Flailing, kicking and crying out - but fast asleep. Is this normal?

[MegBusset]

I know babies are supposed to make noises when they sleep, but in the last couple of nights, around 3-4am, DS (6 weeks) has been kicking off big style, with flailing arms, kicking legs and lots of cries and grunts, for up to half an hour - but he's fast asleep and resists waking up. This obviously keeps DH and I awake as he's making a huge racket, and we're worried that he's in distress or having nightmares (if newborns can have nightmares?).

So what should we do if/when this happens again? Wake him up and resettle him? (He normally settles fine after a feed though it can take a while.) Or invest in some earplugs and let him get on with it, on the grounds that as long as he's asleep and not actually crying for us, he's OK? Any thoughts welcome...

[gingerninja]

Sounds normal to me. I think they're just reflexes. I would swaddle him because he may wake himself flailing around which in the long run you may find more distressing than him not waking iyswim.

[lispy]

My 8 week old still cries, kicks, and looks upset in his sleep. I sometimes gently sit him up and pat his back (thinking it was wind) but he settles back to sleep after a bit so i don't worry about it. When I tried to swaddle him he would wake himself up trying to escape.

[gingerninja]

Lipsy did you swaddle tight enough? I never mastered swaddling and in hindsight I'm convinced that it would have made a difference and that we maybe wouldn't have the sleep problems we do 7 months later. See, my DD never mastered sleeping for long periods of time and I'm certain that was because she'd wake herself flapping her arms and legs. I always felt mean restricting her movement but it's not, they're very tight and secure in the womb and this new found freedom is a bit scary.

[MegBusset]

I have thought about swaddling DS but he always sleeps with his arms above his head, and even when we wrap him up to wash his hair over the bath he's freed an arm in seconds - so just not sure he'd go for it.

TBH I think the whole flailing limbs thing isn't such a problem for him - he sleeps right through it - as it is for his sleep-deprived parents who are kept awake by the noise!

[lispy]

The only time swaddling works for him is when he's super tired but wont sleep. I did realise after about 4 weeks i wasn't doing it tight enough (still thinking he was fragile) but a trick i have found is letting him grasp my finger while i hold his hand/s. He seems to quieten straight away. Otherwise ignore it - lucky me he still seems to sleep from 7-7 with 2 quick feeds!

[lispy]

Forgot to ask if Megbusset uses a grobag? At least you know he wont freeze. I use an aussie version called bubbaroo that is all cotton and terry lined which seems better than the grobag. He doesn't sweat as much.

[gingerninja]

Sounds like you're both doing better than most of us on the sleep topic. Congratulations, am very envious.

[Jacksmybaby]

DS exactly the same, we ended up concluding best to let him get on with it. Baby sleeping bag rather than blankets helped - it lets him thrash all he wants without kicking off blankets and waking up cold. Also putting in cot rather than moses basket helped - more room to stretch out arms to the side. (Contraversially this also meant putting him in own room at about 10 weeks as no room for cot in our room (we do of course have baby monitor) - but actually think this helps him sleep better too as we are less likely to rush to soothe him at the first whimper which can actually wake him up and upset him more than just leaving him. Just to clarify we do go to him if he is actually awake and crying.) One of the best ways to soothe him without waking him is to stick a dummy in - this can calm DS instantly when whimpering in his sleep, doesn't wake him and heads off the inevitable full on awake tantrum before it starts.

[MegBusset]

We use a sheet and a blanket, our bedroom tends to stay warm at night so worried he'd overheat in a sleeping bag.

I think we'll end up getting him a cot sooner rather than later as he does end up thwacking the crib bars a lot, in the meantime I've padded the whole crib with bumpers to save him from bruised knuckles, it's like a baby padded cell now...

[fizzbuzz]

Dd was like this..do they have baby nightmares?.

Still yells out occasionally, which is not very restful for everyone else in the house, but she is fine