What causes sleepwalking in children?
The vast majority of cases in children seem to have genetic basis. For example, if one parent is affected by sleepwalking, the chances are 45 percent that one of the children will also be affected by sleepwalking. If both parents sleepwalk, then there is a 60 percent probability that one of the children will also sleepwalk. Sleep walking in children is considered a relatively common developmental phenomenon. What causes sleepwalking in adults? In adulthood, in addition to genetics, various conditions can predispose someone to sleepwalking, such as hyperthyroidism, migraine headaches, head injury and encephalitis. Obstructive sleep apnea, which is increasingly common because of the obesity epidemic in our country, is also a risk factor for sleepwalking.
