Sleepwalking is usually harmless and most children grow out of it, so the main job at home is keeping the sleepwalker safe, not “curing” it. Make the house safe, gently guide them back to bed instead of shaking them awake, fix any sleep shortage, and see a doctor if there’s an injury, frequent episodes, violent behaviour, snoring with pauses in breathing, or if it starts in adulthood.
No herbal tea, essential oil or tonic has been shown to stop sleepwalking. What helps is boring but effective: enough sleep, a steady routine and a safe room.
What sleepwalking actually is
Sleepwalking (the medical name is somnambulism) is a type of parasomnia, an unusual behaviour that happens during sleep. It comes from deep non-REM (NREM) sleep, not from the dreaming stage. The brain partly wakes: enough to sit up, walk or open a door, but not enough to think clearly or remember it. A StatPearls review on NCBI describes it as walking and other actions during brief, incomplete arousals from deep slow-wave sleep, usually in the first third of the night.
So if your child goes to bed at 9.30 pm, an episode is most likely somewhere between 10.30 pm and 1 am. According to the NHS, a sleepwalker usually has their eyes open with a blank look, can’t respond normally, and the episode lasts a few minutes. They may walk around, open doors or mumble, and less often eat, get dressed or try to leave the house. They often go back to bed on their own and don’t remember it next morning.
How common is it in children and adults?
It’s much more common in children. Cleveland Clinic puts it at about 5% to 15% of children in a given year, most often between ages 4 and 8, compared with 1% to 1.5% of adults. About 7% of people sleepwalk at least once in their life.
It runs in families. The same Cleveland Clinic page notes that a child with one parent who sleepwalked has about a 47% chance of doing it, rising to 62% if both parents did. The NHS says most children grow out of it without treatment by their teenage years.
What triggers an episode?
Nobody knows exactly why some people sleepwalk, but certain things make episodes more likely in people who are already prone to it. The NHS and Cleveland Clinic list these:
- Not enough sleep. Late nights, exams, travel, or a shifted bedtime during school holidays and festivals.
- Fever or illness. A child with a high temperature may sleepwalk even if they rarely do otherwise.
- Stress and anxiety. A new school, family tension or a frightening event.
- Alcohol, especially in the evening.
- Other sleep problems that break up deep sleep, such as obstructive sleep apnoea or restless legs syndrome.
- A full bladder or sudden noise during the night.
- Certain medicines (see below).
Sleeping pills and other medicines
The sleeping pill zolpidem is the best-known culprit. In 2019 the US Food and Drug Administration added its strongest warning, a boxed warning, to zolpidem, zaleplon and eszopiclone after rare but serious injuries and some deaths from sleepwalking, sleep driving and other activities done while not fully awake. The FDA’s advice: stop the medicine and contact your doctor if you find you’ve done things while not fully awake.
A 2023 review in Diagnostics adds that almost any psychiatric medicine, including some antidepressants and antipsychotics, can bring on episodes if started around the time symptoms begin. Cleveland Clinic also names quetiapine and the blood pressure drug metoprolol. If episodes began after a new prescription, tell your doctor, but don’t stop other medicines on your own.
Make the home safe tonight
The real risk of sleepwalking is injury: falling down stairs, walking into glass, or leaving the house. A few changes cut that risk a lot. This checklist builds on the NHS and Cleveland Clinic safety advice, adapted for Indian homes.
| Where | What to do |
|---|---|
| Doors and windows | Lock the main door and balcony doors at night. Keep windows closed or fit window grills or locks, especially on upper floors. |
| Stairs | Fit a gate at the top of the stairs for a child. Keep stairs and landings free of shoes, toys and bags. |
| Bed | No top bunk for a child who sleepwalks. If possible, let them sleep in a ground-floor room. |
| Floor | Clear clutter, loose wires and low furniture from the path between the bed, bathroom and door. |
| Sharp and dangerous things | Lock away knives, tools, car and scooter keys, and medicines. Turn off the gas cylinder knob at night. |
| Glass | Move glass lamps and decorative glass away from walking routes. |
| Alerts | Hang a bell on the bedroom door, or use a door alarm or motion sensor so someone wakes when the sleepwalker gets up. |
What to do when you see someone sleepwalking
Don’t grab, shake or shout. Waking a sleepwalker isn’t dangerous in itself, but a sudden waking leaves them confused and frightened, and occasionally they lash out. The 2023 Diagnostics review notes that trying to interact with or wake the person can prolong the episode or provoke a violent reaction.
- Stay calm and speak softly, using short phrases like “Come, let’s go back to bed.”
