Many parents are worried when they see newborns or young children constantly turning, turning around or moving while sleeping. However, according to pediatricians, most of these are normal signs in the child's development process.
Dr. Madhavi Bharadwaj, pediatrician at Lifetree Healthcare (India) said that children's sleep changes significantly after about 5-6 months of age. At this stage, children begin to form clearer sleep cycles, lasting about 45-60 minutes each cycle.
When transitioning from one sleep cycle to another, children often have light movements or a short wake. Some babies need to be caressed or breastfed to continue sleeping, while many children gradually learn to reassure themselves.
According to experts, moving while sleeping is also related to brain development. When children learn new skills such as flipping, crawling, or turning around, the brain continues to process and strengthen these movements while sleeping.
In addition, movements such as sucking hands, stretching or changing positions also help children transition between sleep stages without waking up completely.
Hunger is also a common cause of restless sleep for babies. Newborns have small stomachs, so they often wake up after a few hours to breastfeed. Therefore, turning around or squirming lightly at night is quite common.
Experts also believe that rapid physical development in the early months of life can make children more restless when sleeping. Children's bodies and nervous systems constantly change to adapt to the growth process.
A study published in 2022 in the Journal of Pediatric Sleep Medicine showed that about 65% of children aged 6-12 months regularly have movements during sleep. Researchers believe this is an activity necessary for the development of motor skills and self-adjustment ability.
To help children sleep better, experts recommend that parents maintain regular sleep habits such as taking warm baths, reducing light, and creating a quiet space before bedtime. Parents should also not intervene immediately when the child moves slightly so that they have the opportunity to learn how to sleep again.
However, parents need to take their children to the doctor if they have abnormal signs such as prolonged screaming, excessive sweating, repetitive convulsions or sleep disorders affecting daytime activities.
