Sleepwalking and children
Key points
- About 1 out of 10 school-aged children sleepwalk at least once.
- Sleepwalking is often triggered by disruption in regular sleep patterns or a fever.
- Sleepwalking is usually outgrown by early adolescence.
- Unlike in adults, childhood sleepwalking is usually not related to psychologic conditions.
Alternative names
Somnambulism
Information
Question:
Is sleepwalking normal for children?
Answer:
About 1 out of 10 school-aged children sleepwalk at least once. Sleepwalking is often triggered by disruption in regular sleep patterns or a fever. Sleepwalking is usually outgrown by early adolescence. Unlike in adults, childhood sleepwalking is usually not related to psychologic conditions. Rarely, it can be due to temporal lobe Epilepsy.
Avoid awakening someone who is sleepwalking, as this may frighten the person. Simply steer the person back to bed and ensure that he or she is safe.
Try to maintain a bedtime routine to help minimize the problem.
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
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