3 year old tossing and turning every 10 mins in the middle of the night??!!

[Confusedmum23]

Hi all,
Being a paranoid mum since my DS was born 3 years ago, this is now causing me to lose sleep! He goes down every night between 9 to 9.15pm, after a good bedtime routinue in place since he was weeks old, falls asleep around 9.30 (sometimes a touch later), and goes into a deep sleep till about 1am, and then he seems to toss and turn every 10 to 15 mins! Most of the time he does not cry. He sleeps alone in his room, but we have a video camera that also records motion. Every morning I would check my emails and note the long string of camera notifications with intervals of around 10-15 mins! The photos taken showed him tossing and turning. He then properly wakes at 6-ish. He seems cheerful and happy throughout the day, but I am freaking out thinking how little sleep he gets at such a crucial age (our friends' little ones seem to sleep for 10-12 hours!). Anyone with similar experience? Is there something more serious to it? Help!!!!

[TeenageMutantNinjaTurtle]

Um... I think you need to turn off the email notifications. I have no idea how often my 2.7 year old tosses and turns. She could be doing the rumba in her sleep for all I know or care.

As long as he's happy and well rested, that's all that matters.

I think you're setting yourself up for a lot of unnecessary worry.

[Confusedmum23]

You think so? Thanks TMNT. I am quite concerned indeed. Plus heard from friends who co-sleep with their little ones and got their confirmation theirs don't move much!!!

[ThereIsIron]

He's probably too warm.

[BigBoobiedBertha]

I have the dubious pleasure of spending the night with my DS2 sometimes (bad dreams) and DS1 has a very squeaky bed which I can hear. Both of them toss and turn a lot in the night. Small children are famous for taking up bed space and thrashing around too so it doesn't strike me as odd. I think if he is well rested and happy then he is just a fidgety sleeper and there isn't an issue.

TBH I think the real issue here is that you are videoing him in his sleep. Is there some back story here because if there isn't, it is very difficult to know why you are putting yourself through all this anxiety for nothing. There is no need.

I would also suggest that you video yourself in bed. You might realise that we all toss and turn at night and it is perfectly normal.

[Guitargirl]

Teeth?

But yes, what I find most concerning about all this is that you video your child whilst sleeping. Is this the new thing? Haven't heard of anyone doing this before.

[addictedtosugar]

What happens if you sleep under the monitor for a night. What does it register for your sleep pattern?

I can categorically say DS1, who is 5, tosses and turns all night, as I have had the misfortune to share a bed with him on a number of occasions. None have been very peaceful. He feels like a Katherine Wheel in a double bed (managed to simply fall out of a toddler bed, now in a mid sleeper, and the side board has kept him in to date). He also probably only had an hours more sleep at that age (bed for 7.30pm, up at 5am).

I'd switch the monitor off if he's happy, developing and not at risk meaning you need the system.

[ladybirdandsnails]

One of my DC never moves and the other never stops. DC1 wiggles, sits up, ends up the wrong way round, talks in sleep - the lot. DC2 lies motionless all night. It's just how they sleep. Why in earth do you have a video monitor ?!?!?? I hate them even for new borns.

[ladybirdandsnails]

Your friends DC sleep but I doubt they watch their every move. Mine sleep 8-6 ish but it varies. If they day nap it's more like 10-6

[Confusedmum23]

Thanks all.
The video camera came about cos I need to travel a lot for work and my husband thought he should just set a camera up in his room so that I could see him whenever I wanted whilst on trips and could stop asking him how DS was. But god knows why he set up the motion detection function... And now it has become a fixation for me. By the way, the motion detector would capture six pictures per email notification. It is not a video recording. Just that I get an email notification every 10 minutes or so thus my concern! It was ok, a few times at night of tossing and turning, but recently 2 months back it got this "bad". Glad to hear that movement is not necessarily unusual!

[rallytog1]

I think you need to get rid of the camera. It's feeding your anxiety. which isn't doing you or your ds any good.

Lots of children move about a lot in the night. It doesn't mean they're not sleeping well and it isn't anything you need to worry about.

[Iggly]

Turn the camera off.

Seriously.

There are different stages of sleep. He's probably in the dreaming phase where he's wriggling about loads. He's fine.

[Iggly]

Also put him to bed earlier. That doesn't sound enough! Have you tried?

[gamerchick]

Could he have thread worms maybe? It's always a good sign with my youngling.

[wigglesrock]

My 3.5 year old tosses and turns for what seems most of the night, she does it when she's in with me on the odd night and when she's in her own bed. I can hear her doing it if I'm in bed reading, on MN etc, she's doing it now . She also talks in her sleep occasionally. One of her elder sisters used to do it too, but she doesn't seem to as much now (she's 6). My eldest daughter goes to sleep and doesn't move a muscle the whole night, you wouldn't think her bed had been slept in.

It's never bothered me, I haven't really given it any thought until now.

[Boxfreshnewname]

I cosleep with a 2.5 year old and we also have the constant rolling about talking in sleep all kinds of movement for most of the night. I really wouldn't worry about your DC's sleeping style as long as they seem otherwise fine. I would just remove the camera (or at least turn off the motion sensor if you really want to see your child while you're away).