Sleepwalking? Really?

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"Sleepwalkers have been known to commit unprovoked violence
and in some legal cases sleepwalking has been used as a defense
in criminal trials. One textbook recommends against trying to wake sleepwalkers
by "grabbing, shaking, or shouting," because "in their confused state, sleepwalkers
may think they are being attacked and may react violently to defend themselves."
It is safest to gently lead a sleepwalker back to bed."
- Peter Breggin, author of Medication Madness
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OK, first and foremost, the photo and quote are a bit dramatic, but I'm all about dramatic effect.  Over winter break, I took a few days off work to have some family time.  It was so much fun, with one drawback...sleepwalking by Madison.  I woke up one night and it reminded me of the above part in the movie Paranormal Activity.  Madison was standing beside the bed just staring at me.  I know I audibly gasped as it scared me half to death.  I asked her, "Madison, what do you need?"  There was no response, just a turn back to her room to go to bed.  Except...

...she didn't go back to bed.  She wandered down our hallway with me behind trying to stop her and get her back to bed.  Finally, I wrangled her back to her room and into bed with her grunting at me.  OK, back to sleep.  WRONG!

At 1:15 am, I woke to the sound of the bathroom door shutting.  One thing you learn in our house is that Madison NEVER shuts the door.  I got up to check on her and she was coming out of the bathroom and headed for the kitchen.  I asked her, "Madison, what do you need?"  After some grunting she said, "I don't know mom."  Once again, I corralled her back to her room and into bed.  Sound asleep again.  Until...

...1:45 am, I heard her feet hit her bedroom floor.  Isn't it amazing that as a mother you can be sound asleep yet then wide awake the minute your child so much as blinks?  I heard her little feet cross the floor, down the hallway and burst into her sister's room in a matter of seconds.  After following her about our house on three separate occasions, I shook Aaron and said, "Aaron, she's up again."  I was met with yet more grunting.  Once I got to Malea's room, I found her just standing by the crib, staring at Malea.  Again, another trip back to her room and into bed, this time hopefully for good. 

When I got back, Aaron hadn't moved an inch and just said, "What was that all about?"   

"Nothing dear, go back to sleep."  If he only knew! 

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