Is this sleep walking or something else?

[sbgrace]

My son has had sleep talking for quite a long time. He calls out in the night but is absolutely asleep or very disoriented if you respond. He has had sleep terrors as well. There is sleep walking on both sides of the family.

 

Lately, after he calls out, he sometimes comes out of his room and wanders down the hall. I have been up and will lead him back to bed. He is clearly disoriented (ie tonight I asked why he came out of bed and he didn't seem to remember he did, then later gave me a reason that didn't make sense at all). But he can talk to me. I told him to sit up tonight after he got back in bed, and he did sit up. Last night I told him to go to the bathroom. He said ok, went the right direction, but passed the room and then looked confused. So he's "with it" but not completely. It's weird.

 

Would a sleep walker be able to respond to a question, even in a way that didn't really make sense? Would they be able to follow a command? Am I waking him out of it somehow?

 

I'm concerned he will do this while I'm asleep and fall down our stairs.

[Jean in Newcastle]

That is how I was as a sleepwalker and how my kids are as sleepwalkers. Both night terrors and sleepwalking are disturbances in brain wave patterns during sleep.

[twoxcell]

Yep that is sleep walking.

[AngieW in Texas]

Yes. You have a sleepwalker. Be aware that you might need to take some extra precautions. My oldest was a sleepwalker and tried to leave the house during the night on several occasions. From what she was saying, it sounded like her dragon wanted her to go outside and play near the fruit trees so she could find some bugs to eat (I only got my dd's side of the conversation of course). I had to put flip latches at the top of the two doors to outside to make sure that she didn't unlock the doors and go out. She did stop sleepwalking after a few years.