Sleepwalking

Like night terrors, sleepwalking is a kind of parasomnia that often runs in families. During sleepwalking, part of the brain is awake and part is asleep.

It usually happens one to three hours after falling asleep. Your child may get out of bed and walk around. He will probably appear confused and clumsy. It’s doubtful he’ll hear or answer your questions.

Sleepwalking is more likely to happen if your child is overtired or anxious at bedtime. So, you may be able to prevent some episodes by making sure your child gets enough sleep and helping your child relax before bedtime.

Most children outgrow sleepwalking. Until then, parents can use the following tactics to protect young sleepwalkers:

• Don’t try to wake your sleepwalking child. Just take him back to bed.
• Put bells on your child’s door so you know if your child is up during the night.
• Make sure your child doesn’t get hurt. For instance, block stairways with toddler gates and lock outside doors.

Most children who sleepwalk only do so occasionally. If your child starts having episodes every night or several times a night, talk to your child’s doctor. You should do the same if you think your child’s sleepwalking is affecting his daytime behavior.