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Children's health

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9 year old jerking all night in sleep?

7 replies

formula3 · 10/02/2025 18:32

I’m really worried here and need talked down. (Thank you health anxiety).
I’ve spent the last few nights sharing a bed with my 9 year old while
staying with family. 2 out of the 4 nights I literally got 0 sleep because she jerked all night in her sleep.
the kind of jerk you get when you just fall asleep but it happened every 20-30 mins all night. Her hand jerking, then a foot, then a leg. Enough to wake me and she’d resettle so had obviously been woken by it too.
she had no memory of it in the morning but the nights it happened the next morning she was very tired and said she felt cold (I’m guessing from lack of any restful sleep). Looking back there’s been a few mornings over the last few months where she’s complained of being oddly shivery and cold in the morning which I didn’t understand as she didn’t have a temp. Wonder now if it was a similar restless sleep.
my main worry is epilepsy- my mum has nocturnal epilepsy I fear it due to how bad it often it. I’m hoping it’s not as my 9 year old Hasn’t wet the bed overnight and hasn’t convulsed as such which is what happens with my mum. But what else cold it be?

she’s shown no signs in the day fwiw; she is generally anxious due to my divorce and school bullying but not sure that could explain physical limb jerks all night ☹️

she is very scared of epilepsy having seen my mum post - seizure, so really do not want to mention the symptoms/ term in front of her but know a gp will need to see her
and assess her.

any advice/
hope very very welcome from a worried mum

OP posts:
tweedee · 10/02/2025 18:38

Hi OP, my Daughter has nocturnal epilepsy and she's 9 too. Epilepsy can present itself in many different forms, not just tonic clonics / bed wetting. The jerking sounds very similar to my own DDs. . I would recommend installing a camera to capture these episodes. Try and get a few occasions worth then book an appointment with the GP to show them, I did exactly that then was referred to the Epilepsy Paediatric team at our hospital.

sandrapinchedmysandwich · 10/02/2025 18:39

I do this and don't have epilepsy. Some people are more jerky than others. I have never been concerned and I am definitely prone to health anxiety

AuditAngel · 10/02/2025 18:42

My 17 year old has epilepsy, diagnosed at 15. She has only once wet the bed during a seizure, although hers mainly happen in the evening/at night. My daughter has juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and myoclonic seizures are jerks. She has other types of seizures too.

Visit your GP

formula3 · 10/02/2025 18:49

tweedee · 10/02/2025 18:38

Hi OP, my Daughter has nocturnal epilepsy and she's 9 too. Epilepsy can present itself in many different forms, not just tonic clonics / bed wetting. The jerking sounds very similar to my own DDs. . I would recommend installing a camera to capture these episodes. Try and get a few occasions worth then book an appointment with the GP to show them, I did exactly that then was referred to the Epilepsy Paediatric team at our hospital.

Thank you for this. Can I ask how soon after you were referred did she get seen? I’m just so so scared right now and feel awful it’s probably been going on for
a while without me knowing.
do you think if I manage
to take some videos and send them to the gp that will be enough? I’m so desperate to not have her worry and if she hears that we are discussing possible epilepsy she’ll absolutely panic, as has seen my mum in horrendous postictal states after a seizure ☹️

she wakes up fine, feeling very cold, which is what has kept
me hoping it’s not epilepsy, but my mum wakes up totally
confused with aphasia - but it sounds like it affects people differently so I probably shouldn’t get too hopeful ☹️

OP posts:
formula3 · 10/02/2025 18:51

sandrapinchedmysandwich · 10/02/2025 18:39

I do this and don't have epilepsy. Some people are more jerky than others. I have never been concerned and I am definitely prone to health anxiety

As bad as jerking all night? I literally got about half an hour sleep as kept getting woken every time her leg
or foot jerked, it was awful and no wonder she was tired
the next day ☹️she also had 0 memory of it and said she slept fine 🤷‍♀️

OP posts:
Kris2107773 · 27/04/2025 14:06

Hi is there any update is your daughter better now, my son 12 started doing exactly this and i am very worried.. please let me know🙏

formula3 · 27/04/2025 20:40

I’m sorry you’re going through this☹️
we did finally get a diagnosis - after lots of other symptoms came
on too. She has PANDAS and the jerky movements at night are actually motor tics. I hope you find the answer for your son 🤞

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