The child twitches when falling asleep. During this period, it is important for parents of primary schoolchildren

Nowadays, due to a lot of stress nervous tic appears more and more often in children. A nervous tic is a condition in which one part of your face or body begins to move spontaneously, for example, a child's eyebrow may twitch or his lips will quiver. A person is not able to control a nervous tic; it appears most often after suffering severe stress or muscle strain, and after that it can appear at any time. Your child may develop a nervous tic due to very tense family relationships. If you often swear and raise your voice in front of your child, he is constantly in a state of stress. If you severely limit your child and often judge him for trifles, a nervous tic will also appear sooner or later.

A nervous tic in a child may appear due to the fact that he will copy another person; the child may copy the nervous tic of his classmate and over time he will begin to involuntarily twitch his shoulders or lips. If your child is very nervous at school and cannot get along with other people, he may withdraw into himself and over time this disease will appear. Such children never talk about what is inside them, they do not share their problems with their parents and inner experiences.

Nervous tics can be passed on to your child if there is already a person with this disease in the family. It is very important to minimize your child’s contact with such people, so as not to waste time on long-term treatment.

The problem of nervous tics may be even deeper if the child has had any other head injuries. When the brain is malfunctioning, the functioning of the central nervous system. This type of nervous tic can be cured by exclusively influencing the cause of the disease; you need to conduct an encephalogram and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain to understand which part of the brain to influence.

The most common symptoms of nervous tics

The child blinks too often;

The child's speech trembles when he speaks;

The child often hiccups;

The child often wrinkles his nose;

The child's eyebrows twitch;

One of the child’s lips trembles;

The mouth opens and closes on its own;

The child nods too often during speech;

The child will fasten his teeth;

The child constantly shrugs his shoulders.

If you notice a nervous tic in your child, treatment should begin with neurologist. If you delay, the problem will become even deeper and will be much more difficult to cure.

Nervous tic treatment

Nervous tic fatal disease, but it must be treated. Your child may withdraw into himself because everyone will laugh at his nervous tics at school and kindergarten. The child will not be able to build a personal life and career; this disease can destroy the entire future of your child.

You need to find a good neurologist, preferably a professional with good reviews. The neurologist will review your child's medical history and any past injuries, and will examine EEG and MRI scans in detail. Nervous tic, the treatment of which takes long time, is most often a symptom of a more serious disease.

You may be assigned wellness treatments, for example or essential oils which relieve nervous tension. The neurologist will immediately pay attention to relationships in the family and ask you to reduce the amount of swearing and insults directed at the child. If the problem lies in the brain and central nervous system, the child will be prescribed antidepressants and antipsychotics.

If you discover a nervous tic in your child, treatment must be started as early as possible! Over the years, the problem becomes more ingrained and less treatable, so the sooner you start, the better it will be for you and your child.

The little man falls asleep. What could be better for parents? Standing over the crib, mom and dad admire the sniffling baby. Suddenly the child shudders and twitches. It scares them.

Medical specialists have defined this phenomenon as myoclonus. What is it? Why is this happening? Should you panic and see a doctor if your child starts in his sleep?

A child's flinching during sleep and when falling asleep may be due to immaturity of the nervous system.

Physiology of nocturnal shuddering

Myoclonus or flinching is a sudden twitching of muscles (mainly in the legs, arms, face). Occurs during complete relaxation of the body. There is a shudder:

• Synchronous and asynchronous;
• Spontaneous;
• Rhythmic and arrhythmic;
• Reflex.

If a child starts in his sleep immediately after falling asleep, this is not a pathology. If the baby twitches throughout his sleep, this is a reason to consult a doctor.

What are the types of twitches when falling asleep?

Physiological:

• occur when a sleeping child is unexpectedly touched;
• the nervous system is overstimulated during the day or just before bedtime;
• may be a reaction to sharp sounds;
• in infants may occur during feeding;

Pathological:

• spontaneous cessation of breathing;
• epilepsy;

• spinal cord injuries;
• often during the transition from one phase of sleep to another - compensatory twitching of the lower extremities;
• Ekbom syndrome (restless legs syndrome), which is characterized by unpleasant sensations in the feet and calf muscles;
• hereditary causes, consisting in poor blood supply to the joint apparatus; when jerking the legs, blood flow to the joints improves.

When do they arise?

The appearance of physiological twitching occurs due to a conflict between the period of complete relaxation of the body and muscle tone. Often, in young children, this may be a transition from one phase of sleep to another (indicating that deep dream hasn't arrived yet). The not yet fully formed nervous system also affects. Parents watch as the baby twitches his arms and legs, smiles and mutters in his sleep. At this moment, it is strongly recommended not to wake the baby.

