Sleep Walker

[True Believer]

One problem solved, another one pops up.....

 

A mom of a newly bridged Scout has informed me that his son sleep walks. She would like to know what we will do to protect her son during our overnight camp in two weeks. Of course it is near a lake.

 

She says in Cub Scouts, her husband used to pitch his tent by the opening of the son's tent, so if he got out, the dad would stop him. She suggests one of three new boys shares the tent with him at our overnight.

 

I've got to think that with a tent zipper closed, another scout in the tent, this would eleviate the problem. Of course, I am still uncomfortable. I don't want to require a parent present, nor to require the old tent pitching arrangement.

 

What say you?

[eagle90]

I would insist the parent accompany the troop on the campouts until you can assess the situatio and see how bad ir is. It is not fair to put the burden of chaperoning this scout on other boys.

[OldGreyEagle]

It sounds like a very conscientious plan and I think its great you are looing out for this scout and his scouting experience. Lets say you do everything you mention and the kid ends up drowing because his tent mates were too tired to notice him leaving?

 

If the parents raise this as a concern, I would expect a parent to be present and help you assess the situation. How often did the youth get up at night? How often was the father awaken? I can see working with the family, but the family has to work with you as well. Having a noctambulist in the troop can be fun, but only with appropriate controls

[scoutldr]

Tie a string to his big toe and tie the other end to the big toe of his tentmate. Or tie a string of tin cans across the entrance to his tent.

 

Just kidding. The safety of the scout is paramount. If you're not comfortable that you can ensure safety, then the parent needs to accompany and be responsible. Short of setting up a watch schedule of adults all night long, I don't have any suggestions.

[Stosh]

Tie a bell to the zipper of the tent. It's not as hard as everyone is making it out to be. Put the tent next to any responsible scout/scouter and that should solve the problem. I've had sleepwalkers and some of them are quite good at it. I had one run screaming through the woods as fast as he could. I hit every tree in the woods trying to catch him, how he missed every tree is beyond me.

 

At home I can sleep through thunder storms, but on camp outings, I awake whenever anyone opens a tent zipper without or without bells.

 

Just remember that sleepwalkers can be very lucid and can carry on a normal conversation with you as if they are awake. However, they can't remember a bit of the situation the next morning. Get with the parents and find out how they deal with their boy. They will have plenty of suggestions for you. Good luck.

 

Stosh

 

 

[packsaddle]

My wife thinks I sleep walk through every serious convesation we have. (Vicki, you out there?)

But I like the alarm idea of putting bells on the zipper or something along those lines.

It actually reminds me of a song, "...rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, and a bone through her nose, ho, ho." Or something like that. I did like Ray Stevens.

 

We've never encountered this problem. Nevertheless I am a very light sleeper and at least with my children, I was able to wake at every slightest stirring all the way until they left for college (which helps explain sleepwalking now through serious conversations with my wife).

[shortridge]

"She would like to know what we will do to protect her son during our overnight camp in two weeks."

 

Flip it back on her. What do they do at home to keep the boy from walking out the front door in the middle of the night? What does his doctor recommend?

 

You shouldn't have to jury-rig a system. And you shouldn't place the entire responsibility for this boy's well-being on other Scouts or leaders who aren't experienced in dealing with sleepwalking. Requiring one of his parents to come along at least for the first few campouts seems a very logical compromise.(This message has been edited by shortridge)

[Gunny2862]

Yes, conversation and common sense should prevail.

 

How deeply/how often does he sleep walk? Can he untie a knot in his "sleepwalking" state.

Is there existing medical intervention?

What do they do at home? Hey, no lake but there are stoves, knives, candles, matches etc...

 

Parental supervision for at least a few campouts (until you can evaluate) doesn't seem out of line. And IMHO, should be a requirement.

(Edit)Oh, and I personally would NOT want to rely on my waking every time a Scout woke up and went to (do whatever) in the middle of the night - I WORK all day when the Scouts are up - I SLEEP once they hit the tents. I wake up quick if the come for me but otherwise I'm OUT.

Putting it on the Adult Leaders to pull a Firewatch(we put our fires out overnight) of that type is just wrong - if it's really necessary the Parent needs to come along.(This message has been edited by Gunny2862)

[Basementdweller]

Require the parent to accompany.

 

Her son puts an unfair burden on the rest of the adults attending. I would never ask parents to rotate shifts to watch the boy sleep.

 

The needs of the one out way the needs of the many. as spock would say. Nope.

[Nike]

I agree that a parent needs to come along and be responsible for this. Treat this like any other serious medical condition which might need immediate intervention.

[Twocubdad]

Two questions (not rhetorical, I'm really asking):

 

Those of you who recommend an evaluation period, what would you do to evaluate the situation? Assuming the situation is intermittent, do you assume after two or three uneventful campouts all is well?

 

How do you implement the patrol system with a parent bird-dogging one of the Scouts? It's a fight to keep the parents of "normal" boys out of their campsites. How does having this dad in the campsite effect the program for the other Scouts?

[True Believer]

I spoke to the parent and they were completely helpful. Dad will be coming with us to our overnight events, at least until we get a handle on how the son will react to our programs via his sleep walking.

Turns out, the more excitement he has during the day, the more likely he is to sleep walk. We have a "stand up" parent here.....very good news.

Thanks everyone.

[True Believer]

I spoke to the parent and they were completely helpful. Dad will be coming with us to our overnight events, at least until we get a handle on how the son will react to our programs via his sleep walking.

Turns out, the more excitement he has during the day, the more likely he is to sleep walk. We have a "stand up" parent here.....very good news.

Thanks everyone.