Yikes!!! Last night while my DH and I were watching a movie, my daughter (5 yrs old) got up to go to the bathroom, I knew she was pretty much asleep, because she came into the LR looking for the bathroom. I helped her find the bathroom, and then tucked her back into bed.

About an hour later, I see her walk past the LR to the front door and try to unlock it to get out! :shock: I jumped up to see what she was doing and when she turned to look at me I could tell that she was asleep and didn't know what was going on. I picked her up and carried her to bed. I said "what are you doing, honey?" She looked at me (through me) and sleepily said "I was just trying to..." and then she was back asleep. I mean SOUND ASLEEP!

I can handle the sleep walking when she is just trying to find the bathroom, but if she is trying to get out the front door in the middle of winter, I get a lot more worried!

My mom said "I am sure you would wake up, God is bigger than sleep walking." And I agree, but do any of you know what causes sleep walking and if there is anything I can do to keep her safe when she does do it?

My middle dd is a sleep walker. We put a safety chain with an alarm on the door as she DID manage to get outside, and did not wake up. Thank God I wasn't asleep yet and heard her. The alarm scared her...but she didn't try it again.

My brother was a sleepwalker when we were young. I don't know that it's anything you can control, just something she'll grow out of.

If you keep the door locked, chances are she won't think of unlocking it if she's sleeping. She'd just try to open it, KWIM? And after a while, give up and turn back around.

My ds is a sleepwalker. One time he wondered outside and got in the car and slept there for a little while :shock: . He also sleeped walked one time and peed in front of the dishwasher :lol: . It is so strange when he does it because his pupils get huge and he cries. It worries me when he does it but PTL it's not very often that he does and I usually hear him crying. Stephanie :D

gabe sleepwalks, but not that much. nothing scary with him yet.

all three of our kids, and dh sleep with their eyes open (and not with the eyeballs all the way rolled back! They only roll half way back and stop) that's is freaky, but another thread :-)

but yeah, they usually outgrow it

that's all I know.

My 6yr old is a sleepwalker too! She has scared me a couple of times by trying to get outside in the middle of the night. One time i heard her and woke as she was walking past my bedroom i followed her and found her at our back door with her nose touching the window :shock: Thankfully she hasn't done it in about 8months.

I still keep saying i'm going to put locks up high on my doors but i still haven't done it yet.

My sister used to walk in her sleep too. Normally when she was stressed about something or we were away from home (like at Grandma's). She also was one for night terrors. She did finally grow out of it.

My grandaddy would walk in his sleep as a child too. I remember the story of one time when he was like seven or so, he got up, light the kerosene latern and took it out to the hayloft in the barn and slept there. I have always been grateful that the barn didn't burn down that night! Kind of makes me wonder if sleepwalking is hereditary. He grew out of it too.

If she is trying to get outside, put a lock high up on the door that she can't reach or use the deadbolt too keep her from wandering outside. And an extra lock is a good safety precaution anyway.

She will more than likely grow out of it. Most kids do.

That is scary! I'm glad you heard her and could see what was happening.

We had a neighbor when I was growing up who sleep walked. One time he walked down his long gravel driveway before he woke up. His parents had to fix a special lock on the door up high from what I remember.

Dd has night terrors which to me are just as stressful as sleep walking.

My sister, who is 15 1/2 years younger than I am, would sleep walk. She usually does it when she extremely tired. We have found that we can not touch her. If we grab her hand or arm etc. she freaks out and will try to punch you. We have to hold our hand out and say, "Brittany take my hand". She usually does and we can take her back to bed. My mom has stopped from pottying in her dresser drawer and the spare bedroom. From what I understand it is hereditary and they will possibly out grow it. Good Luck!

What if you by a door knob with a lock and lock it from the outside. Have it so you could lock it from the outside instead of the inside, kwim?