Sleepwalking
Many parents are worried and frightened when they discover that your child gets up and goes home at night, while asleep. This is a problem which is talked about much, but unfamiliar. Should clarify what it is, what dangers involved and how to treat.
1. What is sleepwalking?
It consists in getting out of bed and go sleep in the house, sometimes with eyes open.
There is no intention in the movement and the child does not know what you’re doing, you can get to do routine tasks such as washing hands, eating, etc.. but unconsciously.
The sleepwalker nor dreams, but is asleep.
Sleepwalking is not dangerous in itself, what happens is that in some cases may be harmful during walks around the house.
Like night terrors, when the child wakes up, have no recollection of what happened.
Regarding the incidence of this disorder is estimated that about 15% of children have been sleepwalking ever and that most exceeds the reach adulthood. The age at which most frequently occurs is between 13 and 15. Sleepwalking tends to affect men and women equally.
2. Causes
The causes that can lead to this problem, although being discussed include:
- Some studies suggest a central nervous system immaturity, which disappears with time.
- Heredity : Most sleepwalkers have close relatives who are also, between identical twins and the probability that both suffer from the disorder is very high.
- Stress: in periods of stress in adult sleepwalkers, the disorder usually appear more frequently.
3. What to do?
Does not require medical treatment unless the episodes are very frequent, sleep will remove the child and affect the performance during the day.
1. In any case, there are a number of recommendations, especially to prevent the child gets hurt or injured:
- Avoid touching the subject and especially not to wake him, unless there is a real danger to himself and falling down stairs or out a window. If he feels that caught sleepwalking or touched, can have aggressive behavior.
- During the episode remain a mere observer, until the end and go to bed, watching potential accidents and hazards.
- Take steps to safety in the home, blocking exits, closing the front door with the key, take care that all windows are closed tightly and locked. This is not to say that we should lock the child in her bedroom, would be a mistake to do so.
- Try to redirect to bed.
2. Psychological Treatment:
- Strengthen the child when they pass days without sleep adjournment.
- Teach the child to be displayed during a sleepwalking episode, asking her to imagine waking up in the same time trying to get out of bed.
3. Drug treatment : The drugs used are benzodiazepines.