That is why, if these symptoms occur, you should ensure more comfortable conditions falling asleep:

• It is advisable to take a bath with herbal infusions;
• in the room where the baby sleeps, turn on diffused light;
• organize your daily routine;
• The temperature in the bedroom should not be higher than 21˚C.

The optimal temperature in the baby’s bedroom is 18-21 °C

It is imperative to remember that only a doctor can reliably distinguish pathology from the norm. If twitching during sleep is prolonged, you should consult a specialist.

What are the causes of startling during sleep in infants?

Startling when changing phases of sleep is not a pathology (little children also have dreams). If this happens more than 10-15 times a night, this is a reason to consult a neurologist.

The cause of twitching may be a too stormy previous day, activity, or excessive crying in the evening. A premature baby twitches more often than a healthy baby.

When a child is teething or has trouble with gas, this can also be a reason for flinching. Formation and establishment of functioning digestive system may cause discomfort in the stomach - another reason. Be sure to remember that often shuddering during sleep in infants combined with high temperature can cause convulsions.

For some children in the background high temperature febrile seizures occur

That is why, in order to avoid the frequent occurrence of twitches of a physiological nature, it is necessary:

1. avoid active games before bedtime;
2. give a relaxing and soothing massage;
3. do not dry out the air in the bedroom with electric heaters;
4. avoid the appearance of mosquitoes and flies in the place where the child sleeps;
5. Clothing and bedding should, if possible, be made from natural fabrics;
6. undershirts and rompers should be loose-fitting and not restrict movement (tightness can cause shuddering);
7. bathing the baby in a warm decoction of herbs: calendula, mint, chamomile, pine needles, sea ​​salt(aimed at relaxing muscles);
8. avoid both overfeeding and underfeeding before bedtime;
9. Try to put your child to bed at the same time every day.

Why are there reasons for concern?

In some cases, this phenomenon may be a manifestation serious illnesses. Why should you sound the alarm and consult a doctor? What recommendations should be followed?

There are situations when it is necessary to consult a doctor regarding a child’s shuddering in his sleep.

You need to worry in the following cases:

• when the baby twitches throughout the rest;
• restless sleep and shuddering are superimposed with symptoms of fear (the child cries or screams in his sleep);
• laboratory detected increased content vitamin D or calcium deficiency;
• shudders appeared in the background earlier good sleep;
• Twitching of arms and legs can be a symptom of a metabolic disorder, and if left untreated can lead to spontaneous seizures.

In this situation, it would be good to consult a neurologist or local pediatrician for full examination. Mom must remain calm. Do not make sudden movements and avoid sounds that are too sharp (they can scare you).

Why is drug treatment not used in children?

Application medicines justified only as prescribed by a doctor. This last resort in treatment.

Sleep functions

As you know, sleep for humans is not only natural physiological process, but also a function of the body created by nature for its relaxation. For a baby, sleep is a way to replenish nerve cells energy spent on active activity. During such rest, almost all cells of the body are able to renew their vitality and nutrient reserves.

Why do they twitch in their sleep?

Observing a sleeping person, you can notice that he is capable of twitching in his sleep. And if for adults this issue is not so important, then for mothers who watch every action of their children, it comes to the fore and causes fears and worries about why their child twitches in his sleep. Parents are looking for different explanations for this behavior: they are doing something wrong, the child is sick, etc. It will be easier to explain such a strange ability of the body as the ability to twitch in a dream if you delve deeper into familiarization with what stages sleep goes through and what happens during sleep. each of them occurs with consciousness and body.

Stages of sleep

Sleep always begins with falling asleep, a decrease in alpha rhythms and appearance of mild drowsiness, during which manifestations of hypnotic images are possible. This stage can be determined by reducing the respiratory rate and pulse. After a person falls asleep, sleep moves into the second stage - light, shallow sleep, during which the body temperature decreases and consciousness turns off. It can last from 2 minutes to 30. It is during this period that most people have their first dream, during which they are able to twitch in their sleep, reacting to various internal and external stimuli. In children, this stage occurs 20 minutes after falling asleep and is marked both by facial expressions (smiles, grimaces) and by twitching of arms and legs. Then, after the shallow sleep stage, delta (slow and slow-wave) sleep occurs. At this moment it is very difficult to wake a person. And the final stage is the rapid phase of sleep, lasting about 10-15 minutes. The main function of the 5th stage is psychological protection, processing various kinds information, its further exchange between consciousness and subconscious. With such an informative exchange, a person can also twitch in his sleep, reacting on a subconscious level to some emotionally charged events. Throughout sleep, fast and slow phase change according to the cyclical principle about 6 times in adults, and about 4 times in children.

