Now that you are a mother and you spend a lot of time observing your baby, you will discover that sometimes, while he sleeps, trembles, makes strange and involuntary movements of the face, arms or legs. These are the so-called sleep myoclonus in babies and children, seizures are very common. We adults also suffer from them, but not so frequently.
In this article we will tell you why they occur, what their origins may be, whether you should worry or not, and how long it is more or less normal for them to occur. With all this we hope to reassure you and that the next time your child trembles you will not feel so restless.
Mycolonias, or when your son trembles when he sleeps
If we want to define neonatal sleep myoclonus, they would be as seizures and sudden and brief muscle contractions, sporadically and asymmetrically. These happen when the baby sleeps, manifest from the first weeks of life and they disappear towards the third month. They rarely reach 7 months of age.
These seizures do not harm your health, they have no negative consequences or pathological in the neurological and psychomotor development of the baby. They are actually little jolts that last no more than 15-20 seconds. It is believed that its origin is genetic, since there is usually a family history. Curiously, it occurs more in boys than in girls.
The myoclonus come from the central nervous system, but as we have said they do not have any pathological component. They are observed at the moment in which the baby is in the fifth stage of sleep, the REM phase, when there is more brain activity.
Tips for mothers whose children tremble
Sometimes neonatal sleep myoclonus can be confused with other pathologies, so we are going to give you a series of tips, so that later you can refer to the pediatrician what you observe in your child when he trembles, so he can have a more accurate diagnosis. And remember, if the tremors present with other symptoms, such as stiff limbs or if they last more than 30 seconds, then you should take it to the doctor as soon as possible.
For your baby to rest 100% during sleep provide a quiet environment, both at nap time and at night. Noises can cause these startles. To stay calm, see if awake also has these spasms. When you see that he is trembling, take his temperature, in case he has a fever. You can also record it with your mobile, so that the pediatrician can see what is happening. This will help with the diagnosis. And above all, have a little patience, myoclonus usually resolve spontaneously.
Although we talk about spasms in babies, as they are the most frequent children who shake before sleep, are nocturnal myoclonus or muscle spasms. This is a disorder that occurs during sleep when the person has the sensation that they are falling or out of balance. It also happens as an adult, when the arms and legs move involuntarily just before falling asleep, as if they were muscle spasms.
Other pathologies that can be confused
There are certain pathologies with which you can confuse your child's tremors while he sleeps. But these are something else entirely. One of them is also benign, it is called rhythmic sleep movement syndrome or periodic leg movements.
If these movements occur during breastfeeding, it would be the infant myoclonus. The difference is that they start after 3 months and can last up to 2 years, more or less. These movements affect the upper body and happen when the child is awake.
La epilepsy, are focalized or generalized paroxysmal contractions of the body that, in general, begin after 6 months. It is very rare that there are attacks epileptics before and, these do lead to brain damage. In addition, babies and children become drowsy after the seizure. The presence of metabolic problems or a reaction to the intake of some medications can also cause spasms.