In the pediatric clinic, I often encounter parents who bring their children to the clinic and are worried about the sudden twitching of their hands and feet when they fall asleep. Most of this phenomenon is medically known as physiological sleep myoclonus, which is a normal physiological phenomenon and there is no need to be overly anxious.
First, let's understand how sleep myoclonus occurs. Our nervous system is divided into upper centers (brain) and lower centers (brainstem and spinal cord). When awake during the day, the higher center controls the lower center so that it does not give instructions autonomously. However, when we fall asleep, especially during the light sleep period, the brain cells of the upper center gradually rest, and the lower center is not controlled by the upper center, so it begins to actively and voluntarily issue some instructions to the limbs, and then the phenomenon of shaking of hands and feet may occur. This phenomenon usually disappears as you enter a deep sleep period.
Physiological sleep myoclonus can occur in children of any age and** may even accompany us throughout our lives. It is characterized by the fact that it usually appears in the first half hour after falling asleep to the light sleep period, the parts of the hands and feet shaking are not fixed, it may be the left hand, the right foot, or several consecutive shakes, which is manifested as the flexion and extension of the fingers, wrists, elbows and other parts, and can also be the kicking of the lower limbs. This kind of shaking is usually short-lived, and is a normal physiological phenomenon like yawning and sneezing, and generally does not affect the child's sleep quality and growth and development.
However, if your child has mood swings during the day, such as being overexcited or sad, or using electronics excessively, or feeling unwell, such as getting sick with a cold, these can cause sleep myoclonic seizures to be more frequent. In the case of emotional stability and regular work and rest, this phenomenon will be relatively rare. Therefore, parents do not need to worry too much, this does not need to be special**.
However, if your child has fixed, stereotyped, continuous jerks of the limbs, or if the limbs are stiff with symptoms such as staring, strabismus, respiratory arrest, purple lips, and blue face, this may be a sign of a seizure. In this case, the child may experience dizziness, headache, nausea, and even drowsiness after the attack. In this case, your child should be taken to a specialist immediately.
In conclusion, most sleep myoclonus is a harmless physiological phenomenon, but if there are any abnormal symptoms that upset parents, please take a picture of the seizure and see a pediatric neurologist**. Hopefully, this article will help you better understand this phenomenon in your child's sleep** and ease your worries.