How to make your sleep more restful

If an adult can choose comfortable conditions for relaxation for himself, then for children this responsibility falls on their loved ones. You can reduce the ability to twitch in your sleep and almost completely eliminate unwanted awakening by following some rules. Pay due attention to ventilation of the rest room - this will help enrich the space with oxygen and regulate the air temperature to the optimum - 18-20 degrees. Taking a bath before bed can help children calm down and relax. As for lighting effects, it is not necessary to turn off the lights completely. It is enough to replace bright lighting with softer lighting, for example, using a night light. A child in a dream reacts to the intensity of sounds; avoid their sharp and loud manifestations. And do not forget to accompany your actions with gentle and kind words before putting your baby to bed, initially setting the child up for an enriched positive emotions dream.

Tiki– lightning-fast involuntary contractions of muscles, most often of the face and limbs (blinking, raising eyebrows, twitching the cheek, corner of the mouth, shrugging shoulders, shuddering, etc.). By frequency tics occupy one of the leading places among neurological diseases childhood. Tics occur in 11% of girls and 13% of boys. Under 10 years of age tics occur in 20% of children (i.e. every fifth child). Tics appear in children aged 2 to 18 years, but there are 2 peaks - 3 years and 7-11 years. Distinctive feature tics from convulsive muscle contractions in other diseases: child can reproduce and partially control tics; tics do not occur during voluntary movements (for example, when picking up a cup and while drinking from it). The severity of tics may vary depending on the time of year, day, mood, and nature of activities. Their localization also changes (for example, in child involuntary blinking was noted, which after some time was replaced by an involuntary shrug), and this does not indicate a new disease, but a relapse (repetition) of an existing disorder. Typically, tics become worse when child watches TV, stays in one position for a long time (for example, sitting in class or in public transport). Tics weaken and even disappear completely during gameplay or when performing an interesting task that requires full concentration (for example, reading an exciting story). As soon as child loses interest in his activities, tics reappear with increasing force. The child may suppress tics for a short time, but this requires great self-control and subsequent release.

Psychologically, children with tics are characterized by:

• attention disorders;
• disturbance of perception;
• Children with severe tics show impaired spatial perception.
• In children with tics, the development of motor skills and coordinated movements is difficult, the smoothness of movements is impaired, and the execution of motor acts is slowed down.

Classification of ticks:

• motor tics (blinking, cheek twitching, shrugging, tense nose, etc.)
• vocal tics (coughing, snoring, grunting, sniffling)
• rituals(walking in a circle)
• generalized forms of tics(when one child there is not one tick, but several).

In addition, there are simple tics , involving only the muscles of the eyelids or arms or legs, and complex tics - movements simultaneously occur in various groups muscles.

Tick ​​flow

• The disease can last from several hours to many years.
• The severity of tics varies from almost imperceptible to severe (leading to the inability to go outside).
• The frequency of tics varies throughout the day.
• Treatment effectiveness: from complete cure to the point of ineffectiveness.
• Related behavioral disorders may be invisible or pronounced.

Causes of tics

There is a widespread view among parents and teachers that “nervous” children suffer from tics. However, it is known that all children are “nervous,” especially during periods of the so-called crisis (periods of active struggle for independence), for example, 3 years old and 6-7 years old, and tics appear only in some children. Tics are often combined with hyperactive behavior and attention disorders (ADHD - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), low mood (depression), anxiety, ritualistic and obsessive behavior (hair pulling or wrapping it around a finger, nail biting, etc.). Besides, child with tics usually cannot tolerate transport and stuffy rooms, gets tired quickly, gets tired of sights and activities, sleeps restlessly or has trouble falling asleep. The role of heredity Tics appear in children with a hereditary predisposition: Parents or relatives of children with tics may themselves suffer from obsessive movements or thoughts. It has been scientifically proven that tics:

