Kids are sleepwalking...

[Ponytail]

Started when school started, the 16 year old and the 10 year old...find them all over the house at all hours of the night while investigating those "bumps in the night".

Recently though it has gotten more serious...went from being slightly comical and a bit freaky, to VERY freaky and dangerous.

A week ago Saturday night, The 10 year old was dreaming/screaming at his friend Nick..."Don't Jump! Nick, DON'T Jump!"

Never heard a thump or anything, but when we went in there, the 10 year old had gotten out or jumped out of the top bunk, pushed his 2 year old brother onto the floor, and gone back to bed in the bottom bunk.

Freaky, right?

10 minutes later, his 16 year old sister comes walking down the hallway RIGHT passed me, carrying all of her sheets and covers off her bed, into the bathroom. 10 minutes later, she came out and went back to bed. Never saw me though her eyes were wide open. Looked right through me.

Niether of them remember ANYTHING.

The 10 year old broke his foot that night. He's is a cast for the next 4-5 weeks and for safety, the 2 year old is back in the room with us.

Anybody else experience anything like this?

I'm tired. This is almost a nightly occurence now to some degree.

 

[thurley42]

I used to do this alot when I was around 10-12...I got in the shower, woke up in the woods....on the swing.....I eventually grew out of it..

 

[Cowgirl]

Weird! What's their bedtime routine like? Are they up watching scary movies or playing video games right before bed?

 

[ftcret]

Sounds like kids getting away with stuff my brothers and I did stuff like that

 

[libertytyranny]

My roomate in college did this sort of thing, sometimes it was kinda scary..like when I woke up one night and she was eating all of the jello int he fridge (thank goodness for once it wasnt alcohol-filled jello) and talking about how frightened she was (and she looked absolutely terrified) Her parents used to lock her in her room or at the very least put special locks on the doors to outside..my roomate walked outside into the quad one night in her shorts and a sports bra..before we learned to block the door. I don't think she will ever stop, and its worse when shes stressed (the jello incident was finals week, hence no alcohol in the jello.. ) I think safety is important, try to make the environment safe and stress at a minimum.

 

[RareBreed]

My 6 year old will do this. Having to use the bathroom seems to be the trigger. He will get up and come out into the living room and walk around and then head back into his room. We have to get to him and literally direct him into the bathroom. A few times, we didn't catch him in time and he ended up peeing by his bedroom door and one time, he did it on the couch!!

We now wake him up before we head to bed and make him use the bathroom. That seems to help.

 

[Abc123]

Ponytail...I know someone who experienced this with their children. Talk to your/their family doctor about it. Some docs will suggest a sleeping med to aid in a deeper sleep. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. It depends on the child and the seriousness of their sleepwalking. As horrible and harsh as it sounds, you may end up having to install a sliding lock on the OUTSIDE of their bedroom doors and lock them in at night to prevent them from harming themselves further. That is what the person I know ended up having to do. Her child would go outside and wander the streets, even entered the neighbors home, people they did not know at all. Think about how seriously they could be harmed, even killed. All by accident, because of sleepwalking. They could walk into traffic, fall off stairs, steps, break their necks, walk into the arms/home of a rapist/murderer. You definately need to talk to their doctor about it and see what they suggest.
I will be praying that no further harm will come to them...good luck, and keep us posted.

 

[iris28]

This sounds really scary. I have two young children at home and have never experienced this thankfully. Everyone keeps mentioning doors and adding locks. How about windows? Has anyone experienced a sleepwalker that's been locked into their room escaping through the window? Seems like if they were trapped that might be an alternative which also wouldn't be safe. Scary stuff!

 

[nicole_M]

My 6 year old will do this. Having to use the bathroom seems to be the trigger. He will get up and come out into the living room and walk around and then head back into his room. We have to get to him and literally direct him into the bathroom. A few times, we didn't catch him in time and he ended up peeing by his bedroom door and one time, he did it on the couch!!

We now wake him up before we head to bed and make him use the bathroom. That seems to help.

My 5 year old does this also. He will wander into my room and the living room and usually fall back asleep within 5 minutes or so. He is definitely asleep though because if I call out to him he doesn't respond or interact in anyway. It is kind of freaky but it only happens once in awhile. Also I have found that he wakes alot and complan of knee pain - He is not actually awake because I try to comfort him and it's to no avail, eventually he just stops and goes to bed. I will rub his knee, etc, but he doesn't notice. I can only recall this happening about 2 times since Summer so it is not a big issue and hopefully won't turn into one.

