Son Sleepwalking?

Updated on November 20, 2008
H.C. asks from Rockland, MA
8 answers

This has been going on for over a month. My son comes into our room around midnight AND 5 am. EVERY NIGHT! It's like clockwork! He's 4 and doesn't seem to know he's doing it. He needs to stay in his room so we can ALL get a good night sleep, but even bribery doesn't get him to stay. Any suggestions? Thank you, H.

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So What Happened?

I wanted to thank everyone for their responses. Even though a baby gate was a good idea, we are trying to have him use the bathroom if he wakes at night. We decided on a similar concept. We are locking our bedroom door and told him if he finds it locked to go back to his room. Well, the first night he stayed in his room and last night I heard him try to come in, then go back to his room. Yeah!!! Thanks again for all the support! H.

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M.M.

answers from Boston on

If he's truly sleepwalking, he won't know he's doing it amd bribery won't work like it does with potty training (take it from someone w/ a history of sleepwalking) --- Talk to his pediatrician; perhaps he could help you find the underlying cause. (In my case, high school graduation, college finals, movingand the like)

Good luck
M. M/
45 year -old mom to a beautiful eegetic 7 year old boy and married to a great guy(BTW I haven't slept walked in about 20 yeaes)

1 mom found this helpful

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A.G.

answers from Boston on

If your son is really sleep walking and not just waking up then I dont think there is anything you can do but guide him back to his room. When my 8 year old starts sleepwalking I walk him to the bathroom then walk him to his bed. Bribery wont work because even though they look like they are awake and can carry on a conversation with you they have no idea what is going on. One night my son walked in the living room and started taking all the cousions off the couch and when I asked him about it the next morning he started laughing because he didnt remember. That might not have helped much but that is my experience with sleepwalking.

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B.V.

answers from Boston on

You've had good advice. My son was sleepwalking at 4 and seems to have stopped at 5. My concern was always that he knew how to unlock and open the door. Be glad he's going to your room. I would just guide him back to bed and eventually he seems to have stopped.
B.

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K.D.

answers from Providence on

is your son remembering he is sleep walking in the morning is he stressing about something ...... i find my kids at that age if they were making some jump in developement that is when thye started to have a disruption in sleep ..... good luck kimd

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S.F.

answers from Boston on

Hi, H. -
My son did the same thing at 4. After a few nights, we closed our bedroom door and Eddie managed to go to his 8 year old sister's room, climb onto the end of her bed, and fall sound asleep without waking her at all! This went on for a little while, but of course he's grown out of it now a big 6 year old. Don't worry! S.

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A.P.

answers from Portland on

I used to sleepwalk growing up too. He should outgrow it eventually. If he's going to bed at the same time every night, then the walking occurring at the same time would make sense as it occurs at specific sleep stages. Stress can trigger sleepwalking, so ask yourself what's going on in his life that might be triggering this.

Just direct him back to his room. You can't reason with and bribe a sleeping person. My mom always told me to go back to bed and apparently I always did.....

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J.H.

answers from Hartford on

My sister used to sleepwalk like that when we were children, and my parents solution to the problem was to take a baby gate, and put it in the doorway to her room. When they put her to bed at night, (while she was still wide awake) they would tell her that if she gets up and saw or bumped into the gate, that that meant she needed to turn around and go back to bed. At first, when she got up in the night, she would go to the gate and then call our mother. Our mother would then go to her room, and escort her back to bed and remind her that the gate meant that it was still night-time, and that she needed to go back to bed. After a few nights, my sister eventually started turning herself around and going back to bed on her own. Eventually, she stopped getting up altogether.

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M.K.

answers from Boston on

Have you tried putting a baby gate on his door?

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