You may already be familiar with the term ‘sleepwalking’. If not, no worries, we will guide you through everything, and when you are done reading this, you will be an expert.
What Is Sleepwalking?
Pediatric sleepwalking occurs when a kid wakes up in the middle of the night and is completely unaware of their behavior. You may know this under another term – somnambulism.
Even if it is known as sleepwalking- there is not necessarily walking into the process (I know this is weird); some kids just sit up on their bed- which is a harmless act. Still, they can resort to more dangerous activity as wandering around the house or inappropriate behaviors like peeing in the closet.
Causes Of Sleepwalk
Even if it may happen in adults, sleepwalking is more prevalent in kids and can also be hereditary. So, it is an important point to ask your partner to know if your child is susceptible to sleepwalking.
It can be caused by lack of sleep or fatigue, fever, some medications, and stress.
What Can Happen During Sleepwalk
The eye-catching part of it is walking, but there are other symptoms. They may sleep-talk, have uncoordinated movements, do not respond when talked to, be agitated, and even find it hard to wake up.
Also, some sleepwalkers may have their eyes wide open but not see as they usually do when they are awake. Other unpleasant things may happen during this phenomenon; the kid may enter into sleep apnea, bed-wetting may happen, or even night terrors.
Can Sleepwalk Be Harmful?
The action is not harmful, but it can lead to more dangerous actions as they are unaware of doing. For example, they walk down the stairs and trip or even try to get out in the streets.
Do not worry. This is not a sign of an emotional or psychological problem with your child, and this shall pass when they enter their teenage years.
How To Make Sure Your Child Is Safe
If your child is a sleepwalker, you may be worried that they woke up in the middle of the night and hurt themselves with something. So you will want to take extra caution so that your child is safe while everyone is sleeping…
Make sure that you lock all entry points of your house and hide away the keys because even if they are asleep, they may still be very intelligent to know how to open a door. Make sure that all knives and dangerous objects are out of reach.
You do not want to wake your child up during their episode of sleepwalking, as they may be scared, and it can be difficult for them to get back to sleep. Instead, guide them slowly back to their bed and allow them to feel asleep.
Contact A Doctor
If these episodes are recurrent, it will be best to contact a doctor. Even if there are no treatments directly for sleepwalking, they may try to see what is causing it to reverse it. For example, if your child is experiencing sleepwalking because of disturbed sleep patterns, the doctors can help you balance the sleep schedule or stress.
Your child may face different sleep problems, and your doctor can order a sleep study to understand the root of the problems.
Sleepwalking Prevention
There are some good habits that you may want to implement;
- Regular sleep schedule.
- Good bedtime routine- warm bath, soothing music, dark and quiet environment.
- Lower the temperature to -24 degrees Celsius.
- Allow them to go pee before bed.
- Avoid sugar before bed.
If you have any more concerns, you may want to talk to your doctor; let us know in the comments if your child is encountering sleepwalks…
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