Sleepwalking affects something like 17% of all children. I never experience a sleep walking child until I had my youngest daughter, who started roaming the house a few months ago. 

Sleepwalking is normally not dangerous and there is some proof that shows that people will not do things when they are asleep that they would do when they were awake. Meaning, a 4-year old is not likely to drive the family car while sleepwalking.  

It can be a bit nerve wracking to have a sleep walking child though. My main concern is that she'll head outdoors when she's sleepwalking and since her room is on the other side of the house, she could walk outside without my even waking up.  

Anyway, here are some tips to help you deal if you have a sleep walking child. 

1. Sleepwalkers usually try to do everyday tasks when they get up at night. If your child is trying to do something, reassuring them that it's already been done and gently steering them back to bed may stop them from getting up again the same night. 

2. Lots of sleepwalking episodes in children are caused by a need to go to the bathroom. Your child may relive themself in strange places, so if you find them sleepwalking, try to put them on the toilet before returning them to bed. 

3. Some sleep walking children will answer you, but their answers may not make any sense. It can be amusing, even comical, to talk to a sleepwalker who will talk back, but it's not usually productive. 

4. Make sure that your home is secured. If you have a home alarm system, set it at night so you'll know if a door is opened.  Otherwise, consider adding high locks to doors so that your child can not leave the house. 

5. Make sure your child's room is clean and that walkways through your home are clear so that your child doesn't hurt themself while walking. 

6.  Put away knives and other objects that your child could hurt himself with.

7. Consider keeping a journal of sleepwalking activities. If you find that your child gets up at about the same time very night, you can attempt to wake them up shortly before they would sleepwalk to see if that stops them from getting up. 

8. If sleepwalking is getting in the way of their normal daily activities or you are concerned, you should talk to your pediatrician and consider scheduling a sleep study. 

The good news is that your sleep walking child will likely grow out of it by the time they are fifteen years old or so.  In the meantime, you'll have to be on alert at night!