Sleepwalkingis a common condition that occurs in children, but what underlies this behavior?
Discover facts about the symptoms, causes, and best treatment options of sleepwalking in children.
What Is Sleepwalking?
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Sleepwalking is the purposeful movement of walking that occurs in a sleep-like state.
It is sometimes called somnambulism.
Common Causes
Children of all ages may sleepwalk, and the cause is not fully understood.
It may be due to immature development of the nervous system.
Sleepwalking becomes less common into adolescence, and rarely persists into adulthood.
There are a few conditions that may provoke sleepwalking.
Sleepwalking can be is associated with “confusional arousals.”
These confusional arousals consist of seeming to awaken but remaining in a subconscious state.
Other Conditions Similar to Sleepwalking
There are other conditions that may appear similar to sleepwalking.
As children often sleepwalk early in the night, it may be necessary to monitor them during this time.
Parents often wonder if it is dangerous to wake a sleepwalking child.
The short answer is no.
In general, it is best to redirect sleepwalking children back to bed without fully waking them.
If the sleepwalking behavior is particularly frequent, prolonged, or dangerous, additional interventions may be necessary.
In some cases, therapy can help reduce the number of sleepwalking episodes.
Therapy may target poor sleep habits, sleep deprivation, anxiety, and stress.
If sleep-disordered breathing or movement disorders are suspected, appropriate treatment of these conditions may improve the sleepwalking.
Finally, the use of the medication clonazepam may be helpful.
Clonazepam is one of thebenzodiazepinemedications and can be used to suppress the nervous system.
With its use, your child is less likely to get up during sleep.
In most cases, treatment with medication is unnecessary.
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