I have a 3 year old daughter. While my daughter sleeps, I have notice that sometimes her body twitches sometimes. I don't know if she is having some kind of nerve problem or what. Have anyone had that problem with their kids and if so can you tell me what is causing it and what should I do?
I looked this up and found that it is the body releasing control of the muscles when you are falling asleep. I tend to jerk really bad and have even woke myself up doing it. It's perfectly normal :)
Bobbie,
It probably isn't anything to worry about, unless your daughter seems tired a lot of the time. If she's tired a lot (even with sufficient sleep), she could have "Periodic Limb Movement" which is a form of restless leg syndrome. This form of twitching interrupts the sleep cycle and individuals never get into a deep, restorative sleep. But, if you're not noticing other symptoms, I wouldn't worry about the twitching.
Bobbie,
Unless it's extremely violent in nature, this is perfectly normal. You most likely do it yourself when you sleep. It's our bodies' way of keeping the nervous system healthy while we aren't moving. Watch your husband or dog or cat sleep, they all do it. Just enjoy watching your child sleep, so beautiful. Now if she starts to have significant twitches upon waking hours it could be something to look into. But, sometimes kids, especially at her age, tend to blink more or have bouts of twitches that come and go, most likely when they are under stress, ie if daddy travels, new school or teacher, etc. You seem to be very observant and would notice anything out of the ordinary. Just relax and know that everything is OK.
If it is only while she is sleeping I doubt if it is anything, but why don't you call your pediatricians office. Tell them you just want to ask a nurse a question. Chances are they won't even want to see you and will reassure you.
My son occasionally does that. It seems to be normal and i have read that they are sometimes dreaming when they do so. Check w/ your pediatrician just to be sure.
My husband twitches in his sleep and so does our daughter. I agree it is probably normal and a call to the pediatrician would help you feel better.
I don't think there's much cause for alarm - ever watched puppies sleep? They twitch, growl, bark....tots are much the same - my son did the same thing and there was nothing wrong.....he was just an 'animated' sleeper. Good Luck!
If it continues or gets worse, you could get her evaluated. The Child Study Center in Fort Worth is great. We've taken a foster child and our own child there to be evaluated. They have developmental Pediatricians there are into more research and diagnosis abnormal type of behaviors. It is worth checking into if you are concerned and want a peace of mind. They are located on Lancaster in Fort Worth. Sorry, I don't have the phone number handy. Hope this helps.
Her doctor could provide you with peace of mind, but it is normal to sometimes twitch during sleep.
Sounds like she's dreaming about something really exciting. I've seen my kiddos do that in their sleep too. Probably nothing, but if you feel the need, call the pediatrician, they can check her out, possibly do a sleep study to see if its just dreams or something else.
I think this is normal. My husband tells me I do this right when I fall asleep and my son does too. Hope this helps.
