Qualidade das evidências 4.0/5
Pontuação de revisão em oito dimensões segundo a grelha de qualidade . Cada dimensão pontuada de 1 a 5.
- D1 Ancoragem nas fontes
- 4/5
- D2 Autoridade das fontes
- 4/5
- D3 Aritmética
- 5/5
- D4 Incerteza
- 4/5
- D5 Âmbito
- 4/5
- D6 Prosa
- 4/5
- D7 Honestidade sobre a perceção
- 4/5
- D8 Completude das ressalvas
- 3/5
O sonambulismo infantil é comum a ponto de quase não ser considerado incomum. Em uma coorte prospectiva de Quebec com 1.940 crianças acompanhadas desde a primeira infância, cerca de 29% tiveram pelo menos um episódio entre os 2½ e os 13 anos (número informado no comunicado de imprensa da revista), e a parcela com sonambulismo em um único ano chegou ao pico de 13,4% aos 10 anos (Petit et al. 2015). Uma meta-análise que reúne 51 estudos coloca o número de 12 meses em 5,0% para crianças, contra 1,5% para adultos (Stallman e Kohler 2016); a diferença entre as duas fontes pode refletir, ao menos em parte, diferenças na forma de fazer a pergunta. O que ninguém mediu é o número de que a pergunta desta página realmente trata: com que frequência uma criança sonâmbula se machuca. Nenhum estudo encontrado relata lesões por criança sonâmbula ou por episódio, e por isso nenhuma probabilidade é publicada aqui.
O que mais se aproxima de dados vem de adultos e adolescentes mais velhos. Um pronto-socorro de Berna vasculhou cerca de 620.000 atendimentos ao longo de uns 15 anos e encontrou 11 lesões relacionadas ao sonambulismo; quedas foram o principal mecanismo, quatro pacientes foram internados e ninguém morreu (Sauter et al. 2016). Isso dá cerca de um a cada 56.000 atendimentos, o que soa tranquilizador, mas não é uma taxa por sonâmbulo: o serviço não atende ninguém com menos de 16 anos, não sabe quantos sonâmbulos vivem na sua área e só encontra os casos em que alguém escreveu “sonambulismo” no prontuário. O medo em si é feito de poucas imagens vívidas (o alto da escada, o portão destravado, a janela aberta) que as orientações pediátricas repetem ao recomendar portões e janelas trancadas. Orientações desse tipo sinalizam um perigo plausível, não uma frequência medida.
É mais fácil descrever em que o número ausente mudaria de uma casa para outra do que calculá-lo. A chance de sonambulismo aumenta com o histórico familiar, de 22,5% das crianças sem pai ou mãe sonâmbulo para 47,4% com um e 61,5% com dois (Petit et al. 2015). Escadas, beliches e janelas ao alcance provavelmente pesam no risco de lesão, mas nenhum estudo comparou taxas de lesão de sonâmbulos nesses ambientes. Para quedas de escadas e janelas em geral, estivesse a criança acordada ou não, veja Queda de escadas crianca e Queda de criança da janela; nenhuma das duas separa as quedas durante o sonambulismo das comuns.
Curiosidades relacionadas
Cerca de 3 em cada 10 crianças (segundo o comunicado de imprensa da revista) de uma coorte de Quebec com 1.940 participantes tiveram pelo menos um episódio de sonambulismo entre os 2½ e os 13 anos. Com que frequência uma criança sonâmbula se machuca, na escada ou em qualquer outro lugar, nunca foi medido.
Registro de evidências
Cada número abaixo é o que cada fonte relatou, com a citação literal em que nos baseamos e como chegamos ao nosso valor. Clique em qualquer link para verificar diretamente.
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[1] JAMA Pediatrics (Petit et al. 2015; 169(7):653-658) — Childhood Sleepwalking and Sleep Terrors: A Longitudinal Study of Prevalence and Familial Aggregation
Childhood Sleepwalking and Sleep Terrors: A Longitudinal Study of Prevalence and Familial Aggregation- Estatística
Prospective Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development cohort, N=1,940 children followed 1999-2011: sleepwalking prevalence peaked at 13.4% (95% CI 11.3%-15.5%) at age 10; childhood sleepwalking prevalence was 22.5% with no parental history, 47.4% with one sleepwalking parent, and 61.5% with two- Trecho
“"The peak of prevalence was observed at 1½ years for sleep terrors (34.4% of children; 95% CI, 32.3%-36.5%) and at age 10 years for sleepwalking (13.4%; 95% CI, 11.3%-15.5%)." ... "The prevalence of childhood sleepwalking increases with the degree of parental history of sleepwalking: 22.5% (95% CI, 19.2%-25.8%) for children without a parental history of sleepwalking, 47.4% (95% CI, 38.9%-55.9%) for children who had 1 parent with a history of sleepwalking, and 61.5% (95% CI, 42.8%-80.2%) for children whose mother and father had a history of sleepwalking." [Abstract text; PubMed and JAMA Network were not directly reachable in-session, so the wording was confirmed via exact-phrase search of the indexed abstract] ”
- Dados da fonte de
- 2015-07-01
- Acessado
- 2026-09-26
- Cálculo
- Used only as context for exposure: how many children sleepwalk at all. The 13.4% peak at age 10 is a point prevalence in that year; the 22.5% / 47.4% / 61.5% figures are cumulative childhood prevalence stratified by parental history. No injury outcome is reported, so nothing is converted to a native or normalized probability. The parental-history gradient is described in prose rather than as personal_factor_multipliers because this entry carries no_reliable_estimate and the gradient shifts the chance of sleepwalking, not the chance of injury given sleepwalking.
