Toddlers moving excessively when sleeping
If you’ve watched your toddler sleep, you may have observed some of the following;
- Squirming,
- Rolling,
- Squawking,
- Talking,
- Singing,
- Kicking,
- Flopping around,
- Sitting up,
- Kicking off covers.
And so much more.
Toddlers are not the soundest of sleepers, are they?
It’s quite normal for your toddler to be so active when they sleep. Moving and getting comfortable 2 or 3 times an hour is something we all do during the night, but your movements aren’t as dramatic as your toddlers. When you wake, you may roll over, and then you’re straight back to sleep. On the other hand, your toddler may roll around for a little, getting themselves uncovered, sit up, flop back down, kick their legs a little, and then go back to sleep.
I remember wondering if I would ever be able to get my eldest into a bed, he would move so much in his sleep! (That’s him in the picture at the top of this post).
Remaining relatively still when sleeping is something that is usually outgrown by school-age. I’ve found some families find that their child seems a little more grounded when introducing a pillow (you can introduce a pillow after 18-months of age.).
Your toddler may be more active a certain parts of the night. As we don’t get into a deeper sleep after around 4 am, you may think your toddler is sleeping very restlessly between 4 am and when they wake in the morning.
There is no right amount of restless sleep; some children are more active than others. As I mentioned above, my eldest was a very active sleeper and would flop around so much that we would often find him half in the bed half on the floor when we moved him to a toddler bed. On the other hand, my youngest slept very differently and was nowhere near as fidgety.
When is this a problem?
If your child has an underlying sleep condition, such as restless leg syndrome or sleep apnea, moving around whilst sleeping isn’t something they will outgrow. If you’re seeing some of the following signs or are concerned, you should talk with your child’s doctor.
- Snoring,
- Gasping for air,
- Not feeling refreshed from sleep,
- Mouthbreathing,
- Irritability,
- Pain in limbs,
- Not having a regular sleep-wake schedule.
You’re being disturbed. If you’re bed-sharing with your toddler and their flopping around is disturbing your sleep and waking you all through the night, it may be time to create a little more space between you can them. As you’re being disturbed by them and they are sleeping through all this movement, I hate to say it, but it’s more of a you problem than a them problem!
This doesn’t need to be the end of bed-sharing if you and your child aren’t ready to stop; creating some space between you and your child can help.
Don’t worry; your toddler will become more grounded whilst sleeping; in the meantime, marvel at the positions they can get themselves in.
How have your found your child sleeping?