• are more easily provoked in males;
• boys suffer from tics more severely than girls;
• in children tics appear in more early age than their parents;
• if child tics, it is often discovered that his male relatives also suffer from tics, and his female relatives suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Parental behavior Despite the important role of heredity, developmental characteristics and emotional and personal traits child, his character and ability to withstand the influence of the outside world is formed within the family. An unfavorable ratio of verbal (speech) and nonverbal (non-speech) communications in the family contributes to the development of anomalies of behavior and character. For example, constant shouting and countless comments lead to inhibition of free physiological activity child(and it is different for each child and depends on temperament), which can be replaced by a pathological form in the form of tics and obsessions. At the same time, children from mothers raising child in an atmosphere of permissiveness, they remain infantile, which predisposes them to the occurrence of tics. Tic provocation: psychological stress If child with a hereditary predisposition and an unfavorable type of upbringing suddenly encounters a problem that is too much for him (psychotraumatic factor), develop tics. As a rule, those around child adults do not know what triggered the appearance of tics. That is, for everyone except himself child, external situation seems ordinary. As a rule, he does not talk about his experiences. But in moments like these child becomes more demanding of loved ones, seeks close contact with them, and requires constant attention. Nonverbal types of communication are activated: gestures and facial expressions. Laryngeal coughing becomes more frequent, which is similar to sounds such as grunting, smacking, sniffling, etc., that occur during thoughtfulness or embarrassment. Laryngeal coughing always increases with anxiety or danger. Movements in the hands arise or intensify - picking through the folds of clothing, twirling hair on a finger. These movements are involuntary and unconscious (a person may sincerely not remember what he just did), intensify with excitement and tension, clearly reflecting emotional condition. Teeth grinding may also occur during sleep, often combined with bedwetting and scary dreams. All these movements, having arisen once, can gradually disappear on their own. But if child does not find support from others, they become fixed in the form of a pathological habit and then transform into tics. Parents often say that, for example, after a severe sore throat, their child became nervous, capricious, did not want to play alone, and only then appeared tics. Often the appearance of tics is preceded by acute viral infections or other serious illnesses. In particular, inflammatory diseases the eyes are often complicated by subsequent tics in the form of blinking; Long-term ENT diseases contribute to the appearance of obsessive coughing, snoring, and grunting. Thus, for tics to appear, the coincidence of 3 factors is necessary:

1. Hereditary predisposition
2. Miseducation(presence of intra-family conflict; increased demands and control (overprotection); increased adherence to principles, uncompromising parents; formal attitude towards to kid(hypocustody), communication deficit)
3. Acute stress, which causes tics

The mechanism of development of tics

If child There is always internal anxiety, or as people say, “restlessness in the soul,” stress becomes chronic. Anxiety itself is a necessary protective mechanism that allows you to prepare for it in advance of a dangerous event, speed up reflex activity, increase reaction speed and the acuity of the senses, and use all the body’s reserves to survive in extreme conditions. U child Often experiencing stress, the brain is constantly in a state of anxiety and anticipation of danger. The ability to voluntarily suppress (inhibit) unnecessary activity of brain cells is lost. Brain child does not rest; Even in his sleep he is haunted by terrible images and nightmares. As a result, the body's adaptation systems to stress are gradually depleted. Irritability and aggressiveness appear, and academic performance decreases. And in children who have an initial predisposition to a deficiency in inhibition of pathological reactions in the brain, harmful psychotraumatic factors cause the development of tics.

Tics and behavioral disorders

Children with tics always have neurotic disorders in the form of decreased mood, internal anxiety, a tendency to internal “soul-searching”. Characterized by irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disturbances, which requires consultation with a qualified psychiatrist. It should be noted that in some cases tics are the first symptom of more severe neurological and mental illness, which may develop after some time. That's why child with tics should be carefully examined by a neurologist and psychologist.

Diagnosis of tics

The diagnosis is established based on an examination by a neurologist. In this case, video recording at home is useful, because... child tries to suppress or hide his existing tics when communicating with a doctor. A psychological examination is mandatory child to identify his emotional and personal characteristics, related violations attention, memory, control of impulsive behavior for the purpose of diagnosis tics variant of the course of tics; identifying provoking factors; as well as further psychological and medicinal correction. In some cases, a neurologist prescribes a series additional examinations(electroencephalography, magnetic resonance imaging), based on a conversation with parents and the clinical picture of the disease and consultation with a psychiatrist. Medical diagnoses Transient (passing) tic disorder characterized by simple or complex motor tics, short, repetitive, difficult-to-control movements, and mannerisms. Tics occur in child daily for 4 weeks but less than 1 year. Chronic tic disorder characterized by rapid, repeated uncontrolled movements or vocalizations (but not both) occurring almost daily for more than 1 year.

Treatment of tics

1. For the correction of tics, it is recommended first of all exclude provoking factors . Of course, it is necessary to observe the sleep and nutrition regime, the adequacy physical activity. 2. Family psychotherapy effective in cases where the analysis of intrafamily relationships reveals a chronic traumatic situation. Psychotherapy is useful even with harmonious family relationships, as it allows to kid and parents to change their negative attitude towards tics. In addition, parents should remember that a timely spoken kind word, touch, Team work(such as baking cookies or a walk in the park) help to kid cope with accumulated unresolved problems, eliminate anxiety and tension. 3. Psychological correction .

