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WHAR CAN WE DO TO KEEP OUR SLEEPWALKING DAUGHTER SAFE?

RESTLESS: Chef Antony Worrall Thompson was a sleepwalker as a child

Tuesday October 28,2008

By Dr Rosemary Leonard

Q Our 10-year-old daughter has had several bouts of sleepwalking recently.

Although she has not come to any harm, it is unnerving and we are not sure what is causing it. What can we do and will she eventually grow out of it?

A Sleepwalking can occur at all ages but it is rare in adults and much more common in children. It happens during deep sleep and though this occurs in cycles throughout the night, sleepwalking is more common in the first part of the night.

During sleepwalking there is slight arousal out of the deep sleep phase, which means the sleepwalker is able to open doors and even carry out more complex actions.

Afterwards, they will have little or no memory of what they have done, even though at the time they may appear to be quite decisive and determined.

Unfortunately the cause of sleepwalking, especially in children, is not known and this makes treatment difficult. In adults it may be linked with stress or extreme tiredness due to sleep deprivation but this does not seem to be the case in children.

It does seem to run in families.

Experts disagree over whether sleepwalkers should be woken or not. Most suggest gently guiding the walker back to bed but if this is difficult then it may be necessary to wake them first.

The most important thing is to make sure the child is safe, which means not letting them sleep in a top bunk, putting a gate at the top of the stairs and locking windows.

Nearly all children grow out of sleepwalking but until then make sure that if she goes to stay with friends, the adults in the house are aware of her condition and know what to do.

** If you have a health question for Dr Rosemary, please write to her, in confidence, at The Northern & Shell Building, 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6EN, or e-mail healthexpress.co.uk

Dr Rosemary’s reply will appear in this column. She regrets she cannot enter into personal correspondence and that, due to the volume of letters, she cannot reply to everyone.