Sleep walking, also known as Somnambulism is a sleep disorder, that affects as many as 14% of children between the ages of five to twelve. It is more common in boys than girls and some children suffer more frequent episodes than others. Most children will outgrow this disorder by the time they reach adolescence, as their nervous system develops.
What is the cause of this sleep walking disorder in children? Well, normally an entire brain, the cognitive and awareness parts as well as the mobility part wake up together, but with a child who suffers from sleep walking disorder, the mobility portion wakes up whilst the cognitive and awareness portion is still fast asleep.This is because the brain is still growing and the sleep and wake cycle have not matured together. The brain is still sleeping whilst the body is awake and able to move.
A sleep walker is out of bed and walking around, sometimes he even dresses up and goes outside whilst the brain is still asleep.
The sleep walker's eyes are open and they can see what they are doing but their expression remains blank and they will not respond to conversation or even when their name is called. It is a good idea to remove furniture out of their way as they are likely to trip and hurt themselves. This episode will usually occur an hour or two after they go to bed and will last about fifteen minutes or less. In rare cases it can go on for an hour or more.
It is advisable that the child be guided and taken back to bed without waking them up.
After adolescence and during puberty, children usually outgrow this disorder and treatment is generally not required.
A small percentage of these children do not outgrow this condition however and continue to sleepwalk as adults. Not all adult sleepwalkers suffered this disorder as children
If adults sleepwalk, it is often due to stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation, sleep fragmentation, medication or due to epilepsy.
Treatments for adults who sleepwalk will depend on how serious the condition is and if they are in some kind of danger. If a person sleepwalks inside the house or just sits down quietly, there is no cause for alarm. On the other hand, if the person is able to dress up, open the door and walk out, there should be concern.
Treatments include self hypnosis, behaviour therapies or prescription medication.
It is necessary to keep the child's room safe so they are not able to hurt themselves during an episode. Remove any sharp objects or breakables from their room. Keep doors locked so they are not able to go out. Some parents will hang bells on doors so they can hear if the child tries to go out. Windows should be covered, especially glass windows so the temptation to walk through is removed.
Sleepwalkers are not in any danger from the disorder itself, as long as they are protected from things that can hurt them in their surroundings. In time children will outgrow this disorder.
Esther Ofori's background is in the health sciences. She has been involved in Internet Marketing for a few years now and her main interest is in helping people improve their health. There are millions of people around the world who lie awake night after night unable to sleep. Esther has been working in this area to find out some of the causes for these sleep disorder symptoms. To find out more about why you can't sleep and the effects of sleep deprivation, visit: http://www.SleepingInToday.com
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