About 18 percent of children sleepwalk at some point in their lives. Having 3 children that have had this condition our family has learned a great deal about this phenomenon.

Sleepwalking rarely has a medical reason. Occasionally emotional trauma can be a cause but this is very rare.

Sleepwalking tends to be genetic, that is, it can run in families. Perhaps you or your spouse were sleepwalkers.

Sleepwalking generally occurs in the first third of the sleep cycle.

Sleepwalking often involves urination. Often young children do not wake up enough to realize they need to go to the bathroom and thus will use the bathroom wherever they happen to be. Off a deck, in a cupboard or clothes hamper are often areas they tend to use for this purpose. Perhaps because a door has to be opened or a cover (as in the clothes hamper) has to be lifted they think they are in the right room.

Most children will outgrow sleepwalking by age 15. Until then here are a few great tips to help keep your family safe and protect your little sleepwalkers.

Use a double key deadbolt on outside doors whenever possible. Keep the key close by, but out of reach of your little sleepwalker. If you do not have double key deadbolts on your outside doors, consider investing in them or placing a lock on the uppermost part of the door where a step stool would be required for your young sleepwalker to access it. I have also found some great decorations that have bells on them that I have placed on our outside doors. At least I will hear that and know that someone is using the door.

Another great idea is to have a bell decoration hanging on your child's bedroom door. Use a nursery monitor in your room and your child's room to help you hear what is going on in their room at night.

Keep sharp objects put away so that they will not injure themselves. Also keep clear pathways from room to room so that they will not fall.

When the child is awake discuss sleepwalking in a non threatening manner. Ask them if they remember getting up and doing whatever they have been doing or if they remember talking to you last night when you took them back to bed.

Make a bedtime routine and stick to it. The less change and more routine in their lives the less they will tend to sleepwalk.

If a child has had an exceptionally busy day or a fright, expect a sleepwalking episode that night.

Sleepwalkers will rarely answer you when you speak to them and when they do answer you the answers will often not make any sense or they will be only one or two words. The child may appear to look right through you as if you are not there or appear to be ignoring you completely.

When you find your child sleepwalking, gently take your child by the arm and maneuver them back to bed and lovingly tuck them in. In most cases the child will only sleepwalk once per night but occasionally there will be a repeat.

Make sure other family members are aware of the child's tendency to sleepwalk and let them know how to handle it if they should find the child wandering around the house.

Some families keep a small journal of the sleepwalkers activities and can begin to see that the child gets up at a certain time every night and sleepwalks. By waking the child up a few minutes prior to their normal sleepwalking time and taking them to the bathroom the child can begin to get the message that they need to go to the bathroom and retrain themselves.

By being patient and remembering that most children outgrow this by age 15 you can rest assured that your child is normal and healthy and that you have nothing to worry about.

Learn more about this author, Linda L Kinyon.
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