Sleep jerking

[RaeLea]

I have noticed lately that my 5 1/2 year old son jerks a lot in his sleep.  I have watched him on many occassions and it can be his arms, legs, and even his mid section.  I have noticed it the most when he has just fallen asleep and sometimes even in the middle of the night or even a couple hours into his sleep.  Should I be worried?  I have been reading some stuff on sleep disorders, but could it be more than that?

[Suri123]

Hi Raelea, It is quite common as a mother to be worried about child’s sleep. Can you elaborate on the associated symptoms? Is there anything that you do or these jerks do stop on its own? Usually, a hypnic - sleep jerks or twitches are normal and can occur while he tends to fall asleep or when he tries to wake up from sleep. As these twitches are occurring on and off now, it is better you take her for an evaluation with a neurologist and also get a sleep study done. Does he has a regular daytime sleep and how active otherwise? Give him an early dinner and follow a routine time to put him to sleep with some soft music. Warm bath and gentle massage at bedtime can be soothing. Observe for some more time or else see a Pediatrician, take care.

[KatEyes]

Some jerking during sleep is expected, like when crossing from one sleep stage to another. Those are isolated jerks, and often involve the trunk of the body. Since we cycle thru the sleep stages several times each night, that gives multiple opportunities for the jerks to occur. If the jerks are repetitious, it's likely something else.  Has his pediatrician weighed in on this yet? When talking to doctors about it, the more accurate description the better so they can pick up any clues if there's anything they need to further pursue.