Is Your Child Sleepwalking?

Are you a parents who is concerned about your child walking in their sleep. This is something that many children do in addition to talking in their sleep. This is something that may or may not occur every night. Sleepwalking is something that usually occurs withing the first few hours that a child falls asleep. Many doctors call this deep sleep. Of course not all sleepwalking children, go for a long stroll through the house.

Sometimes they may just stand in their room or sit up in bed and appear to be a little dazed. Most of the time your child will not remember anything that happened. Sometimes they may wake up dazed and confused in another part of the house. This can be a little scary for your child, especially when it occurs for the first time. According to many doctors it is estimated that 20% of kids sleepwalk on a regular basis.

If this occurs on a nightly basis it may be a good idea for you as parents to take your child to the doctor. Precautions should be taken so that your child is not at risk of falling down or bumping into something that would cause them to hurt themselves. Although you will probably be very nervous and concerned about your child’s sleepwalking habits, try not to worry too much. There is no real cure for sleepwalking, but your child’s doctor will discuss ways to help your child sleep more soundly. The majority of children do eventually grow out of sleepwalking.

Your doctor may recommend a treatment called scheduled awakening. What happens is that it disrupts the sleep cycle just enough to help you child stop sleepwalking. Very rarely will your doctor prescribe any medication. Several things that you can do to help your child is make they have a regular sleeping schedule. Also make sure that your child does not drink a lot, a full bladder can contribute to sleepwalking.

Make sure that you block off any steps and clear the rooms and hallways of any obstacles that your child may encounter. Also do not startle your child by trying to wake them up. You will want to try by gently steering the person back to bed. Once they are back in bed it is time for you to get some sleep. It will definitely require a lot of patience on your part. But don’t worry they will eventually grow out of it.