Why does sleepwalking happen

Just steer your child back to the safety and comfort of his or her bed. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Sleepwalking? Sleepwalking behaviors can be: harmless — like sitting up potentially dangerous — such as wandering outside inappropriate — like opening a closet door and peeing inside No matter what kids do during sleepwalking episodes, though, it's unlikely that they'll remember ever having done it! Still, some simple steps can keep your young sleepwalker safe while traipsing about.

What Causes Sleepwalking? Things that may bring on a sleepwalking episode include: lack of sleep or fatigue irregular sleep schedules illness or fever some medicines stress What Happens During Sleepwalking? But young sleepwalkers may also: sleeptalk be hard to wake up seem dazed be clumsy not respond when spoken to sit up in bed and go through repeated motions, such as rubbing their eyes or fussing with their pajamas Also, sleepwalkers' eyes are open, but they don't see the same way they do when they're awake.

Sometimes, these other conditions may happen with sleepwalking: sleep apnea brief pauses in breathing while sleeping bedwetting enuresis night terrors Page 2 Is Sleepwalking Harmful? How to Keep a Sleepwalker Safe Sleepwalking isn't dangerous by itself.

To help keep your sleepwalker out of harm's way: Try not to wake a sleepwalker because this might scare your child. Instead, gently guide him or her back to bed. Lock the windows and doors, in your child's bedroom and throughout your home, in case your young sleepwalker decides to wander. You may consider extra locks or child safety locks on doors. If sleepwalking happens a lot, every night or so, it's a good idea for your mom or dad to take you to see your doctor.

But sleepwalking once in a while usually isn't something to worry about. Still, it may look funny or even scary for the people who see a sleepwalker in action. It's important, of course, to keep a sleepwalker safe. Precautions should be taken so the person is less likely to fall down, run into something, or walk out the front door while sleepwalking. There's no cure for sleepwalking, but the doctor can talk to you about what's happening and try to find ways to help you sleep more soundly.

Most kids grow out of sleepwalking. For kids who sleepwalk often, doctors may recommend a treatment called scheduled awakening. This means your parent will gently wake you up a little before your usual sleepwalking time, which can help stop sleepwalking.

Isolated incidents of sleepwalking often don't signal any serious problems or require treatment. However, recurrent sleepwalking may suggest an underlying sleep disorder.

Sleepwalking in adults has a higher chance of being confused with or coexisting with other sleep disorders as well as medical conditions. If anyone in your household sleepwalks, it's important to protect him or her from potential injuries related to sleepwalking.

Sleepwalking care at Mayo Clinic. Sleepwalking usually occurs early in the night — often one to two hours after falling asleep. It's unlikely to occur during naps. A sleepwalking episode can occur rarely or often, and an episode generally lasts several minutes, but can last longer.

Occasional episodes of sleepwalking aren't usually a cause for concern and typically resolve on their own. You can simply mention the sleepwalking at a routine physical or well-child exam.

However, consult your doctor if the sleepwalking episodes:. However, medicines such as benzodiazepines or antidepressants are sometimes used if you sleepwalk often or there's a risk you could seriously injure yourself or others.

These medicines can help you sleep and may reduce the frequency of sleepwalking episodes. Therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy CBT or hypnotherapy may sometimes be helpful. It's important to keep the areas of your home where a person may sleepwalk free of breakable or potentially harmful objects and to remove any items they could trip over. It's also a good idea to keep windows and doors locked. If your child sleepwalks, do not let them sleep on the top bed of a bunk bed.

You may want to fit safety gates at the top of the stairs. It's also important to tell babysitters, relatives or friends who look after your child at night that your child may sleepwalk and what they should do if it happens. Page last reviewed: 05 October Next review due: 05 October Why some people sleepwalk The exact cause of sleepwalking is unknown, but it seems to run in families. The following things can trigger sleepwalking or make it worse: not getting enough sleep stress and anxiety infection with a high temperature, especially in children drinking too much alcohol taking drugs certain types of medicine, such as some sedatives being startled by a sudden noise or touch, causing abrupt waking from deep sleep waking up suddenly from deep sleep because you need to go to the toilet Other sleep disorders that can cause you to frequently wake up suddenly during the night, such as obstructive sleep apnoea and restless legs syndrome , can also trigger a sleepwalking episode.

What happens when a person sleepwalks In some episodes of sleepwalking, a person may just sit up in bed and look around, briefly appearing confused.