What to do when children sleepwalk
Sleeping is essential to life. However, some people sleepwalk during the night. Occurring mostly in children, sleepwalking involves a person moving while they're asleep. Most people who sleepwalk do so frequently. Doctors don't know exactly why some people sleepwalk and others don't. However, there are several factors that can cause sleepwalking. People who sleepwalk can cause serious accidents when they wake up during a dream. Thus, doctors should understand the causes and treatments for sleepwalking to help others live safely at night.
Children With the Sleep Disorder of Sleepwalking
The sleep disorder of sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism, affects approximately 14% of school-age children between five and twelve years old at least once. Approximately one quarter of the children with this sleep disorder have more frequent episodes.
Sometimes they get dressed or go outside
- A sleepwalker's movements usually appear clumsy.
- A sleepwalking episode usually happens one to two hours after the child goes to sleep
Children tend to sleep less than adults. They also have shorter REM (rapid-eye-phase) sleep and less deep sleep. Lack of deep restful sleep causes children to have poor concentration the next day Additionally, parents should monitor their children's sleep patterns and habits to ensure they sleep soundly. Failure to do so can cause children to sleepwalk. Fortunately, there are several ways to treat sleepwalking in children.
Most commonly, children walk duringREM (rapidsleep) or non-deep stages of sleep. It's important for parents to monitor their child's sleeping habits and habits closely. Failure to do so can lead to children walking duringREM or non-deep stages of sleep. In these cases, parents should keep their child in their bed and away from their child's bed if possible. This minimizes the chance that their child will walk while they're sleeping but awake enough to move freely.
Doctors treat sleepwalking by addressing the underlying factors that cause it. For example, they treat underlying health issues such as anxiety and epilepsy. Tranquilizing the animal or human beings helps them relax and get better rest. This makes it easier for them to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night without waking up for a bite or a drink of water. It's also important to avoid feeding certain foods before bedtime- doing so can cause someone to wake up repeatedly during the night