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Original poster

Child saying things appear smaller

31 replies

Whowhatwherewhenwhynow · 31/12/2022 12:52

Has anyone experienced their child saying that at times their vision goes funny and things appear smaller?

my son keeps getting this, mainly in the evening. It freaked him out. He says things look small.

anyone had this or child had this?

OP posts:
NuffSaidSam · 31/12/2022 12:54

I had this as a child! No idea what it was, haven't had it since being a child. But it was really freaky, nearly always in the evening/after I'd gone to bed too. Things would sound high pitched and distant too.

ForYouManImADoomBoy · 31/12/2022 13:03

i get this, mine is Alice in Wonderland Syndrome. generally nothing to worry about tbh, most people grow out of it and then just have vague memories of it happening. mine is linked to migraines

Boshi · 31/12/2022 13:05

I used to have this when I was ill as a child. Is it just before he goes to sleep or when he is wide awake? Either way I would take him to the opticians

Catmuffin · 31/12/2022 13:32

I used to get this as a child. Always when I was in bed. Might have had it as an adult too. Alice in wonderland syndrome

RampantIvy · 31/12/2022 13:40

I think you need to book an eye test.

baconisgoodforme · 31/12/2022 13:43

I had this a child too,recently read about Alice in wonderland syndrome and I think that was it. I could look at my bedroom door and it would seem to get further and further away till it was really small. It was so strange. Doesn't happen anymore and as other posters have said might be linked to migraines as I had those too.

MadameCholetsDirtySecret · 31/12/2022 13:45

I used to get that too. It was very trippy. I grew out of it.

Enzobear · 31/12/2022 13:46

My son used to get this. He is 9 now but used to get it regularly 2-3 years ago, mostly at night. He said that people's heads (mine etc when I was reading him a bedtime story) would look really small. He occasionally said it would happen when he was at school. I googled it at the time and I think it pointed to Alice in wonderland syndrome. I think he has grown out if it now as not mentioned it for a few years and is a perfectly happy healthy boy.

WhineWhineWINE · 31/12/2022 13:48

My sister used to get this as a child. We were told by the GP that it's a type of migraine. She grew out of it.

junipermarten · 31/12/2022 13:51

Yep, Alice in Wonderland syndrome. I had it as a kid. I read somewhere it could be linked to neurodiversity. I have ADHD.

dropthevipers · 31/12/2022 14:06

Have you checked to make sure these things aren't just far away?

junipermarten · 31/12/2022 14:09

dropthevipers · 31/12/2022 14:06

Have you checked to make sure these things aren't just far away?

🤣

GrumpyOldBastard · 31/12/2022 14:10

I had this as a child. It was accompanied by a lovely warm, relaxed feeling and I was sad when I grew out of it. The first episode happened when I banged my head on an apple tree, after coming off my bike aged 7. They stopped when I was about 13 or 14.

My own research led me to believe it was a form of temporal lobe epilepsy.

Rose5678 · 31/12/2022 14:12

Have they been ill recently? Mine kept saying it after they’d had tonsillitis but it seems to have gone away now. I think it can happen when they’ve had a virus or infection, can’t remember properly now!

Wimpeyspread · 31/12/2022 14:14

I remember getting this when I was a child, usually when I was in bed sleepy/ill and Mum was reading to me

Denise82 · 31/12/2022 14:18

Yes my 8 year old son has been saying this on and off this year, we were watching TV and he just said everything was small, the TV was tiny like it was far away. After googling I found out about Alice In Wonderland syndrome and it fit what my son was saying. He wears glasses and had an eye test in July and everything was fine. He hasn't mentioned it for a few months.

Immitchell · 31/12/2022 14:28

I get this but got it a lot more as a child, mostly in bed.
I get migraines too from time to time.
I assume it's Alice in Wonderland syndrome as it fits. I used to hate it as a child - I still find it disconcerting now but not as awful as when I was a child.

puppydisaster · 31/12/2022 14:30

DD10 had this when she was about 5-6, she doesn't even remember it now.

Sadly, as others have said, it was a precursor to migraines for her and she suffers every few weeks.

Madlymumming · 31/12/2022 14:36

I had the opposite of this as a child and even recently.

Whenever I have a fever/high temperature everything seems bigger. Duvet/blankets etc all seem huge.

Very strange feeling.

icanwearwhatiwant · 31/12/2022 14:57

Oh how odd, this thread has just reminded me that I had the same thing asa child. It never lasted long or really affected me so I just ignored it and eventually grew out of it.
Seem like it's quite common though.

lugeforlife · 31/12/2022 15:14

Dd2 has/had this. She's 13 and it started when she had a run of pretty horrid viral illness around 11 including 2 bouts of Covid.

We've been to the gp who was not concerned but linked to hormones/anxiety as well. It does get worse when she's anxious or tired and she gets it at nighttime the most.

I also thought it sounded like Alice in wonderland syndrome when I looked into it with her.

flatpack1 · 31/12/2022 15:31

I had this as a child as have several family members.

stbrandonsboat · 31/12/2022 15:45

I had this as a young teenager. I'm ND and used to get migraines. It felt nice when it happened, but was also super weird. My dcs used to get it as well. They're ND too.

SaintLoy · 31/12/2022 15:49

RampantIvy · 31/12/2022 13:40

I think you need to book an eye test.

This. I had very similar symptoms as a kid. Turned out I needed glasses.

Original poster
Whowhatwherewhenwhynow · 31/12/2022 15:58

I’ve booked an eye test but he had one not too long ago so I’m thinking it’s not that.

It is happening mainly in the evening like many of you said you had as children.

Interesting commenters are saying a link with migraines, as my son has complained of head aches several times this weeks and is at the end of a virus lasting the last few weeks.

My son is finding it distressing rather than relaxed though. I’ve suggested he lay with eye closed when it happens.

OP posts: