over household obstacles or leaving the house can be a real concern. In addition to preparing their child for healthy sleep, parents of sleepwalkers can prepare their house to be safer for the sleepwalker.
Even though their eyes are open, they don’t see things correctly. They may think they are in a completely different location. Because sleepwalkers are only partially aroused, they tend to struggle with complexity and changes to their environment. Locked doors and windows will prevent a sleepwalker from opening them while on autopilot. Secure fragile objects and stow away dangerous thing each evening. Keep areas clear of clutter and tripping hazards. Gates at the tops and bottoms of stairs may be necessary. Motion-activated lights or sounds can add an extra layer of protection.
Even if you have a healthy approach to bedtime and a safe environment, you might find yourself face to face with a sleepwalking child despite your best efforts. In those moments, usher your child back to bed as gently as possible. It’s a myth that you can cause serious health harm in waking a sleepwalking child, but being jarringly woken up to find yourself standing instead of in bed can be alarming to your child and cause great mental distress. Remain calm and soothing and keep them safe as you get them back in bed so they can get back into a proper sleep-cycle.
If your child is sleepwalking often and it is leaving them sleep-deprived during the day, or they are acting out dangerously or inappropriately while sleepwalking, message your Alzein Pediatrics provider. We’ll help you navigate scheduled awakenings which can help reduce sleepwalking. We are here to help!
