Sleep Walker

H.,
Personally, I don't know anything about sleep walking, so I quickly did a search on the internet, which you can do to look for treatments, but I also would think about her eating habits, for instance did they change recently and also does she take medicines for anything or is there anything new in her environment. It's a start, hope that helps.

M.

Hi H.,

My daughter used to sleep walk when she was little, but thankfully she grew out of it. I don't know much about it really, but I have read that is very traumatic if you wake them while they are doing this. You are supposed to do basically what you are doing, just calmly lead them back to bed. As for worrying aboout her getting out, that would scare me too. Most sleep walkers can do everything they normally do while they are sleep walking. I just recently saw a program on TV where a lady would sleep walk into the kitchen and eat. I don't know if anyone has tried this with sleep walkers, but I once worked in a personal care home and we had alarms on the doors to keep the residents from escaping. We could not baricade the doors due to fire hazards. We also were not permitted to lock the doors during the day for the same reason.

My daughter's friend did this when she was a little younger than your child. She did outgrow it, but the parents put a deadbolt way up high, way out of the child's reach, on the doors to the outside. Not locks that needed keys from the inside, just a turn. Good luck!

Hi H.! I dont know anything about this issue, but i know that back in the day parents would put a cold wet towel on the floor where the child sleeps. when she would get up and step on it she would wake up from cold and wet under her feet. I am sorry you are going thu this, but it will get better. I just saw a new article on yahoo check it out.....http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080510/sc_livescien...

Hi H., Although I have never dealt with sleepwalking, I do live with two night talkers and have figured out that they talk only after a really stress-filled or exciting day. Talk to your doctor. I suggest putting contact alarms on your doors and windows...the alarm is really loud and would wake you if she opened them. You might also try using a simple babygate in her bedroom doorway. That might keep her in her room if you place it high enough so that she can't climb over it, but low enough that she can't slide under it in her sleep. Good luck and best wishes.

Hi H.,
I agree with you not locking her in her room, but you might consider sliding chain type locks on your outside doors. This would at least keep her from going outside. Sorry, I have no other knowledge of sleepwalking, but I've heard you should do what you're doing--out them back to bed--don't startle her by trying to wake her.
D.

I have a 14 year old son who sounds like your daughter. He doesn't sleep walk as much but boy he used to. What we have done,is put things in front of the door going out of the house, that would deter him from leaving. Also, maybe put a chain lock up high on the door, that way if she does move something that upper lock will stop her from going out. I think in the end she will grow out of it. Have you talked to the pediatrician at all.

We just kept helping him back to bed, and talking to him about whatever it was that he was talking about and leading him back to his room. Like I said he has basically grown out of it, with one or two times of sleep walking here and there.

Hello H.. I suggest you go to www.Google.com and type in "sleepwalking and cures". It is very interesting. Your question prompted me to look it up since my daughter is 37 and STILL sleep walks! I believe the main thing is to make sure that she cannot 'escape' out of a door or window into the neighborhood because she could be injured. It does appear, however, that all the articles recommend hypnosis, I suppose to introduce thoughts into the sub-conscious mind that would help to eliminate these instances.

Good luck, H.!

Close her door slightly and put a bell on it so that you are awakened when she leaves her room. We have chimes on our doors that go outside and when a door opens it chimes in our bedroom. Sometimes all you can do is work with it. Have you taken her to a sleep specialist for some advice?
Good luck with this.

Dr. Sears book, "Nighttime Parenting" has a good section in it on sleep-walking.

No don't lock her into her room, she would panick if she couldn't open the door. Don't bother trying to wake ehr up, it doesn't help. Just talk calmy to her and get her back to bed. I sleep walk and have since I was a child. My best advice is bed her to bed before she gets overtired. I think that is a big trigger for me. I don 't sleep walk as much as I did when I was a child but I occasionally do. I find when I am overtired I am more likley to sleep walk. Make sure you have a good lock at the top of your door she can't reach. When Iw as a child I didn't go outside, luckliy I just went to our sofa in the living room.