When a child appears in the family, the mother's life is completely concentrated on the baby: she pays attention to his every movement, notices any change in behavior. Therefore, if the baby begins to tremble or twitch in a dream, the mother is worried, tries to speak as quietly as possible so as not to disturb the baby. Are parenting experiences justified in such cases? For what reasons does the child flinch during sleep?
The restful sleep of an infant is sometimes interrupted by shudders
Why does the child shudder and wake up
In most cases, this behavior of the baby is not a pathology. The baby most often flinches from sudden noise and other annoying factors to which the newborn is not yet accustomed. The baby's sense organs are not yet sufficiently formed, therefore, the baby's reaction to sudden changes in the surrounding space can be especially sensitive.
On a note. Mothers should know that fetal hearing begins to form from the 20th week of pregnancy. Since that time, experts recommend that future parents talk to the baby, which is in the womb. Thanks to this, the child quickly gets used to the voices of loved ones, learns to distinguish them.
By the time the baby is born, his hearing is not as good as a week after birth. The fact is that during the first days, the water accumulated in the inner ear interferes with the hearing of the infant. As she leaves, the baby begins to distinguish sounds, including actively reacting to them. For example, a baby may shudder while sleeping if a door slammed nearby, someone spoke sharply in the room, a car engine started working under the windows, and so on.
However, there are other reasons why a newborn baby flinches in sleep, both natural and pathological.
Shudders and cry in my sleep
One of the most common reasons for this phenomenon is the Moro reflex. Babies are born with a complex of survival mechanisms laid down by nature. These include the Moro reflex, which is triggered when the child thinks he is falling. At such moments, the newborn throws his arms forward, trying to restore balance in this way. All this is accompanied by shuddering and even crying. A similar reaction can be provoked by loud sounds, a change in body position (for example, if the baby fell asleep in her arms and her mother took him to the crib). The Moro reflex disappears on its own when the baby reaches the age of 4-5 months.
Important! If the reflex persists in an infant after 5 months of life, then this may mean certain deviations, so parents should consult a doctor.
When flinches are the norm
In most cases, flinching during sleep or when falling asleep is a natural reaction of infants from 0 to 3 months to some stimulus (loud or harsh light, unexpected touch).
If shudders occur at the time of falling asleep, then we are most likely talking about the so-called myoclonus. These are abrupt and uncontrolled muscle contractions that can occur at rest or during physical activity. Most often, myoclonus is the norm, but in some cases it can be a symptom of CNS pathology.
On a note. Natural myoclonus is enhanced by stress, fatigue, physical and emotional stress.
In addition to the above reasons, doctors also distinguish:
- A large proportion of active sleep in newborns;
- Immaturity of the nervous system;
- Physical discomfort.
In the latter case, flinching can be caused by painful sensations of the baby with increased gas production. During colic, babies cry a lot and jerk their legs. A sudden need to urinate or defecate can disturb the sleep of the crumbs. Older toddlers often flinch in their sleep due to pain due to teething.
Colic is one of the common causes of a baby's flinching at night.
Scientists from the USA suggest that the reason for the startle during sleep may be the training of the infant's motor skills. Interestingly, signals from the nervous system travel to other parts of the body, making movements erratic and unnatural. According to scientists, thanks to such training, the brain trains the skill of controlling the body while awake. These assumptions were confirmed by studies in which experts found a connection between neck twitching during daytime or nighttime rest and the ability of the baby to keep its head while awake. A similar relationship was noted between the flinching of the fingers and the infant's developing ability to pull the arms towards the surrounding objects.
Twitching of this character indicates that the child is actively developing coordination for performing complex movements in the future. Therefore, if the mother sees that the newborn is twitching in a dream, it is not worth waking the baby. Otherwise, the learning process, which is most important for the child's development, will be interrupted.
The explanation is simple: in newly born babies, the nervous system is not yet fully formed, so the baby's movements during sleep are more erratic than after waking up.
On a note. According to doctors, benign sleep myoclonus is absolutely harmless.
Emotional stress
Fatigue of a baby is not uncommon. Due to the immaturity of the nervous system, it can be difficult for a newborn to perceive a huge amount of new information, as a result of which the baby experiences stress. A very tired baby falls asleep with difficulty, his sleep is restless, which can also manifest itself in the form of uncontrolled tremors and twitches.
On a note. These sleep problems are caused by an increase in the stress hormone cortisol in the blood. The increased production of this substance is carried out by the body to maintain vigor if the child was unable to fall asleep at the right time.
Uncomfortable baby pose in a dream
An uncomfortable position of the body can become a factor that provokes the startle of a child in a dream. The discomfort felt by the baby leads to the fact that the baby begins to actively search for a suitable position for himself. Such actions may be accompanied by twitching and jerking. To prevent such situations from arising, parents should provide the child with comfortable conditions for sleeping, including periodically shifting the baby from one side to the other.
