CHECK-UP:Sleepwalking is most common in children aged four to eight
My seven-year-old son has recently started to sleep walk. What’s this about?
Sleepwalking, sometimes known as somnambulism, is a disorder that occurs when a person walks or does another activity while they are still asleep. The normal sleep cycle has distinct stages, from drowsiness to deep sleep. During rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the eyes move quickly and vivid dreaming is most common.
During the night we go through several cycles of non-REM and REM sleep. Sleepwalking commonly occurs during deep, non-REM sleep early in the night. If it occurs during REM sleep, it is part of REM behaviour disorder and tends to happen near morning.
Sleepwalking can occur at any age, but is most common in children aged four to eight.
The problem tends to run in families.
Although the cause of sleepwalking in children is usually unknown, anxiety, fatigue and lack of sleep may all precipitate an episode. In adults, sleepwalking may be associated with psychological problems or as a reaction to drugs and alcohol.
It may also occur as part of a medical condition such as epilepsy.
We have found him getting dressed or pulling things out of drawers while still asleep. Is this normal for sleepwalkers?
When sleepwalking, the individual may sit up and look as though they are awake when they are actually asleep. They may get up and walk around and engage in activities such as moving furniture, going to the bathroom, and dressing or undressing.
Episodes of sleepwalking can vary in length from a few seconds up to 30 minutes or longer. If not disturbed, sleepwalkers will usually go back to sleep, even if not in their own bed. Sufferers often do not remember the sleepwalking episode when they wake up or they may act confused or disoriented when they wake up.
We usually just gently lead him back to bed. Should we wake him up?
Some people mistakenly believe that a sleepwalker should not be awakened. It is not dangerous to awaken a sleepwalker, although it is common for the person to be confused or disoriented for a short time when they wake up.
Another misconception is that a person cannot be injured while sleepwalking. However, the main complication is getting injured while sleepwalking so safety measures may be needed to prevent injury.
Unless tests reveal an underlying condition causing the problem, most children grow out of sleepwalking and do not need any specific treatment.