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[2] JAMA Pediatrics press release via EurekAlert! (AAAS) — Kids likely to sleepwalk if parents have history of nocturnal strolls
Kids likely to sleepwalk if parents have history of nocturnal strolls- Estatística
Overall childhood prevalence of sleepwalking, ages 2½ to 13, was 29.1% in the Quebec cohort- Trecho
“"The overall childhood prevalence of sleepwalking (ages 2½ to 13 years) was 29.1 percent." ”
- Dados da fonte de
- 2015-05-04
- Acessado
- 2026-09-26
- Cálculo
- The journal's own press release for Petit et al. (2015), cited because it states the cumulative 2½-to-13 figure in one line. The 29.1% could not be found in the indexed abstract text via search, so it rests on this release rather than the peer-reviewed abstract; the abstract's parental-history strata (22.5% to 61.5%) are consistent with it. Rounded to "about 29%" / "about 3 in 10" in the quick answer and prose. Exposure context only; no injury figure.
- Independência
- Not independent of Petit et al. (2015); it summarizes the same study.
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[3] PLOS ONE (Stallman & Kohler 2016) — Prevalence of Sleepwalking: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Prevalence of Sleepwalking: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis- Estatística
Meta-analysis of 51 studies (N=100,490): lifetime sleepwalking prevalence 6.9% (95% CI 4.6%-10.3%); 12-month prevalence 5.0% (95% CI 3.8%-6.5%) in children versus 1.5% (95% CI 1.0%-2.3%) in adults- Trecho
“"The estimated lifetime prevalence of sleepwalking was 6.9% (95% CI 4.6%-10.3%). The current prevalence rate of sleepwalking within the last 12 months was significantly higher in children [5.0% (95% CI 3.8%-6.5%)] than adults [1.5% (95% CI 1.0%-2.3%)]." [Abstract text; PLOS and PMC were not directly reachable in-session, so the wording was confirmed via search of the indexed abstract; dash and bracket punctuation may differ slightly from the published typography] ”
- Dados da fonte de
- 2016-11-10
- Acessado
- 2026-09-26
- Cálculo
- Supplies the pooled 12-month figure: roughly 1 in 20 children sleepwalk in a given year. The pooled lifetime figure (6.9%, mixed ages) is far below the Quebec cohort's 29.1% because most pooled studies used single retrospective questions rather than repeated prospective parent reports (an interpretation, not a finding of either paper), which suggests sleepwalking counts are sensitive to method. Exposure context only; no injury figure.
- Independência
- Independent research group and methodology (pooled cross-sectional studies) from the Quebec cohort.
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[4] Western Journal of Emergency Medicine (Sauter et al. 2016; 17(6):709-712) — Somnambulism: Emergency Department Admissions Due to Sleepwalking-Related Trauma
Somnambulism: Emergency Department Admissions Due to Sleepwalking-Related Trauma- Estatística
11 sleepwalking-related trauma presentations among about 620,000 ED admissions at Inselspital, Bern, 2000-2015; falls were the leading mechanism; 4 of 11 (36.4%) were hospitalized; no deaths; adult department treating patients aged 16 and over (two of the 11 were 16)- Trecho
“"Of 620,000 screened ED admissions, 11 were associated with trauma and sleepwalking." ... "Although sleepwalking seems benign in the majority of cases and most of the few injured patients will not require hospitalization, major injuries are possible." [First sentence from the abstract; second from the full-text Conclusion (the abstract reads "did not require"). Both checked against the Europe PMC full text, 2026-09-27] ”
- Dados da fonte de
- 2016-11-01
- Acessado
- 2026-09-26
- Cálculo
- The only systematic count of sleepwalking injuries located. It cannot anchor a pediatric estimate: the adult department treats patients aged 16 and over, there is no denominator of sleepwalkers in the catchment, and cases were found by chart search, which misses injuries not recorded as sleepwalking-related. 11 / 620,000 is a share of ED visits (about 1 in 56,000), not a probability per sleepwalker, and is shown for scale only. This is the reason for no_reliable_estimate.
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[5] Nemours KidsHealth — Sleepwalking (for Parents)
Sleepwalking (for Parents)- Estatística
Pediatric safety guidance for sleepwalking children: gates at bedroom door and/or stair top; locked windows and doors- Trecho
“"Install safety gates outside your child's room and/or at the top of any stairs." ... "Lock the windows and doors in your child's bedroom and throughout your home in case your young sleepwalker wanders." [kidshealth.org was not directly reachable in-session; wording confirmed via exact-phrase search of the indexed page] ”
- Dados da fonte de
- 2026-09-26
- Acessado
- 2026-09-26
- Cálculo
- Establishes that stairs and windows are the hazards pediatric guidance singles out. Guidance, not evidence of frequency: it gives no injury rate and no data on how much gates or locks reduce injury among sleepwalkers. source_date set to access date because the page shows a rolling review date.