The other night a friend of mine came to get me because he saw my son come out of his room walk to the fridge, open it and start peeing. When my friend yelled his name, he quickly put it away and started to walk back to bed. I came in when he was just reaching his bed, I asked him why he did that and he said in a sleepy, confused voice " I don't know" then he was back to sleep. I said his name a couple times, progressively louder, with no response, I gave him a gentle shake, still, nothing. My friend who caught him thinks that because his eyes were open, and because he reacted like he was aware of what he was doing, that he did it intentionally, and was fully aware of his actions. When I questioned my son about it the next day, he wouldn't believe me that he'd even done it. He got quite upset, protesting that he would never do something like that. I know my son, and he may be a troublemaker at times, but I don't believe for a second that he woke from a sound sleep, and consciously made the decision to go and pee in the fridge. However, mu husband, my and two of my friends (both men) are convinced this is the case, and keep treating my son like he's a bad kid, bringing it up every chance they get. Is there something that can explain this behaviour? how can I convince them he's not the monster they make him out to be?
Welcome to mamapedia, S..
It's called "sleep walking" - there's a door and a light - while it's NEVER happened to me? I have had friends whose kids have done it once or twice. they were MORTIFIED when they "woke up" and found what they were doing.
He did not do it intentionally!!!! My son did it twice. Eyes open etc. had no recollection. Sleep walking.
One of my kids used to sleepwalk. Several times it involved peeing in unusual places— an open dresser drawer, a basket of toys, the edge of the tub. Talk to your pediatrician. In the mean time be sure your son uses the bathroom before bed and be sure that any doors leading outside are locked. And tell your husband and his friends to stop being immature jerks. He never should have told his friends and shaming his son is an awful thing to do.
Your son was sleepwalking. A friend's son used to pee in the hamper in his closet, completely unaware that he was not in the bathroom.
You don't need convince anyone. You need to keep these men away from your kid. They are not your friends. You should not have such people in your life. Quality people do not do what they are doing.
My son did something similar at the same age. He woke up and walked to the kitchen, opened the door under the sink where we keep the garbage can and peed some in the can some on the floor. He was basically half asleep not aware of what he was doing. I wouldn’t call it sleep walking as he only ever did this when he had to pee. But he did it a few times between the ages of 6 and 8. He never remembered and when I caught him and guided him to the bathroom he peed in the toilet. It literally only happened maybe 3 times so I would not call it sleep walking. I think he woke up to pee but was so sleepy he was not fully awake. And didn’t remember. When I was that age, I actually dreamed I got up, went to the bathroom and started to pee, I woke up peeing in my bed. I was actually sitting on the edge tho and woke fully because my pjs were getting soaked. I was 7 when that happened. I think it may just be age related and how deeply a child sleeps. I would make sure he is not reprimanded for it. If they won’t believe you and treat your son badly I would get those men out of your and his life.
Sleepwalking. "Eyes open" doesn't mean awake and functioning.
Call the pediatrician to educate yourself, and get some recommendations for books you can get from the library. Take your husband to a consultation with the doctor if you have to, and keep the "friends" away from your child if they're just going to hame him based on their lack of knowledge. Their behavior is horrible and they are absolutely forbidden to talk to your son about anything if they are this ignorant and refuse to be educated.
I'd never allow a "friend" to vilify my child - regardless of the circumstances. You need to get this in check immediately.
We had a sleepwalker. Our pediatrician told us to wake our child up completely after one hour of hard sleeping for about a week and that would disrupt the sleepwalking cycle.
Keep in mind that your child will more likely remember that you allowed him to be treated this way, than he will the comments made by your "friends" and husband.
No one in our house sleepwalks so I can't comment on the child's behavior. I would talk to your child's pediatrician if you're concerned. It's been on here before, so you can search for similar questions/suggestions in the search bar.
I'm with Elena. It's far more disturbing that the men are reacting in this way. My husband wouldn't do this. They are making a 7 year old out to be a monster?
Your husband and friends are JERKS! Shaming a 7 year old? Boy aren't they manly men!!!
Your son was sleep walking. I think a visit to the doctor would be appropriate. You don't have to convince them of anything. Your job is to protect and make sure your son is ok. I will also tell Dad that as well. What a jerk.
My 7 year old fell asleep on the couch last night. I was downstairs working and saw him stand up. I asked him if he needed to go to the bathroom and he nodded. Then he walked into kitchen and opened the back door. I turned him around and pointed him in the right direction, and he opened the basement door. The only reason he made it to the bathroom was because I walked him there. His eyes were open, but he was in a daze. I have no doubt he was sleeping.
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My 7 year old fell asleep on the couch last night. I was downstairs working and saw him stand up. I asked him if he needed to go to the bathroom and he nodded. Then he walked into kitchen and opened the back door. I turned him around and pointed him in the right direction, and he opened the basement door. The only reason he made it to the bathroom was because I walked him there. His eyes were open, but he was in a daze. I have no doubt he was sleeping.
He didn't wake up - he was sleep walking.
Most people outgrow sleep walking eventually.
Since childhood I have been a sleep talker and I have never out grown it.
My husband sometimes has interesting conversations with me at night that I have no memory of in the morning.
Sometimes I sing in my sleep.
If your friends (and husband?) are going to be jerks about this and continue to bully your son - then they aren't your friends.
(How many friends are you living with? or are you visiting them?)
