# Sleepwalking or just stubborn



## strat_guy (Sep 16, 2011)

Wondering if anyone has some suggestions on this issue...

For several years now our 6yr old daughter finds her way in our bed during the night. She only comes to my side and lays right on the edge of the bed along side of me. Though it's really cute and I try not to get mad, it makes for a real bad sleep since I have to wake up to bring her back to her room.

I wonder though if she is doing this consciously or is perhaps sleepwalking. Reason I wonder is that a few times I caught her just as she was laying down and tried to tell her to go back to her room but can't wake her just as if she was already in a deep sleep...

Again it's cute and I know these moments won't last forever but just wondering more on the sleepwalking possibility, a little more worrisome if she starts going towards stairs ect..


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## Sameold (Aug 11, 2011)

Ask your pediatrician/family doctor. He or she can probably tell you exactly how to tell, and refer you to a specialist if need be.


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## WhereAmI (Nov 3, 2010)

It sounds like you have a sleepwalker. All three of my children have done it, with the worst being my oldest. Now that he's 9 the episodes have become much less frequent, but they still happen. When sleepwalking his basic instincts are there, but nothing more. If I talk he'll appear to be listening, but he never comprehends. There was one night my H and I told him to go to his room about 10 times and he kept heading toward my room. After H and I had our laugh we walked him back to his bed. We have fun with it, but I understand it can be frustrating at times. 

That said, you're going to want to take steps to make your home safer for your sleepwalker. Luckily we've always lived in ranch-style houses so stairs weren't never an issue. When his sleep walking was more frequent I'd actually move the couch to slightly block the front door so he couldn't walk out. I know everyone is thinking "fire hazard," but an escaping child was far more likely at the time. The stairs are a tricky issue. Are there any rooms she could use on the ground level?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## strat_guy (Sep 16, 2011)

We are on the main floor but have a basement... she doesn't go towards that area and always defaults to our room so I think she'll be ok on that side. The stairs require going down a long hallway and then through the kitchen but we'll watch to make sure she doesn't change destinations  
This is something that I did as a child too but never climbed in bed with my parents. I would do other things like pee in my closet (gross!!) guess it runs in the family and i'd rather have her come to our bed than peeing in her closet i guess!


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## Sameold (Aug 11, 2011)

If you don't need nighttime access to the basement, put a door on it and lock it, chain it, or something (my parents have that orange plastic construction site fencing across the top of their circular stairs for when we come to visit). What about the exterior doors? Can you add locks or chains she can't reach to those? I suppose it'd be sort of like childproofing for a toddler, but much taller.


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## strat_guy (Sep 16, 2011)

well we don't need access but the cats do  maybe we can put a child gate with some space underneath for the cat to get through... I'm not too concerned about her leaving the house for now we lock all our doors and they need quite a bit of force to unlock, don't think she has the strength to... but we'll keep an eye on her for sure..


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## that_girl (Jul 6, 2011)

My older one did it from ages 2 to 11.

She just recently stopped. THANK GOD. It freaks me out to see a child just standing there--- staring at me. LOL


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## strat_guy (Sep 16, 2011)

that_girl said:


> My older one did it from ages 2 to 11.
> 
> She just recently stopped. THANK GOD. It freaks me out to see a child just standing there--- staring at me. LOL


Yeah you're right eh... worst when you don't hear them coming and you open your eyes and there they are


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