# Muscle twitching/spasms while sleeping?



## RainCoastMama (Oct 13, 2004)

DD, 17 mos, had about an hour of involuntary muscle twitching or spasming last night while in light sleep/falling asleep. Basically a tensing of foot and hand muscles. I was paranoid and stayed awake watching her for hours - they dissipated when she went into a deep sleep. I'm paranoid as DD1 had febrile seizures (fever related) as a baby. I don't know if DD2 was overheated (felt warm from teething), muscle fatigued from being the cold playing, or from a bump on her head...

Anyone experience this?


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## yogachick79 (Apr 4, 2006)

Yup, with both kids and my mom swears that I did it too. It scared her so bad that they did extensive testing on me when I was a baby. Nothing was wrong though.

So lots of hugs, but I would guess that everything is probably just fine. My muscles STILL twitch as I doze off from time to time.


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## BookGoddess (Nov 6, 2005)

I've heard about them. I'm probably butchering the spelling but I think what you're describing is a myoclonic twitch.


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## RainCoastMama (Oct 13, 2004)

Yogachick -thank you! You helped my stress levels..

Bookgoddess- that's perfect - I googled that and it appears she was having 'nocturnal myoclonic twitches' - non pathological, apparently. I am following up anyway with the doctor tomorrow to make sure.


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## Momtwice (Nov 21, 2001)

Check with your doc if this worries you,

but I've known dozens of moms who said their babies did the same thing.


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## RainCoastMama (Oct 13, 2004)

Quick update - the doctor said it wasn't abnormal for kids to do that when they are in that in-between sleep stage, and that she'd be worried if DD stopped in the middle of for eg. a playgroup and started doing it. That's it. I dunno, I sometimes get the feeling I'm being patronized as I'm 'crunchy' and question things and she doesn't want me to 'worry'...but I'm going to take her word for it and just watch DD closely.


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## BookGoddess (Nov 6, 2005)

I think I have those myoclonic twitches just before I fall asleep too.

If you still have doubts you can always get a second opinion.


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## eepster (Sep 20, 2006)

This may sound silly, but I've had several cats that did that.


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

My whole family does that! Dh and ds are particularly prone to them, but dd and I do them too.

I notice them MUCH more when the kids are overtired/overstimulated. I remember once on a plane ride home after an exhausting visit with family (just very busy), ds twitched MASSIVELY for a good 40 minutes. Since dh does this all the time, I guess I wasn't concerned!


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