Sleepwalking!

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

DD(7) has had minor sleepwalking incidents in the last couple weeks. The occur about 1-1 1/2 hours after she goes to sleep. She just had an episode. I followed her back to her room and tucked her in again. It really is freaking me out ! She must be anxious about school starting next week. ??

 

[janette]

My 10yo DD has had some scary episodes. She almost walked out of the house one time.

It seems to be worse when she's really tired or worried.

 

[musicfan]

I used to do that - at around the same age. It is very much related to stress, so I'm sure it's because school is starting soon. Don't let it freak you out, it'll make her feel bad. She can't help it -- she definitely doesn't know she's doing it. Just turn her around and take her back to bed. If she's like me, that will be the end of it for the night. I never remembered doing it at all. I grew out of it eventually, around age 9.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

She does not know I am freaked ! She also mumbles something in english or a strange language ! DS sleepwalked before school started when he was 9. His was short lived. I hope this passes and she does NOT leave the house, Janette. I just mentioned that fear to DH! She has always been a very "busy" sleeper. We hear her talk up a storm when in a hotel room, and she sits up and rolls all over the bed. Very active sleeper. Still has to sleep with guardrails or she would surely fall off !

 

[Pin Wizard]

You can always put a lock on the doors high up where she can't reach. DS has done this a few times in the past 3 years or so. Twice he's tried to go out into the garage. Once I made it to the door before the alarm was going off long enough to get the alarm company on the phone. Another time I didn't make it and they called me at 2:45 a.m. because it was going off. I hope his SW ends soon. Hasn't done it in quite a few months...shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

 

[Val]

I teach at a university......brain stuff.....this is actually VERY typical of 6-10 year old children. They seem to have some "growing spurts" in how their brain is wired, and as a result lose some of the paralytic aspects of sleep (that you don't walk around, talk, etc.). Researchers aren't sure why, but many kids this age do this. Your approach is correct- send them gently back to bed and they won't remember it in the morning! Avoid startling them, as this could wake them up and scare them- just gently guide them back. They will lie back down and slumber the night away......

.....my 10 year old did this the other night. Came into our room. Obviously still asleep. Shook me and informed me that "all hot dogs go to heaven".....as I was guiding her back to bed she layed down, informed me that she would just eat the hotdogs instead, and remembered NOTHING about our little conversation in the morning. I'll save this story for her wedding!

 

[nativetxn]

I've always walked and talked in my sleep. I still do it. My dh watches over me. I only walk in my sleep now when I'm overly tired. She will probably outgrow it

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Thanks for the info guys ! I hope she outgrows hers, unlike nativetxn! And Val, my DD has said some bizzare things too, I wrote some down!LOL!

 

[Kermit]

I walked in my sleep a lot when I was that age. My parents even caught me coming in the house a few times. I stopped around the 2nd grade, but DH says I do it now. I tell him I'm just getting out of the bed because he talks so much I can never sleep.

 

[kinlaw6450]

My sister used to sleep walk around the same age. One of her walking episodes is still brought up at family gatherings...LOL

She came out of her room into the living room. When my dad asked her what she was doing she looked around and in this strange singing/not singing way she said I have to look for things I have to find things....(I am laughing just thinking about it) Poor thing...she just turned around and walked back to bed.

She's 25 years old now and hasn't done it since.

 

[musicfan]

I can tell you from a former sleepwalker's vantage point, the talking is about what they are dreaming about. Someone once told me I couldn't have been dreaming if I was walking around, but in all instances, when my sister told me what I was saying, I could relate it directly to a dream I was having. Once I got up and walked into the living room, picked up the phone and started to dial (I was 8). My father asked me what I was doing, and I said "I have to call, I have to call". In my dream I was trying to call my teacher about something, but when I got her on the phone she yelled at me. So when my father asked, "Who do you have to call?" he said I got a really strange look on my face, then I said, "Um, no one" and went back to bed. That was probably the point in my dream just after my teacher yelled at me!

 

[mrsv98]

OK, I have to tell this story, but of my brother finds out, he will kill me!

When he was younger, he would sleep walk quite a bit, eventually ending up in bed. One night, my dad got home from work late and had juat a small light on in the kitchen. So down the hall, comes my brother, dragging his blanket like Linus. He walk to oone corner of the kitchen, pulls down his jammies and pees in the dogs, water dish!! He then walks to another corner of the room, lies down, covers himself up with his blanket and goes back to deep sleep. My dad says, our dog just sat there and looked at him like "what was that for?!" Needless to say, Dad cleaned out the water bowl and carried my brother back to bed. It has been a fav family story ever since!!

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

LOL

 

[manchurianbrownbear]

We have two sleepwalkers; 7 year-old DS and 6year-old DD.

DD sleep walks, sleep talks and grinds teeth. DS sleep walks and, like mrsv98's brother, will occasionally "relieve himself" in inappropriate places. Needless to say, I'm pretty quick to spring out of bed if I hear someone stirring!

Neither of them ever remember anything in the morning. I always DO remember cleaning up after them!