My other two children do not do anything like this... Although my daughter doesn't require alot of sleep and she sometimes wakes at 3am and turns on her TV. Not since school started but last yr it was a common occurance.

 

[Bay_Kat]

My sister and I shared a room when we were younger and one night I woke up and she was at the window trying to get the screen out. She was asleep and if she had gotten that screen out and gone out the window, she wouldn't have made it, it was a long way down. She says she still has night terrors but hasn't sleep walked in a very long time.

 

[wharf rat]

I put my parents through hell with this when I was a kid. I would get up and start cooking. Then, I would walk away and leave the stove going. Dad eventually started turning the gas off before he went to bed. I woke up outside a few times as well. One time I ended up a mile away at the waters edge of the local river. I crossed and walked along a major highway to get there. Didn't remember a thing.

 

[CalvertNewbie]

I put my parents through hell with this when I was a kid. I would get up and start cooking. Then, I would walk away and leave the stove going. Dad eventually started turning the gas off before he went to bed. I woke up outside a few times as well. One time I ended up a mile away at the waters edge of the local river. I crossed and walked along a major highway to get there. Didn't remember a thing.

Wow, that's really scary! Thank God you didn't get hit by a car, drown or burn the house down!

My friend's 10 year old sleepwalks a few nights a week, has for about 5 years now. She never remembers anything later on but can sometimes answer questions if asked during the sleepwalking. It looks like she's in a complete trance, her eyes are open but she looks through you.

Scared the crap outta me when I saw her do it and I hope my son never does it! It's bad enough when my son is having night terrors and nothing we do comforts him.

 

[RoseRed]

I used to do it all the time as a kid.

In fact, I did it again just last month. And that is all I am going to say about that.

 

[kom526]

I used to do it all the time as a kid.

In fact, I did it again just last month. And that is all I am going to say about that.

Did you before the "episode"?

 

[Ponytail]

My son did something very similiar to what your 16 year old experienced. He was actually having a post ictal episode (what occurs after a seizure). It happened off and on for nearly six months. At the time I didn't know he had epilepsy - never saw a seizure with his "sleepwalking" BUT when I finally did witness one - the behavior afterwards was exactly the same as what I thought was "sleepwalking".

I know you'll get her to the doctors if it continues and I really hope sleepwalking is all they find.

THAT is interesting. Definitely making me think now.


It is very freaky, especially the 10 year old. He will let us in to the dream if we talk to him. He'll even yell at us and on occasion has actually gotten angry and tried to hit us. Again no recollection of it in the morning, and its usually obvious from the beginning that he is asleep.

Several times I caught him sitting up, talking yo his hands and cocking his head FAR from side to side like a dog would, seemingly listening for something, while staring right trhough me. And just that fast slams back down into the pillow, sound asleep.

He's VERY ticklish, and that is a common test to see if he is trying to pull one over on us or truly asleep. He's asleep every time.

It freaks me out.

I've had friends growing up that I remember hearing about, finding them across the street on the neighbors front step, porches, etc. My cousin used to pee in teh hamper at the end of the hallway, or at least in the spot where the hamper normally is, if they moved it.

But daggum...I'm losing ALOT of sleep over this. If it aint the kids walking/talking/screaming in their sleep, the friggin dog is running, barking, yelping, etc in her sleep.

 

[RoseRed]

Did you before the "episode"?

No.

But I did wake up mid sleep-conversation.

 

[manthaleigh]

I did this as a kid too. I used to wake up and climb down from my bunkbed and wander the house. My mom caught me trying to pee on the window sill She caught me doing this for several weeks...I would talk to her but not remember any of it. She just would walk me back to bed...and put me in the bottom bunk so I wouldn't hurt myself. After a while, it stopped though...no explanation for what caused it.

 

[mAlice]

Haunted house.

 

[bohman]

But daggum...I'm losing ALOT of sleep over this. If it aint the kids walking/talking/screaming in their sleep, the friggin dog is running, barking, yelping, etc in her sleep.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh because I'm sure you're worried about the kids (I would be, too) but the mental image of your sleepwalking dog just struck me funny.

I hope you can figure out what's going on.

 

[EmnJoe]

I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh because I'm sure you're worried about the kids (I would be, too) but the mental image of your sleepwalking dog just struck me funny.

I hope you can figure out what's going on.

Anyone have the link for the sleep running dog that was all over the webs?

Oh and definitely talk to a doctor.