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Original poster

Child Hysterical laughter whilst asleep.

29 replies

Pinkvelocoraptors · 08/11/2021 11:32

Has anybody experienced their child hysterically laughing during sleep. DS (5) has gone to bed regular time for the past 2 days but between 10 and 11 has woken s up to him hysterically laughing. It's more than hed ever laugh normally and sounds manic. Hes completely asleep and it lasts about a couple of minutes, hell then wriggle for the next couple of minutes and move his face a lot and go back to sleep. I have woken him both times straight after as it was truly unnerving and hes been fine but has no recollection. Has anyone else experienced this with a child? I am getting an appointment with gp but they're few and far between.

OP posts:
ufucoffee · 08/11/2021 11:48

He's dreaming. That's all. Why do you think it warrants a gp appt?

TokyoSushi · 08/11/2021 11:51

I do this sometimes, I quite like it, I think I'm fine, and I think your DS is too!

Wiltshire90 · 08/11/2021 11:52

My partner laughs in his sleep sometimes. Surely it's better than sobbing or screaming. What would you expect the GP to do?

BingBongToTheMoon · 08/11/2021 12:00

What? You wake him up because he’s laughing in his sleep and you this this warrants a trip to the doctors?
No. It’s fine and very common.

Original poster
Pinkvelocoraptors · 08/11/2021 12:02

I'm not sure it just felt unnerving. It's not like a little laugh it's like when you're being tickled and cant stop, hes almost screaming. Its manic and he never ever laughs that much and both times after hes twitches his hands and grinds his teeth for the next couple of minutes until he settles. I think in just being on edge because he was investigated for absent seizures a couple of years ago and I know that there is a type of seizure which includes laughing whilst asleep or awake and I've never ever heard of it before.

OP posts:
imayhavelostmymarbles · 09/11/2021 22:11

My son used to do this too. It happened more when he was overtired. Really laughing. It used to make me chuckle as he was dreaming something nice. He never remembered in the morning.
Before that he used to have night terrors so not sure if it is related to depth of.sleep

mineofuselessinformation · 09/11/2021 22:17

DC1 used to have complete conversations on their sleep. No memory of doing it after.
It's nothing to worry about IMO.

Greyingmumto3 · 09/11/2021 22:24

My son used to do this , I miss it so much now he’s a grown up . He does occasionally have random conversations with me that he doesn’t remember

OutrageousFlavourLikeFreesias · 09/11/2021 22:29

I used to cry in my sleep, and I still wake up screaming the place down from time to time when I'm stressed or over-tired. Very common, and totally normal, although I'm told it looks and sounds pretty damn weird from an outside perspective. Don't worry about it (and be glad you got a laugher not a shrieker!)

grumpypug · 09/11/2021 22:32

Gelastic seizures. They're rare, but I would get it checked out just to be in the safe side.

Bryna · 09/11/2021 22:34

I always check my DS when he does this as every time it's because he has a temperature (it has only occurred about half a dozen times). It almost seems like a delirium with him.

But as the majority of posters have said, it is most likely just an enjoyable dream ☺️

NewLifePending · 09/11/2021 23:25

I too would be checking for seizures too OP but I’m sure it’s just a harmless dream

CasaBonita · 10/11/2021 00:02

I've done this since I was a kid. Not manically but a good old belly laugh all the same! Sometimes I wake myself up laughing

Ozanj · 10/11/2021 00:06

@Pinkvelocoraptors

Has anybody experienced their child hysterically laughing during sleep. DS (5) has gone to bed regular time for the past 2 days but between 10 and 11 has woken s up to him hysterically laughing. It's more than hed ever laugh normally and sounds manic. Hes completely asleep and it lasts about a couple of minutes, hell then wriggle for the next couple of minutes and move his face a lot and go back to sleep. I have woken him both times straight after as it was truly unnerving and hes been fine but has no recollection. Has anyone else experienced this with a child? I am getting an appointment with gp but they're few and far between.
Did this just start? Take a video the next time it happens and show it to your GP and ask if it could be a Gelastic seizure. It’s a rare presentation of epilepsy - normally found in babies apparently but one of the kids at my nursery is being investigated for it after 3.
SamosaSammy · 10/11/2021 07:29

The posters scoffing at you have obviously never experienced this in a young child.

Ds2 went through a phase of this at age 3-4 op. And if you explain it to others, it sounds like nothing, after all it's 'just' laughing.

But it was utterly terrifying, it seems like they're having some kind of mental episode and it's creepy at. Sometimes he'd be sound asleep in bed. Sometimes he'd sleep walk...so he'd wander out into the hall or downstairs then stand stock still, eyes wide open and staring and just laugh manically. And when you'd guided him back to bed he'd also be disturbed for several minutes, face gestures, lots of wriggling and moving around before going back to sleep.

When ds2 did this it was at the same time as he was having night terrors. So he'd either start screaming and crying or laughing - and the laughing was arguably worse. At least with a standard night terror, if they come round you can comfort an upset child - there's nothing you can do with laughing.

Has your ds had any night terrors op? Our GP said the episodes were linked, it was just all part of the same disturbed sleep pattern but coming out in him differently. It lasted intermittently for several months then stopped and he's never had them again - although just generally he is now (age 11) a very light sleeper, easily disturbed and sometimes prone to talk in his sleep and just generally be very 'active' whilst asleep. Totally different to my other dc who both sleep like logs!

CLAb2023 · 10/02/2023 12:54

Hi, this happens to my daughter as well but only while sleeping and it is fever related. Did you get some sort of diagnosis?

MargaretThursday · 10/02/2023 16:33

Ds used to do it.
Better than dd2 who used to have tantrums in her sleep!

myveryownelectrickitten · 10/02/2023 16:35

DD used to laugh manically in her sleep too. Still does it on occasion!

OpalexBlonde · 10/02/2023 16:35

I’ve seen a video, at some point, of a child behaving like this as part of a nocturnal seizure disorder.

wonderingwanderings · 10/02/2023 16:38

I think if he's already been investigated for absence seizures then it's definitely worth getting it checked out. As others have suggested, see if you can take a quick video next time it happens and then ask your GP to review it.

It may just be a really lovely dream but with the history, it's good to get some medical advice 😊

WorriedMillie · 12/02/2023 18:03

CLAb2023 · 10/02/2023 12:54

Hi, this happens to my daughter as well but only while sleeping and it is fever related. Did you get some sort of diagnosis?

DD used to get this when she had a vomiting virus, so that makes sense!

TwoPointFourCatsAndDogs · 12/02/2023 18:07

My DS use to do something similar, like unnerving shrieking. It coincided with him watching Scooby Doo. Any new cartoons he’s been watching?

Picklypickles · 12/02/2023 18:10

My son sometimes giggles in his sleep, it always makes me smile. I like that he's obviously having fun in his dreams, I've always suffered with nightmares and night terrors and I'm really glad my children don't have those.

BertieBotts · 12/02/2023 18:13

Trust your gut. If you think it needs looking at take him in. That's what the GP is for.

It doesn't sound like normal laughing in sleep which can be a bit creepy but is basically cute.

mrsbitaly · 12/02/2023 18:17

Ha yes my daughter did this it's unnerving isn't it. But she grew out of it and didn't last long. She would even sleep with her eyes open sometimes 🤣