The baby is in an uncomfortable sleeping position
Influence of sleep phases
A large proportion of babies sleep (about 50%) is occupied by the active phase. In addition, the phase change is unsystematic and unpredictable. During active sleep, children show the following symptoms:
- Rapid eye movement under the eyelids;
- Decreased muscle tone;
- Irregular heartbeat and breathing;
- Children may make subtle sounds;
- Moving facial expressions (change of facial expression, smile);
- Twitching of arms and legs, as well as of the face.
Since motor activity in newborn babies cannot be suppressed in the same way as in adults, the baby shudders and wakes up.
Another possible cause of twitching while resting is the child's dream. It can be both positive and negative (the child is frightened by what he saw and begins to shudder and even cry).
Interesting. By itself, the immaturity of the nervous system causes the child to shudder up to a year during the transition from one state to another, that is, when falling asleep - awakening, as well as during the transition from one phase of sleep to another.
Restful sleep tips
If the shudders are caused by the irritating influence of external factors, then in order for the child to quickly adapt to the new environment for him, parents should not switch to a whisper. Extremes are also unacceptable (you cannot shout, swear, laugh loudly, etc.). Speech should be calm, then the baby will quickly get used to the voice of the parents.
In order for the baby to shudder less in sleep, the conditions for his rest should be as comfortable as possible, namely:
- The children's room is regularly ventilated;
- Comfortable soft clothes made from natural materials;
- Observance of bedtime rituals, including bathing in warm water.
Experts also recommend the following methods:
- Swaddling. The wrapping will help to soften the involuntary twitching and thus improve the quality of the baby's sleep. Swaddling should not be tight and should be done between birth and six months.
- "White noise". Monotonous sounds, reminiscent of the murmur of blood, recreate the familiar atmosphere for the baby, as if he was again in the womb. Thanks to this method, the baby calms down and falls asleep faster. White noise has a number of advantages:
- Is a positive association for falling asleep;
- Masks ambient sounds (the child's sleep will not be disturbed by external stimuli);
- Environment.
- Versatility - Improves both night and day rest.
- Creation of optimal conditions for sleep, namely silence and darkness. To correct sounds, you can use "white noise", to eliminate unnecessary light sources - blackout curtains. Also, the conditions necessary for a normal rest include a comfortable temperature and humidity. Safety is equally important: it is recommended to remove excess blankets, pillows, toys (the crib must be empty).
- Creation of bedtime rituals. You need to start doing this from 6 weeks. Rituals should be given at least half an hour per day.
- Try to avoid overwork. To do this, parents must ensure that the baby sleeps enough time during the day, and the duration of the periods of wakefulness does not exceed the norm for a given age. It is necessary to notice the signs of fatigue in a child in time so that this condition does not turn into overwork.
On a note. The norms for the daily routine are of an average nature, small deviations from the established standards in one direction or another are quite acceptable.
Listening to "white noise" helps babies sleep soundly and peacefully
Physical and psychological deviations
If, after using the listed methods, flinching does not go away, it is recommended to visit a neurologist. After examining the baby, the doctor will exclude or establish the likelihood of CNS pathologies.
It is recommended to undergo an examination in the following cases:
- Baby's movements are asymmetrical;
- Such tremors and twitches are observed not only in sleep, but also during wakefulness;
- With a delay or deviation in development;
- If the movements continue for more than 10 minutes.
A metabolic disorder, such as rickets caused by a lack of vitamin D and calcium, can cause pathological flinching. With spasmophilia and anemia, muscle cramps also occur.
Important! If the baby shudders, while he has a high body temperature, you must immediately call an ambulance.
Signs of rickets in a baby
Neurological causes of flinching
If uncontrolled movements are constantly observed in a child and are accompanied by crying, then a health disorder can be suspected. Severe twitching is characteristic of neurological pathologies. The likelihood of the disease increases in children who have undergone hypoxia, birth trauma, or were born prematurely.
A clear sign of an epileptic seizure is irregular eye movements not associated with body movement. If the attack lasts more than 5 minutes, or the child has difficulty breathing, you need to call an ambulance as soon as possible.
Flinching in itself is not dangerous and does not indicate any illness, especially when it comes to a month-old baby. If twitching in a dream persists in older babies, it is recommended to seek the advice of a pediatrician and a neurologist.
Also, parents should be concerned if:
- the baby flinches during a night or day rest more than 10 times;
- often wakes up and cries for no apparent reason;
- shudders not only during sleep, but also during wakefulness.
If a newborn baby twitches slightly in a dream, there is no need to rush to wake him up. Otherwise, the baby may get scared. It is better not to panic and calmly observe the baby for a while. If there are no negative symptoms indicating pathological flinching, then there is no reason for concern. According to Dr. Komarovsky, the main task of parents is not to focus on the natural startle and try to provide the baby with the most comfortable conditions for rest.
