Restless Baby At Night

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Restless Baby At Night

by nikki
(pittsburgh)

My son is one day shy of 8 months old and about a week and a half ago he started to moan and thrash about while sleeping. His eyes are closed during this. And if he happens to wake himself up during this he returns to being the happy baby boy he normally is during the day. I am clueless as to what is making him seem so unhappy while sleeping. I have tried tylenol and oragel at night, in case he was teething, but it hasn't helped all that much. I am lost!

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Restless Baby At Night

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Mar 12, 2010

Baby Dreaming
by: Baby Help Line - Annie

Hi Nikki,

Babies dream - in fact they dream far more than adults do! His thrashing around and moaning is likely to be dreaming. If he wakes distressed, then just the usual things of comforting him, but given that he is happy when awake, I wouldn't worry about it.

Dreams usually are the mind playing out and making sense of the experiences we have had, or the thing we are struggling with. Even though he is a happy little boy, there are lots of frustrations as a baby, trying to get control of their body, trying to express their needs etc. And that frustration is a good thing, as it helps to motivate us to try to master something. So it may be his dreams are just expressing his frustrations, or integrating something that has been difficult. I could be he recently had a vaccination, or heard a loud noise that startled him, or any number of experiences that he is not equipped to understand.

Babies also have nightmares, waking with a fright, or being scared Mom has gone etc. Bad dreams are not really a bad thing, it is simply a way we learn - even when we are asleep! But it sounds like he is happy when he wakes so I think just trust that it is his little brain working overtime processing his day.

I wouldn't medicate unless you are sure he is teething, or the discomfort is stopping him sleeping. It sounds more like he is doing this in his sleep, so if it was pain or teething, he would likely be grumpy and out of sorts when he wakes, and having difficulty getting off to sleep.

Amazing the way our bodies learn and grow! Just enjoy your little boy,
all the best
Annie Desantis

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