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Original poster

A question about sleepwalking please

28 replies

CarofromWton · 08/03/2009 20:54

My DD1 (10) has always talked in her sleep and more recently has started sleepwalking. This didn't worry me too much as I usually hear her and gently guide her back to bed. She doesn't recall it happening the next morning.

However, Friday night I heard her talking away so I got up and discovered her wandering aimlessly around the landing (it's a large landing and she was all over it) muttering to herself. I took her back to bed, but it occurred to me that she may have wandered near the staircase and fallen downstairs.

Does anyone else have experience of their child sleepwalking and could this happen? Although we haven't got stairgates anymore I have started putting a chair at the entrance of DD's bedroom once she's asleep to stop her going too far.

I would be grateful for your thoughts.

OP posts:
Original poster
CarofromWton · 08/03/2009 21:00

bump

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Original poster
CarofromWton · 08/03/2009 21:10

Anyone please?

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LGoodLife · 08/03/2009 21:24

Sister found her ds2 in dd's bed the other night - he sleepwalks, hasn't yet fallen downstairs, but she couldn't find him till she saw large lump in sister's bed!!! Dd was oblivious.

LGoodLife · 08/03/2009 21:25

Her theory is that as he seems to know his way around with his eyes shut (!!!!) he's unlikely to fall downstairs. She is a very laid back mother.

Original poster
CarofromWton · 08/03/2009 21:27

DD1's just done it again. Whilst I was MNetting she came out of her room and just stood next to me, totally oblivious! I've taken her back to bed again.

LGoodLife - thanks for your post. Does your sister take any precautions re her DS' safety ie stairgates?

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Original poster
CarofromWton · 08/03/2009 21:29

x posts! Wish I could be a laid back mother - I get anxious about anything to do with the children. DD1 is also a v anxious sensitive person - I just saw on another website that anxiety can be a cause of sleepwalking.

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LGoodLife · 08/03/2009 21:36

Anxiety is also catching! Chill! Put a beanbag at the cbottom of the stairs? Not the top - might trip her up.

Ewe · 08/03/2009 21:40

My DB sleepwalks and he has gone downstairs before, he just seems to know his way around just like he does when he is awake!

They recently got a puppy and have stairgates on the stairs and he sleepwalked and opened them.

Original poster
CarofromWton · 08/03/2009 21:41

I might put a beanbag at the top of the stairs and one at the bottom lol.

Think I'll stick to the chair idea for now.

Agree with you about anxiety - now where can I buy those chill pills?

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LGoodLife · 08/03/2009 21:41

lol at opening the stairgates!

LGoodLife · 08/03/2009 21:42

chill pills come in green bottles, corked or screwtops, liquid version for ease of administering.

Original poster
CarofromWton · 08/03/2009 21:43

Ahhh - so maybe stairgates aren't the answer then. I think it depends on how 'aware' the sleepwalker is at the time - the other night my DD was meandering around like a drunk, hence the concern!

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Ewe · 08/03/2009 21:44

I think it's so clever that the mind can do these things whilst being asleep, I trip over stairgates when fully awake!

It is horrible though, they often find my DB hiding under the dining room table, or trying to open the back door - it now has a high deadlock, he is only 8!

Original poster
CarofromWton · 08/03/2009 21:45

Nice idea re: liquid chill pills. An old friend of mine once told me that my problems were all down to my lack of drink!

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Ewe · 08/03/2009 21:46

You could perhaps get a baby monitor again if you are really concerned? I imagine she must make a bit of noise getting up and out of bed.

I think the thing with stairgates and the like is if she is all over the place it could be worse as she might hurt herself, or keel over it etc.

ABetaDad · 08/03/2009 21:46

Our DS1 sleepwalks. His eyes are open but he does not speak.

I fitted a stairgate at the top of the stairs to stop him wandering in the night. It is one of those soft ones that looks like a roller blind on its end and makes a loud 'zipping' noise if opened incorrectly. If he got up in the night I would hear him trying to open it. He has walked down stairs before and we just guide him back to bed.

He does it when he has had a bad day at school. One part of the brain is still awake and the other asleep.

Original poster
CarofromWton · 08/03/2009 21:47

OMG Ewe - if my DD woke up under the dining room table or in the garden she'd have a fit. She's nervous enough in her own bedroom!

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Original poster
CarofromWton · 08/03/2009 21:49

Thanks abetadad - the soft stairgate may be an option. Interesting you mentioned the link with the bad day at school - anxiety link again.

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mooseloose · 08/03/2009 22:05

ds14 has been regularly sleepwalking for about 3 years, just quietening down now.
He is very laid back, so anxiety is not a cause for him, but I think too many late nights can set him off.
He has frequently run out of his room and ran down the stairs, turning the back door key to get out - all very fast! Fortuntaly I have got to him in time. He has never fell on the stairs.
But last year we had a weekend away for ds birthday, and a knock on the door in the early hours turned out to be ds who had sleepwalked into the corridor (an interconnecting room )but I never heard him!
He is having exams now, but not walking at the mo, so hoping he is getting over it!

Original poster
CarofromWton · 09/03/2009 15:58

moose - I take it from your post that you're not too worried DS will fall down the stairs? The sleepwalking website mentioned that late nights are also a common cause of sleepwalking, so that would make sense with your DS.

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23balloons · 09/03/2009 20:38

Ds1 who is 8 sleepwalks and often comes down the stairs - has never fallen. We keep a monitor on the landing and listen for him when we are downstairs. He has to walk down a few stairs & up againto get to the toilet anyway but often when sleepwalking will go to the downstairs toilet & then go back up again.

stealthsquiggle · 09/03/2009 20:42

Both my DBs used to sleepwalk (probably still do ). Neither of them ever fell down stairs - even at 2 or 3 DB2 would turn up downstairs - we would turn him round and point him back to his bed.

Stop worrying about stairs and just make sure the front door is locked, with the key out of DD's reach . On school trips, a teacher used to have to sleep across the door to make sure DB1 didn't wander too far...

Original poster
CarofromWton · 09/03/2009 20:47

DD doesn't go to the toilet at night, in fact she's never needed to (unlike me!). I think that she's restless at night and has always been very active in her sleep - her bed looks like a battlefield in the morning. I wouldn't be surprized if anxiety was at the root of it for her; obviously I'll do my best to reassure her. In the meantime I'll just keep placing chairs outside her room as I'm still not sure she won't fall down the stairs.

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Original poster
CarofromWton · 09/03/2009 20:50

Thanks for the reassurance stealth & 23balloons - I'll try not to lose any sleep over the stairs!

Lol at the teacher - they really do earn their money don't they?

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Plonker · 10/03/2009 08:44

My 9yr old dd1 sleepwalks (always anxiety related btw) and finds her way downstairs no problem. She looks like she's awake and seems to have all her senses about her, it's only when you try to speak to her and you find her totally incoherant and agitated, that you realise she's actually asleep.

We've never had a problem with the stairs, although I agree that the front door could be a problem - dh used to sleepwalk as a young lad and he would go straight downstairs, out of the front door and into the street