Eerie Sleep Talking...

amother

Fri, Feb 20 2015, 10:57 am

DD has always been, well, the opposite of a quiet sleeper. When she was 2-3, she had night terrors, she would scream, tantrum and cry in her sleep and she couldn't even be soothed because she wouldn't hear me.

That passed, then she started calling out really loudly, just talking, it was mostly jumbled, one or two clear words. Like "no!" or "me!"

Now, at age 4-5, she has started sleep walking! Kinda. She seems to be half-asleep, and when I tell her to go back to bed she usually does. BUT she also does something really weird that I was wondering how common it is. I call it "sleep tasks" for lack of anything better to call it.

Basically, she'll tell me to do something, like she'll say "mommy! mommy! hang it up! hang it up on my wall!" and she will be unresponsive to me if I shush her, but if I say "OK sweetie, I'll hang it on the wall" she goes right back to sleep! Sometimes her eyes are closed, sometimes they're open.

Yesterday she walked to my room at 12 a.m., her hands outstretched, and said "mommy, it's heavy! Take it! take it!" so I said "Ok sweetie I got it, now go back to sleep" and she turned around and went back to bed.

Lol!! What is this? How common is this? And what will be next in this grand sleep adventure????

Going amother for DD's privacy.

sheep

Fri, Feb 20 2015, 11:19 am

I'd get the child evaluated by a child psychologist. This sounds serious.

Could she be experiencing abuse at day care? I was a sleep talker but it was due to bullying in school and went away when I started therapy.

mommyla

Fri, Feb 20 2015, 11:56 am

I was a sleep walker and talker (still talk in my sleep occasionally when I'm really tired) and it's not due to any trauma. It sounds like you're handling it fine, and she's not saying anything disturbing or alarming. Some people just sleep talk!

seeker

Fri, Feb 20 2015, 12:20 pm

I'd be a little concerned about the sleepwalking, but the talking alone has happened to my kids and never worried me. I do the same thing as you - "yes, sweetie, I'll tape it for you right away" "ok I'm going to find the bear book for you" and then chuckle inwardly as they sniffle ok and return to deep sleep. I think it's just a very realistic dream and generally seems directly related to what goes on in their normal days (find a book, fix a toy, etc) both my kids have gone through this.

amother

Fri, Feb 20 2015, 12:48 pm

Thanks everyone! It's so spooky when she holds out an empty hand with her eyes closed and asks me to take something...I also laugh inwardly seeker, just figured I'd check to make sure it's normal, so thanks for telling me your kids do it too!

srbmom

Fri, Feb 20 2015, 2:22 pm

My DS is a huge sleepwalker/talker. We took him to a sleep clinic because we were so nervous but they said it is completely normal! As long as he is not doing anything to put himself in danger (I.e. walking out of the house) they said not to worry about it.
They also told me to never try to wake him up and just walk him back to his bed quietly without talking to him.

PAMOM

Fri, Feb 20 2015, 5:47 pm

I used to sleepwalk. My dd briefly sleep talked. The talking was definitely a continuation of something from the day but shifted into a different context. If everything else seems ok , I'd continue handling things just as you are.

FranticFrummie

Fri, Feb 20 2015, 6:04 pm

DD totally does this all the time! I'm not worried at all. I'll bet someone in your family does this, too.

DD's birth mom sleep walks and talks, and so does DD's younger half brother. Birth mom taught little brother how to do sign language as a toddler, and he would sign in his sleep. Now that he talks more, he's switched to half signing and half talking. Birth mom once got up in the middle of the night and made over a dozen grilled cheese sandwiches. Guess what her husband ended up eating for lunch for the rest of the week! LOL

Some people just have really busy "night brains". I got DD a weighted blanket, and it helps her sleep more deeply. Since we got it her sleep walking has been down by about 85%.

MagentaYenta

Fri, Feb 20 2015, 7:29 pm

My DD was a sleep walker and talker. She grew out of it a 4 or 5. I think that children don't understand how to wake up from lucid dreaming. If you do have kids that sleep walk be sure you have baby gates on stairways etc.

amother

Sat, Feb 21 2015, 7:22 pm

Op here. Thanks everyone for the reassurance! I know that sleep talking and walking are normal, but I always though that sleep talkers are asleep, and will not respond. But my DD is clearly asleep but can clearly hear me, because she only calms down once I agree to take the invisible object or kiss the invisible booboo and it's kind of spooky!

I'm not super worried I just wanted to confirm that this happens to other kids too. Smile