Sleep walking kids and hanging.

[Stargaze]

We are heading to the spring NEHHA group hang in June with our two boys. My oldest is 9 and at times sleep walks. I'm not sure how were going to deal with that when were in the woods. I was thinking of putting bells on him but that's just wrong, lol. I'm open to suggestions on what to do.

[creativeKayt]

Sleep walking can be scary. I had a roommate in college who was a crazy-deep sleep walker. She'd get up, walk down the hall to the floor bathroom, take a shower, get fully ready (makeup, hair, clothes, etc), come back to the room and grab her books, ride the elevator down 6 floors, and head out of the locked dorm to class. She did this a couple times without me hearing her. As it was not the most female-friendly campus at night, we decided it best to boobie-trap the door (we strung a bunch of pots together across the door) so I would hear her if she attempted to leave.

You might try a wrist leash, similar to what we wear surfing or kayaking. You could leash him to yourself or one of the trees he's hanging from.

Question: Have you talked to him about it? Maybe he's got a clever solution that he feels comfortable with trying out?

Regardless, I do wish you the best.
Cheers.

[diyguy]

Do you double or triple hang (i.e. two or more hammocks under the same tarp)? I do this with my kids (8 & 10) and I can tell you that it's A LOT of fun. In your case, double bunking has an added benefit: it's darn near impossible to get out of your hammock without waking your sleeping buddies.

[Brute1100]

Paracord around the ankle, tied to the tree his swinging from... Make it a knot you can't undo easily without light, but give him long enough that if he actually wakes up and has to water a tree he can get that far...

[The Old Boot]

We are heading to the spring NEHHA group hang in June with our two boys. My oldest is 9 and at times sleep walks. I'm not sure how were going to deal with that when were in the woods. I was thinking of putting bells on him but that's just wrong, lol. I'm open to suggestions on what to do.

Aside from any embarrassment factor, what's so wrong about bells

As a mom of three boys now grown, bells would have been my first choice..

I'd ask him what he's comfortable with but I sure wouldn't NOT do something as an early warning system. There'd be nothing in the world worse than waking in the morning to find you're missing a kid!!

There's a wristband stretchy thingamajig that's used now on toddlers to attach them to parents - maybe that would work if you attached it firmly to something.

[Stargaze]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I am going to strap a few bear bells to him. I like the tether idea, just worried he will get tangled, he's a squirmer when he sleeps.

[dkurfiss]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I am going to strap a few bear bells to him. I like the tether idea, just worried he will get tangled, he's a squirmer when he sleeps.

You said he is a squirmer, so how much sleep do you think he or you will get with bells on

I would stack stuff on the ground where he gets out at so he would have to fall over it. Perhaps string a like of bear bells about 3 feet off the ground around his hammock.

I would hang him on a tree right beside me too, like the heads of our hammocks tied to the same tree.

[Tendertoe]

I've thought of this recently as we have a 6 month old that isn't going anywhere on his own this season but in the next season or two or three he may have the ability to "head out on his own" so to speak without us knowing.

We will be on the ground for the next season or two with either my wife or I sharing a tent with him, could still exist of him unzipping things and heading off without either my wife or I knowing (at least this is a concern, not too sure how founded it is as the quality of sleep on the ground is usually so poor that any sounds wake me up ).

My thought was a small combination luggage lock or even a mini locking carabiner ran through both zipper pulls on the exterior of a hammock with integrated bugnetting (or in our case on the interior of the tent).