After Portland 3-year-old is found wandering at night, 8 tips to keep toddlers safe

Updated: 4:31 p.m.

After a 3-year-old girl escaped from her grandparent’s home in Portland this week and wandered for 14 blocks in the middle of the night, parents might be concerned that something similar could happen to their toddler.

Portland Police did not say what led to the girl’s escape through an unlatched window, whether the girl was conscious and awake when she left the Northeast Portland home or whether she was sleepwalking. But Dr. Joshua Ramseyer, a neurologist and sleep specialist at Providence in Portland, said Thursday that sleepwalking was common in toddlers.

Girl, 3, found wandering alone in NE Portland

The girl, wearing yellow and pink pajamas, was found by a resident near Northeast Prescott Street and 28th Avenue around 4:15 a.m. The resident didn’t recognize her, wasn’t able to get her name or where she lives, according to police.

When anyone sleepwalks, he said, part of the brain remains asleep, but part of the brain, he said, “the part of the brain that’s responsible for ambulation,” is wide awake.

While this can sometimes lead to comical mishaps, Ramseyer said, it can also be dangerous. For one thing, he said, the part of the brain that feels pain may not be conscious during episodes of sleepwalking.

That means a sleepwalker could hurt themselves and “they might not be aware of the injury until they wake up hours later,” he said.

“We definitely encourage parents to have basic safety precautions in place,” said Dr. Elizabeth Super, an associate professor of pediatrics and sleep medicine at Doernbecher OHSU, regardless of whether a child has a history of sleepwalking or not.

It’s also important to note that kids can wander off even when they aren’t asleep.

“Kids are curious by nature, so it’s not uncommon for them -- especially at a young age -- to unintentionally depart from parents or caregivers in order to satisfy their curiosity,” Super said.

Here are 8 tips to protect your toddler at night when they aren’t directly under your supervision.

1. Make sure they get enough sleep.

“Sleep deprivation can increase the risk of parasomnias,” which include sleepwalking and night terrors, said Super.

Making sure your child is getting adequate sleep, no matter what their age, is crucial for many reasons, she said, but this is one of them.

For a 3-year-old, Super said, they need between 11 and 13 hours, including a nap.

“That brain is growing and they need a lot of sleep,” she said. “Every toddler is a little bit different, but that would be a good goal.”

Check the American Academy of Pediatrics’s list of recommended hours of sleep per 24 hours by age to see what is appropriate for your child.

2. Put locks out of reach on front and back doors.

“Having locks on a door higher than a toddler can reach or reach with a chair can be helpful,” said Kristina Jones, a spokesperson for the Portland Police Bureau.

3. Put child locks on windows.

Even though toddlers are small, they can still break out of windows.

“There’s unfortunately a very high risk for toddlers to fall out of windows,” Super said.

Putting child locks on windows can combat this, she said.

4. Secure any firearms.

“I always ask if there’s any guns in the house,” Ramseyer said. “If there are guns in the house, I want to make sure they are unloaded and locked away.”

5. Put bells on children’s bedroom doors.

Both Ramseyer and Super suggest putting bells on doors as a way to alert parents to escaping youngsters.

Ramseyer added that there are even bed alarms available on the market for people who are extra concerned about children leaving at night.

6. Be aware of risks inside and outside of your home.

Super said to make sure things like knives and other kitchen implements were secured and out of reach of a toddler. If a child has a history of sleepwalking, don’t put them on the top bunk.

She also said a big risk is water -- a pool and even a baby pool can be dangerous to an unaccompanied toddler.

“In the cooler months,” Super added, “we do worry about hypothermia if they are going outside.”

Locks on doors that keep children inside and out of the way of these hazards -- though if you have a pool, you should make sure that is secured any time it isn’t being used.

7. If sleepwalking is a frequent occurrence, talk to your doctor.

“If this is happening routinely or parents are worried,” Super said, “they should definitely talk to their pediatrician.”

While sleepwalking itself is harmless, it could be an indication of something else going on, Super said.

Sometimes, said Ramseyer, sleepwalking can be treated with medication.

8. If your child is missing, call 9-1-1.

“Most importantly,” said Jones, “as soon as the child is determined to be missing, call 9-1-1. Time is of the essence and it is critical for us to be involved as soon as possible.”