My 9 year old daughter "sleep walks" into mine and my husbands bedroom every night. We have tried everything we can think of to keep her in her own room with no luck. For over 2 weeks I would lay in her bed with her until she fell a sleep but within a hour or so after leaving her room she was in our bed. All this did was make me exaused and make her cranky. My husband works long hours and so it is impossible for him to get up and put her back in her room. I need advice from anyone else who has had this problem.
1st off anything new? school neighborhood, anyone sick? die?
If everything is same then put her in her bed say good night and leave don't fall asleep with her.
If she comes into room tell her to go back to her room, just like getting a baby back to sleep.
But I'm thinking something new in her life.
HI H.,
I feel like you are describing my life. My daughter just turned 10 and still sleep walks into my room every night. We have asked the doctor's advice, but nothing is working. Everyone keeps saying it is a phase, yeah right, she is now 10. At the lastest appt. the doctor suggested putting a sleeping bag on the floor and that way when my daughter comes in she will have to get in the sleeping bag, not our bed. We haven't tried it yet, because our bedroom is above the garage and the floor is too cold. I am going to try it in the spring when it gets warmer. I know my sister-in-law did the sleeping bag with her daughter and it worked. It took a few months, but my niece finally said it was more comfortable in her bed then on the floor. At least with the sleeping bag, the kids don't feel like their not wanted or not allowed to come in our room. They still have the security of mom/dad in the room if needed. Just a thought, but like I said, I'm going through the same thing. Hopefully someone will give great advice that we both can use. Good luck :)
We put the child safety door handle on the inside. The ones ment to kept the kids from going outside or into cupboards. It worked pretty good for a while.
A. k
We had the same problem with our daughter, and what finally worked was a water bed for her. I think the warmth of the mattress and the relative difficulty of getting OUT of that bed helped keep her in it. Something to try...
We put a gate up in the doorway of my daughter's bedroom.
Is she really sleep walking? Cause is she is she wouldn't remember coming into your room or anything that she has done. My middle daughter slept walk and she never remembered a thing as I did when I was young and my parents would tell me my trips I took. Not sure if anything in life might affect it or not. My daughter would put the cat in closet shut door or just walk upstairs to me and have a conversation which I had no clue what she was saying. At the time she did this things were good in her life. Sleep walking you can not wake them it is hard to do it. If she is only coming to your room it might be comfort she is seeking and is she awake our sleeping? Doctors may not be able to help but a child phsychologist may. Check into that. My daughter stopped shortly after moving into our house. I stopped sometime after 10 yrs old.
We had to do what one other poster said...put the child safety door lock on the inside. It sounds cruel but it becomes a safety factor. If she is roaming the house in her sleep she WILL eventually get hurt and this is what you want to avoid. True sleep walkers don't even know what they are doing so the door lock should not upset her. If she is awakened and upset, then she is not sleep walking...she is just plain walking into your room and that needs to be handled in a different way.
I can hear what you are saying. we have a 5yr old who does the same thing and we have tried everything. We also are at at loss as to what to do. we have even discussed it with her doctors and still nothing!!!Best of Luck.
Hi Hilly,
Motherhood exhaustion is the pitts and at such a late stage of the game. In infancy you expect it. It must be hellish for your daughter. She must be exhausted all the time and her grades will supper as well as the quality of her life if not treated.
I'm wondering if you may need to have sleep studies done on her if she in fact is sleep walking every night. She may not be getting qulity REM rest.
Has anything changed in her life? New location, school, difficulties at school, with friends...or upsetting to her?
Is she over scheduled with sports, and activities?
All of these things can be remedied.
Talk with her and see if anyting is bothering her.
Have your pediatrician in on the situation and then a follow up with a sleep specialist is in order.
Blessings!
Please get back to me and let me know how it goes.
I care.
Justine
H.:
I know that feeling. My daughter who is 13 now used to do the same thing. My husband and I spoke to her Pediatrician and I think you should do the same. I can say this, my daughter wasn't always "walking in her sleep". She didn't want to stay in her own room becuase like most kids, they like the security and comfort of mom and dad's room. Have you spoken to your daughter about this?
Good luck
I would just keep walking her back in til she knows you mean business. It worked for my 3 year old. Good luck!
Hi H.,
My son does this when he needs some extra hugs and attention. He's 7. I found that if I welcome him with open arms for one or two nights and on the third night, well before bedtimne I would let hime know that if he comes in he'll be sent right back to bed. He just needed the temporary reassurance that he could still be a little kid and cuddle with us and get extra hugs. Hope that helps. H.
