Childhood somnambulism, sleepwalking patient in pediatric clinic

Abstract

Somnambulism (sleepwalking) is a slow wave sleep (N3) parasomnia experienced by a large number of pediatric patients. Along with sleep terrors and confusional arousals, it belongs to the arousal parasomnia spectrum. Sleepwalking is a fairly common mild parasomnia in children and adolescents with a tendency to subside into adulthood (2-5% of adults sleepwalk). However in some cases it can lead to complications such as injury to self or others, aggression, property damage etc. Genetically predisposed individuals tend to experience somnambulistic episodes when exposed to triggering factors (e.g. sleep deprivation, noise, fever, some medications). Awareness of the problem without proper knowledge may have a negative impact on one’s mental condition, peer relations and family stress level. This article aims to introduce this topic to general practitioners in pediatric clinics.