You might need to drop them as friends.
I wouldn't stay married to a guy that picks on my kid - doesn't matter if he's the kids father or not.
An alarm on your sons bedroom door will let you know if he's walking in the night - so you can go get him and direct him back to bed.
Talk to your pediatrician.
Some say you can wake him up an hour or so after he goes to bed and this will reset his sleep cycle so he won't sleep walk that night.
See what the pediatrician recommends and then follwow his advice.
It sounds like normal sleepwalking to me. Your husband and two friends are wrong...they need to be educated about sleepwalking. They are being cruel bringing it up to your son and making him feel bad. Contact a sleepwalking doctor and meet with him/her so your husband can be educated. You do need to make sure your son is safe at night.
When I was 5 my parents watched me leave my bedroom, open the dishwasher, sit down and pee. I was sleep walking. For a little while I would sleep walk and do random things. My parents said I never remembered doing these things. Your son is probably going through the samething.
He was totally sleepwalking. My son did this but walked into the shower and peed. Same age, same response that you described. Tell your husband and friends to leave the poor kid alone!
As you can see from the answers below, this sort of sleepwalking is fairly common. You should heed this as a "warning shot", as it were - now you know that it can happen, now you know to put a child lock on the refrigerator or at least store your food in containers with lids.
My son did this when he was young. He is in his 40's now. We did not think anything of it. We just thought he was sleep walking. He did it a few times. When we saw him coming, we would just stop him. Today he is 6 foot 4 inches, and an extremely tough Marine. Your son is not doing it on purpose. the people teasing him should be ashamed. I know my son does not remember this, maybe your husband does not remember doing this too.
This is definitely sleepwalking. I had a friend who moved and her husband woke up in the middle of the night, traced the steps he would have used to get to the bathroom in their former house, and peed on the floor in the corner in the location of the old bathroom. I have another friend with a serious sleep walking problem. In junior high he would regularly leave the house and go all over the place. Once his mother found him half dressed walking to school 3blocks from home at 2 AM. He would occasionally wake up on the floor under the piano in the living room. Sometimes this type of unusual deep sleep is a result of sleep apnea or an obstructed airway. Have your child’s tonsils and add annoyed‘s evaluated by an ENT. Sometimes it runs in families. Just follow the other posters advice about making sure he can’t get out of the house at night. You may need to install hotel type locks up towards the ceiling on exit doors.
Definitely sleepwalking. My daughter was guilty of this, and eventually outgrew it. I left her asleep on the couch, went to pee, and while I was washing my hands, I heard the front door unlock (I live in a condo and back then, in that unit, the lock would automatically turn if you pushed down on the door handle to open it), and I heard her scream out into the hallway for me. It was past midnight, and luckily, none of the neighbors noticed. I turned her around, heard her snore while walking, and put her in bed. I also woke up once to her standing next to me and saying "don't want to go to school, don't want to go to school" on a weekend morning, her eyes were open, when I touched her and said "today is Saturday" she had a look of panic on her face and screamed, suddenly awoken. That is when I realized it was sleepwalking. Her cousin did that too, walked from one of the house to the family room, crashed on the couch, then woke up in a fright when he realized he wasn't in his own room. He forgot his mother had driven him to his grandparents and for a second, he didn't realize where he was. They both outgrew this.
I think it is pretty immature and jerk-like of your husband to share this intimate information about his child with friends so they can mock him and constantly bring it up. Would he like it if your son found Viagra pills and he told his friends your husband had sexual dysfunction issues? To me, it's pretty much comparable to mocking a grown child about bathroom issues, as if he is regressing to being a baby who cannot control his bowels. Sleepwalking doesn't make anyone a bad kid. How awful to tease him for this and call him such names, for something that isn't even his fault and he is unaware of. I suggest you tell your husband to tell his friends to knock it off, mocking a child is repulsive, and your husband could benefit from some family therapy to learn how to treat his child and how to approach him about psychological or medical issues, because if this is how he does it, he could very well end up with a very troubled, angry son ready to lash out. He needs to grow up as do the so-called friends. Time to divorce the friends (more like bullies), if they refuse to stop.
omg, he was sleepwalking!
it sucks that he is being shamed over this. your husband and purported friends are horrid. and damaging this small boy.
i would get him away from these jerkoffs as soon as possible, and take this child to a pediatrician. sleepwalking isn't the end of the world, but having 'friends' and a father who treat him like a criminal for something out of his control is not anything i'd tolerate for one second.
mom up!
khairete
S.
Hi S., yes, most definitely sleepwalking. My son is 14 and still sleepwalks about once every few months. Although he's never peed in the refrigerator, he has done other things that he has no memory of. When we find him sleepwalking, we just redirect him back to bed and he lays down with no issues.
There's not really anything "to be done about it." It's just something that happens and with your support, he'll get through it just fine. Good luck to you!
Definitely sleep walking. My brother when he was young peed behind the curtain in the living room. I also was watching one of my friend's kids and one night my son woke me up and told me Hunter was peeing on the fan. So I went in there and got him to stop and asked him what he was doing and he didn't answer. In the morning I asked him about it and he had no clue what I was talking about. He was 4. And I have been told stories about my husband sleep eating when he was young. Took forever for them to figure out why food was missing. I would talk to his dr about it and if it keeps up put a buzzer on his bedroom door one that is loud enough to wake you up.
