Sleepwalking

Can you put up baby gates in the kitchen entrance or elsewhere other than her bedroom? We had to do that for a while here because of shared rooms.

Our neighbors had a son that sleepwalked and he would walk right out the front door. They bought a little alarm that sells for about $5 that attaches to each side of the door so that when the door is opened this really high-pitched alarm goes off. It has a on/off switch for when they don't need it.

Your best bet is to put up a baby gate. I know you don't want to do this, but my daughter fell down the stairs while sleepwalking and so did I as a child. Keep her safe and put up a gate. The inconvenience is much better than a serious accident.

I have no experience with sleepwalking, but ask her in the morning if she remembers it. Even if she says no, "program" her before she goes to sleep at night. Tell her if she needs you, or is having a dream to come straight to your bed, which is right through the kitchen, no turns (or whatever). At least her subconscious will stop roaming around the house because she has instructions. Also, everything I've read indicates that this normal behavior and doesn't mean she is totally stressed, or weirding out.
Best Wishes!
K.

M.,
I can't give any advice on the sleepwalking, but I can hopefully help you on the staying at home all day and being driven crazy. If you are interested, go to daytonfamilynetwork.com. This is a great group, it has been a tremendous help to me as a SAHM.

God Bless
J. F.

I haven't dealt with this problem yet, but you may want to put one of the child-resistant covers on the inside handle of her door so she can't get out at night. Maybe if she can't get out she will just either lay down on the floor or go back to bed. You could try it a few nights and see if she wakes up and calls for you or just goes back to bed. It's worth a shot, and the door covers are really cheap. Good luck. Hopefully she will outgrow it!