- Gently steer them by the arm or shoulder towards their bed.
- Remove anything in the way.
- If you have to wake them (for example, they’re heading out of the front door), do it gently and expect some confusion.
- Don’t tease or scold them next morning. They didn’t choose it and won’t remember it.
Scheduled awakenings: what the evidence says
If a child sleepwalks at around the same time most nights, a technique called scheduled (anticipatory) awakening may help. You note when episodes usually happen for a week or two, then gently wake the child about 15 to 30 minutes before that time each night, let them get fully awake for a few minutes, and let them go back to sleep. Cleveland Clinic describes it as waking the person 15 to 30 minutes before an episode would usually start.
The evidence is real but small. A 1997 study in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology used it with three children who sleepwalked persistently: it stopped the sleepwalking in all three, and the effect lasted at 3 and 6 months. A 2023 systematic review in Sleep Medicine of behavioural treatments for NREM parasomnias found 72 publications, mostly case reports and case series. It concluded that some evidence supports scheduled awakenings, sleep hygiene, multicomponent CBT and hypnosis, but that the studies are small and mostly uncontrolled.
It’s worth trying for a child with frequent, predictable episodes, ideally after talking to a paediatrician.
A sleep routine that lowers the odds
Because being short of sleep is the most common trigger, the simplest fix is more and steadier sleep. The NHS suggests a regular routine, winding down before bed, consistent bed and wake times, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol in the evening.
- Pick a fixed bedtime and wake time and keep them on weekends too, within about an hour.
- Move a child’s bedtime earlier by 15 to 30 minutes if they’re often tired or cranky in the day.
- Ask them to use the toilet just before lights off, so a full bladder doesn’t partly wake them.
- No tea, coffee or cola after late afternoon. Adults: skip alcohol on nights you’re prone to episodes.
- Keep a simple sleep diary for 2 to 3 weeks: bedtime, time of any episode, illness, stress, caffeine or alcohol. It often shows the trigger, and it’s useful to take to a doctor.
For more on routines, see our guide on 5 tips to improve your sleep quality and how to sleep better.
Treatment, if it’s needed
Most people need no treatment. When it is needed, the doctor first treats what’s driving it: sleep apnoea, a medicine that can be changed, or ongoing stress. The NHS says a sleep clinic may offer cognitive behavioural therapy or hypnotherapy, and medicines such as clonazepam are considered only if other approaches haven’t worked. Cleveland Clinic notes no drug is specifically approved for sleepwalking.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor (a paediatrician for a child, or a physician, neurologist or sleep specialist for an adult) if:
- the sleepwalker has been injured, or has come close to it (near the stairs, balcony, road or a window)
- episodes happen often, such as several times a week, or several times in one night
- sleepwalking starts in adulthood with no childhood history
- there is violent or aggressive behaviour during episodes
- there is loud snoring, gasping or pauses in breathing, or heavy daytime sleepiness, which can point to sleep apnoea (read about sleep apnoea)
- episodes look the same every time (stiff or jerking movements, odd postures), are very short, or happen at any hour of the night, which raises the question of night-time seizures
- the person seems to act out dreams in the second half of the night, which is more typical of a different condition, REM sleep behaviour disorder
- it began after starting a new medicine
- it’s causing stress or exhaustion in the family
The 2023 Diagnostics review lists adult onset, stereotyped movements, high frequency and episodes at any time of night as reasons for an overnight sleep study with video. A short phone video of an episode helps the doctor more than a description.
Call 112 if a sleepwalker is badly hurt, has a fit that doesn’t stop, or can’t be woken normally afterwards. If stress or anxiety seems to be behind it, Tele-MANAS (14416) offers free mental health support in India.
Frequently asked questions
Is it dangerous to wake a sleepwalker?
No, it won’t harm them, but they’ll be confused and may get upset or lash out. It’s better to guide them back to bed quietly and wake them gently only if you need to.
Will my child grow out of sleepwalking?
Most do. The NHS says most children stop without treatment by their teenage years. Keep the house safe in the meantime and see a doctor if any red flags above appear.
Are there natural remedies or oils that stop sleepwalking?
None has good evidence. Lavender oil, herbal drinks or “brain tonics” haven’t been shown to prevent episodes. Steady sleep, managing stress, and scheduled awakenings for predictable episodes are the approaches with some evidence.
Can adults start sleepwalking suddenly?
Yes. Common causes are sleep loss, alcohol, stress, sleep apnoea or a new medicine such as zolpidem. New sleepwalking in an adult should be checked by a doctor.
This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from a doctor. If you have symptoms or a health condition, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
