Author Topic: Can a toddler sleep walk?  (Read 1491 times)

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Offline J&Jsmom

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Can a toddler sleep walk?
« on: June 20, 2006, 21:11:12 pm »
This evening we put our 2.4 year old into bed like usual. He was in his sleeping bag and we didn't hear a peep from him -figured he'd crashed out having had no sleep at nursery today. Well about an hour and a bit later DH and I are sitting downstairs watching TV and we hear this weird noise - like snoring, but it was really loud. So DH thought it was funny but I thought - uh uh, something ain't right. So I started to go up the stairs and got the fright of my life. DS was lying on his tummy at the top of the stairs in his sleeping bag with his head and arms draped over the first step as though he was about to slide down there. He was snoring really loudly.

I picked him up and he started crying but I could tell he was still asleep and I put him back in bed and he continued to cry and fuss, but settled pretty fast. Five mins later I went back to check on him and he was wide awake - or at least his eyes were wide open and he was just staring into space, like right through me. It was freaky.

Now he can climb out of his cot but normally if he was awake and being naughty, he'd take his sleeping bag off because it's easier for him to move. But he didn't. Also, if he was awake and trying to get our attention, why did he just stop at the top of the stairs like that? I'm sure that he would have come downstairs to find us if he was just being mischievous. I'm wondering whether he was sleep walking - in which case how bloody scary. It's time to shut the stair gate again!
Melissa
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Offline 15milner

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Re: Can a toddler sleep walk?
« Reply #1 on: June 20, 2006, 21:29:46 pm »
Melissa

i don't see why a toddler can't sleep walk.  I believe that sleep walking is 'related' to the night terrors and sleep talking family of sleep disturbances.  From what i understand (and anyone else please correct me), such incidents, especially the night terrors are most likely to happen within the first few hours of going to sleep rather than the middle / end of the night.  It's something to do with the sleep cycles and getting 'stuck' between them.  Matthew suffered from the night terror type disturbances - they've gone for now, he had no idea what was happening.  Its certainly very scary for us.

As you say - time for the stairgate.  Also, from your other posts J sounds like a very determined toddler and i agree, if he was doing it on purpose, he would have undone the sleeping bag and come downstairs.

Alex

Offline tylersmommy

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Re: Can a toddler sleep walk?
« Reply #2 on: June 20, 2006, 22:38:13 pm »
I'm pretty sure that toddlers can sleep walk, and we've seen the beginnings of it in Tyler. I've heard shuffling around in his room at night and gone in to find him completely asleep, torso bent over laying on the bed, feet on the floor walking in place...not climbing as if he's trying to get back in bed, just marching in place. I watched him for a few minutes and he just stopped and stayed asleep, half on the bed, half off. Weird.

For that reason, we keep his bedroom door closed when he sleeps. He doesn't know how to open doors yet, and when he figures it out, we'll probably put a gate up.
Melissa
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Offline Paulsmama

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Re: Can a toddler sleep walk?
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2006, 01:20:36 am »
I've been told by my mother that I used to sleepwalk as a toddler.  A few months after they moved me to a bed (around 2 1/2?) some nights they would find me in the hall wandering around muttering "oh dear oh dear" with my eyes open but not being really awake.  Luckily there were no stairs in the house.  They would direct me back to my bed.  Apparently I just grew out of it, but my mom couldn't remember how long it went on.  Good luck.
Cynthia

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