Imagine you’re sitting in the living room, drinking a cup of tea or a glass of wine, enjoying some time to yourself now that your little one is finally in bed. And then, suddenly, a door creaks open somewhere in the house. You hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet along the corridor, and the next thing you know, your little one has wandered into the living room, eyes open, walking here and there, picking things up, and opening the odd cupboard. You try talking to them, telling them that it's late and they need to get back in bed, but they don’t seem to hear you. Making your way over to them, you gently place a hand on their back, and after very little reaction from them, it dawns on you that they don’t seem to hear or see you. They must be sleepwalking!

While sleepwalking can be unsettling to witness, it is actually a very common and normal behaviour in childhood. In fact, around 40% of us will sleepwalk at some point in our childhood years. Sleepwalkers generally won’t remember any of the previous night’s exploits, but the stories will more often than not end in a rather funny story of the sleepy antics your little one got up to!

Sleepwalking usually occurs in the first three hours after having fallen asleep and can last up to 30 minutes. Most children outgrow the habit over time, but you’ll likely be worried about their safety in the meantime. What if they trip and fall, stumble into something, or pick up something dangerous? What if they get up and walk straight out of the house?

There’s plenty that can be done to keep them safe and ease your mind, so let’s take a look at how you can keep your child safe during sleepwalking.

How can I keep my child safe while sleepwalking?

While there isn’t necessarily a way to stop sleepwalking entirely, we’ve come up with seven preventative measures to keep your little one from coming to any harm while sleepwalking.

First of all, make sure your little one isn’t sleeping in a raised bed or a high bunk. Extraordinary as it is, many sleepwalkers can climb stairs and ladders without coming to any harm, but it’s much better to be safe than sorry and have your child sleep on a low bed that’s close to the floor.

Make sure to shut and lock all windows and doors that lead outside before going to bed. If you tend to forget these things, it might be a good idea to write yourself a reminder and stick it on the fridge or your bedside table.

Any potentially toxic solutions, such as cleaning products or medicines, should be locked away or placed well out of your child’s reach during the night. This also goes for dangerous objects, including knives, forks, and long electrical cords.

If you live in a home with a staircase, it’s really important that you install a child safety gate at the top of the stairway to prevent a potentially dangerous tumble.

Although it’s difficult to keep floors and surfaces clutter-free when you’re raising a preschooler, it’s a good idea to remove objects from floors once your child is tucked up in bed, as they present potential tripping hazards.

Given that sleepwalking can be associated with bedwetting, always have your child pop to the bathroom before bed and avoid giving them any excess liquids in the evening.

Placing a bell on your child’s bedroom door is a great way to alert you to their being out of bed. You could also use what’s known as a bed alarm, which sits under their mattress and goes off when they step out of bed. These bed alarms are easily transported, so they will come in handy if they’re staying with relatives or attending a sleepover. If you’re a deep sleeper and neither a bell nor an alarm will wake you, it might be worth installing a child safety gate in the doorway of your child’s bedroom.

If you’ve noticed that your child consistently wakes at the same time each night, try gently waking them 10 to 15 minutes before the time they usually get up. If you suspect that their sleepwalking has something to do with needing to use the toilet, take them to the bathroom before leading them back into bed, where they should quickly fall back to sleep. Otherwise, simply wake them up and give them a quick cuddle before letting them drift off again. Try this routine for a week and then allow them to sleep through and see if it puts a stop to your preschooler's sleepwalking.

Should I wake my preschooler if they are sleepwalking?

While it’s often said that it's dangerous to wake a sleepwalker, there’s actually very little truth to this. However, a sleepwalker will be somewhat disoriented when they wake up and find themselves up and out of bed, so there’s no necessary reason to wake your child if you find them standing in the middle of the living room. Instead, calmly guide them to bed and try to settle them down once again. Of course, if the gentle guidance is proving difficult, you may prefer to softly wake them up.

What should I do about my child’s sleepwalking?

From Unii’s Toddler Sleep Journey, we share what you should do about your child’s sleepwalking.