Sleepwalking is a sleep disorder belonging to the family of parasomnias. It is an intermediate state between deep sleep and wakefulness. Seizures generally occur within the first 3 hours after going to bed: the child can get up from his bed, wander around the house with a blurry gaze, make inconsistent remarks… It is estimated that 15% of children between 4 and 12 years old are subject to episodic sleepwalking and 1 to 6% on a regular basis with several episodes per month. Although the exact causes of this disorder have not yet been identified, certain factors seem to favor the onset of seizures. Decryption.

The genetic predisposition would be the predominant factor. In fact, in 80% of sleepwalking children, a family history was observed. The risk of being sleepwalking is therefore 10 times greater if one of the parents presented fits of sleepwalking in childhood. A team of researchers from the University of Geneva has identified the gene causing the disorder. According to the study, carriers of this gene are more likely than others to be affected.

However, almost half of the sleepwalkers observed were not carriers of this gene, so the reason for the disorder was in them of different origin. The hereditary factor nevertheless remains the most common cause.

Since sleepwalking is more common in children than in adults, it is considered that there is a correlation with brain development. The frequency of episodes tends to decrease as the child grows, in 80% of cases the disorder will disappear completely at puberty or adulthood. Only 2-4% of the adult population suffers from sleepwalking. Specialists therefore believe that there are triggers that are linked to the maturation of the brain and the change in sleep rhythms during growth.

Stress and anxiety are also among the factors favoring seizures. Children with this disorder may thus have episodes of sleepwalking during periods of anxiety or following a stressful event.

Not getting enough sleep or waking up frequently during the night can also increase the risk of sleepwalking. Some children will experience sleepwalking episodes following the suppression of naps, a phenomenon that temporarily disrupts the child’s sleep pattern. When the link between stopping naps and the frequencies of sleepwalking attacks has been found, it may be advisable to temporarily restore the nap. This would avoid too deep sleep during the first half of the night, which would promote the onset of seizures.

Other causes can lead to impaired quality of sleep and cause episodes of sleepwalking, including:

• tiga le ulu;
• moe moe;
• restless legs syndrome (RLS);
• certain infectious diseases causing flare-ups of fever;
• certain sedative, stimulant or antihistamine drugs.

A sleepwalking episode can sometimes be triggered by an overly full bladder which fragments the child’s sleep cycle. It is therefore strongly recommended to limit drinks in the evening in children with the disorder.

Other known factors of sleepwalking include:

• children prone to sleepwalking seem to have more seizures in a new or noisy environment, especially when moving or going on vacation;
• intense physical activity at the end of the day also seems disrupt sleep and be at the origin of crises;
• it is also not recommended to expose the child to loud noises or to physical contact during sleep so as not to provoke the awakening of the sleepwalker.

To limit the risks and reduce the number of episodes, it is important to ensure a healthy lifestyle and sleep in children prone to sleepwalking. Here are the main recommendations that reduce the contributing factors:

• set up a stable and predictable daily routine that will promote better quality sleep;
• favor a calm and reassuring family atmosphere, especially at the end of the day;
• (re) introduce a soothing evening ritual (story, relaxing massage, etc.) which will allow the child to release the tensions of the day and promote quality sleep;
• eliminate exciting games and strenuous physical activity at the end of the day;
• ban the use of screens at least 2 hours before bedtime to promote sleep and quality sleep in children;
• fai aMaintaining excess drinks at the end of the day to preserve sleep and avoid waking up;
• for children who have sleepwalking seizures after stopping naps, reintroducing the nap will sometimes help prevent seizures.