• May be carried out individually– for the development of areas lagging behind in development mental activity(attention, memory, self-control) and reducing internal anxiety while simultaneously working on self-esteem (using games, conversations, drawings and other psychological techniques).
• May be carried out in the form of group classes with other children (who have tics or other behavioral characteristics) – for developing the sphere of communication and playing out possible conflict situations. At the same time, child there is an opportunity to choose the most best option behavior in conflict (“rehearse” it in advance), which reduces the likelihood of exacerbation of tics. 4. Drug treatment Tics should be started when the capabilities of previous methods have already been exhausted. Medications are prescribed by a neurologist depending on clinical picture and additional survey data.
  • Basic therapy for tics includes 2 groups of drugs: those with an anti-anxiety effect (antidepressant) - PHENIBUT, ZOLOFT, PAXIL etc.; reducing the severity of motor phenomena – TIAPRIDAL, TERALEN etc.
  • As an additional supplement to basic therapy, drugs that improve metabolic processes in the brain can be added ( nootropic drugs), vascular drugs, vitamins.
  Duration drug therapy after the complete disappearance of tics is 6 months, then you can slowly reduce the dose of the drug until complete withdrawal. Forecast for children who have tics appeared at the age of 6-8 years favorable (i.e. tics pass without a trace). The early onset of tics (3-6 years) is typical for their long course, up to adolescence, When tics gradually decrease If tics appear before 3 years of age, they are usually a symptom of some serious illness(for example, schizophrenia, autism, brain tumor, etc.). In these cases, a thorough examination is required child.

  See the article “Hyperactive child", No. 9, 2004

  Electroencephalography (EEG) is a study that uses electrodes placed on the head to record the electrical potentials of the brain and detect corresponding changes.

  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the most informative methods diagnosis tics(not associated with X-ray radiation), which makes it possible to obtain a layer-by-layer image of organs in various planes and to construct a three-dimensional reconstruction of the area under study. It is based on the ability of some atomic nuclei, when placed in a magnetic field, to absorb energy in the radio frequency range and emit it after the cessation of exposure to the radio frequency pulse.

Mothers often wonder: why does the child shudder when falling asleep? This phenomenon is not observed in the actions of every child, but it makes parents worry and begin to sound the alarm. Are the convulsions observed in a child at the moment of falling asleep really so terrible? What is the reason that a child is shaken and how to avoid it?

Quite often, the baby's twitching while going to bed is not associated with anything serious, so before going to consult a doctor, parents should try to identify the culprit of the child's twitching on their own.

A baby's sleep is very sensitive and requires conditions as close to ideal as possible. In order for the baby to sleep peacefully and not experience discomfort before bed, you need to pay attention to all sorts of factors that prevent him from doing this.

These include:

In many cases, cramps can be really strong and create fear not only in the minds of the parents, but also the baby.

It is important to determine as quickly as possible why children wake up and experience discomfort. The sooner the cause is found, the more simply and least consequences it will be possible to solve the problem.

It must be borne in mind that seizures in most cases do not indicate the presence of diseases unless they manifest themselves in the form of regular seizures.

If the variant of diseases of the nervous system and gastrointestinal tract not confirmed, parents are able to help their children on their own.

Will contribute to this the following actions:

If infant shudders when falling asleep, and wakes up only a few times during the night, there is no reason for serious concern. It will be enough to eliminate all factors that create a barrier for the baby to restful sleep.

If a child experiences seizures regularly and large quantities, you should immediately contact your pediatrician. It is important to know that these symptoms may include poor appetite, lethargy and disinterest.

Always remember that early diagnosis contributes to the disease speedy recovery.

Not in all situations, mothers and fathers can help the baby on their own, even if the cause of anxiety seems insignificant to them. In what cases should a child flinching in his sleep be sent straight to the attending doctor and to what extent? possible diseases do these cases indicate?

These examples do not mean that parents should panic at the first sign of trembling in their baby. However, systematic seizures cannot be ignored.

If a child shudders in his sleep, he experiences nervousness, regurgitation, elevated temperature, cry, fast fatiguability or, conversely, excessive activity, for parents this should be a “bell” indicating the need to undergo examination in medical institution.

The symptoms do not have to appear all together; several combinations are sufficient to diagnose the disease.

Level modern medicine so high that diseases that were considered incurable just a few years ago are now curable in no time. It is especially important to show your baby all the love and care and pay attention to changes in his behavior and body.