Sleepwalking in children

At what age, frequency… The figures for sleepwalking in children

“That night around midnight, I discovered my son walking in the living room as if he was looking for something. He had his eyes open but seemed completely elsewhere. I did not know how to react ”, testifies this visibly distressed mother on the Infobaby forum. It is true that catching your little one pacing the house in the middle of the night is worrying. Yet sleepwalking is quite a mild sleep disorder as long as it doesn’t recur too often. It is also relatively common in children. It is estimated thatbetween 15 and 40% of children between 6 and 12 years old had at least one fit of sleepwalking. Only 1 to 6% of them will do several episodes per month. Sleepwalking can dstart early, from the age of walking, and most of the time, this disorder disappears in adulthood.

How to recognize sleepwalking in a child?

Sleepwalking is part of the family of deep sleep parasomnias with night terrors and confused awakening. These disorders only manifest themselves during the phase of slow deep sleep, ie during the first hours after falling asleep. Nightmares, on the other hand, almost always occur in the second half of the night during REM sleep. Sleepwalking is a condition where the person’s brain is asleep but some arousal centers are activated. The child gets up and begins to walk slowly. Her eyes are open but her face is expressionless. Normal, he sleeps soundly and yet he is capable to open a door, go down stairs. Unlike night terrors where the sleeping child fidgets, screams in bed, the sleepwalker is relatively calm and does not speak. It is also difficult to get in touch with him. But as he sleeps, he can put himself in dangerous situations, get injured, get out of the house. This is why, it is imperative to secure the space by locking the doors with keys, the windows and by putting the dangerous objects in height… The episodes of sleepwalking usually last less than 10 minutes. The child goes back to bed naturally. Some adults remember what they did during their sleepwalking episode, but it is rarer in children.

Cause: what causes sleepwalking attacks?

Several studies have shown the importance of the genetic background. In 86% of children who stroll at night, there is a history of the father or mother. Other factors favor the occurrence of this disorder, especially anything that will lead to a sleep deficit. A child who does not get enough sleep or who wakes up frequently during the night will be more likely to experience sleepwalking episodes. The bladder distension fragments sleep and can also promote this disorder. We therefore limit drinks in the evening. Likewise, we avoid too intense muscular activities at the end of the day which can also disturb the sleep of the child. We must watch a little snore because the latter is likely to suffer from sleep apnea, a syndrome which causes an impairment of the quality of sleep. At last, stress, anxiety are also factors that predispose to bouts of sleepwalking.

Sleepwalking in children: what to do and how to react?

No wake-up call. This is the first rule to apply when faced with a child who is wandering around at night. The sleepwalker is plunged into a phase of deep sleep. By bursting into this sleep cycle, we totally disorient him and we can cause him agitation, in short a very unpleasant awakening. In this type of situation, it is best to guide the child to his bed as calmly as possible. Better not to wear it because it may wake him up. Most often, the sleepwalker is obedient and agrees to go back to bed. When to worry If the sleepwalking episodes are repeated too often (several times a week), and the child also has a healthy lifestyle and a regular sleep pattern, it is best to consult a doctor.