Causes of sleepwalking in children

Sleepwalking is a common sleep disorder occurs among children. Sleepwalking is more dominant among the children between the age group of 4 to 8 years but still can be seen in the adult groups also.

Though it is not yet known what leads to children’s sleepwalking, various factors can play a role in sleepwalking.

Every kid may have a different period of sleepwalking, and the causes may vary as well. However, every child may walk in the sleep, once in a while, whereas some can do so more often than others. The show may take a few minutes or even half an hour. Here, a baby can do so many things in this limited time, for example, it may be crawling inside the house, or it might be talking.

Causes of sleepwalking in children

It is crucial, that parents and guardians will have hands-on experience on the contributing factors of this sleep disorder. Then, they can deal with sleepwalking in their child.

• Genetics

Inherited genes are so strong that they contribute a lot to the sleepwalking behavior of children. Studies show that sleepwalking is about heredity. Members in the same family have the high risks of having sleepwalking.

• Environmental Factors

The environmental surroundings can cause sleepwalking among the kids. Things such as excess noise, lack of sleep or disturbing child’s pattern of regular sleep can result in sleeping walking.

• Neurological Factors

Presence of comorbid sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome can also lead to sleepwalking

child’s behavior during sleepwalking:

Child while sleepwalking might do the following

1. Walk in the house asleep
2. Open and close doors and drawers.
3. Mumble or stutter
4. Straight emotionless face
5. Not talk or wake at all.
6. Carry out activities like dressing or eating. 
7. Will not remember about what happened.
8. Shows some odd actions and behavior while asleep.

What should I do if my kid is walking in his sleep? 

If there is a sleepwalking case in your child’s situation, then please do something on your own.

• stay calm 
• make sure they safely get back to bed to prevent minor injuries. 
• Ensure not to wake them abruptly because it might cause confusion or frighten them. 
• Make their sleep room safe by removing all such obstacles. 
• Monitoring their sleepwalking events and writing about occurrence and duration is essential. 

However, if sleepwalking becomes a habit or any difficulty arises, then definitely, advice from a healthcare expert must be sought for the sake of his/her health.

Lifestyle modifications for the treatment of sleepwalking in the children

The Importance of a Safes Sleep Environment

An important precaution to take in order to deal with sleepwalking in children is to ensure that there is a safe sleep environment.

• Make your kid’s room safe by removing all items, which contain sharp edges or can cause bumps in it, for example, nails and clutter.
• Set up safety gates or Door barriers to bar the children from getting the risky parts of the house.
• Maintain the bedroom brightly lit by providing night lights to prevent disorientation in the middle of the night.
• Do not use bunk beds or high furniture that may cause falls and injuries.

Consistent Bedtime Routines

Using a bedtime routine where the routine is consistent, can very well help parents manage sleepwalking in their children.

• Set sleep routine, which is properly followed, and the child gets the restful sleep needed each night. 
• Form a bedtime routine, including reading a book or enjoying a warm bath. This should relax your child before bed. 
• Make sure that the room is quite cool and dark and free of distraction and ensure that the mattress and bedding are comfortable. 
• Before bedtime, avoid showing screens and activity-based things to the child.

Proper nutrition: 

• Promote the proper eating habit by day and you will have a well-rested sleep at night. 
• The balanced diet which will provides enough nutrients also promotes proper sleep rhythms, this means that disturbances during sleep (for example sleepwalking) is less likely to happen. 
• Don’t drink caffeine or eat heavy meals before going to bed.

Consult a Healthcare Professional

If you try home remedies like lifestyle changes and sleep hygiene and sleepwalking continuous, consult a health care expert is very important. The sleep specialist could assess your child further and offer alternative remedies or further treatment in case the recommended treatment has no effect.

Can my child overcome sleepwalking? 

Sleepwalking usually lessens as children reach maturity, although it often ends before the beginning of adolescent age. Yet, individual experiences vary. Regularly monitoring status and consulting with healthcare professionals provide guidance on what has been achieved and how a target has to be reached.

Should I bring up the topic of my sleepwalking last night?

At this stage, it is better you avoid telling anything regarding the last night event to the child. This is because, they are unlikely to remember what they do during sleepwalking. It might be difficult for you to come out with it; this could make her embarrassed or self-conscious. Let the child know that it’s safe if he would be talking about it. But it is good to direct the conversation to something positive.