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Original poster

Toddler sleeping with eyes open.

14 replies

Edinburghgirl2 · 26/02/2023 21:47

Hi,
I will be taking her to the GP but just looking to see if anyone else has experienced this.
In the car this afternoon my toddler fell asleep with her eyes open. This had never happened before so we tried to wake her and it took quite a few seconds for her to come round. To be honest I started to panic as it looked like she was dead! When she came round she was very upset and crying.
Is this normal? I'm just concerned that it might have been some kind of sezuire? She's never had anything like this before.

OP posts:
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Housefullofcatsandkids · 26/02/2023 21:53

One of mine used to sleep with his eyes open, not all the time but it was usually when he was napping/had fallen asleep on the couch rather than when he was in actual bed. Aside from looking creepy there was nothing to worry about.
Get it checked of you're worried but I don't think it's anything to be worried about, your daughter was probably in a deep sleep hence the crying when she was woken.

jenhens · 26/02/2023 21:54

Literally just googled this as my son did this tonight! He's two. Was so weird! Definitely asleep as he let me leave the room which he would never normally do.

nolongeropenforbusiness · 26/02/2023 21:58

Yea one of mine done this, freaked everyone out when they saw it.

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Scramble1805 · 26/02/2023 21:59

Yes my son did this in the car once, and another time while watching his mobile to fall asleep. Bloody scary at the time but I didn't find it worrying. Apparently his dad and uncle used to do it a lot.

She probably cried because her eyes would have been uncomfortably dry.

MobyJeff · 26/02/2023 22:08

Don’t know, and I would get qualified advice, but I once caused chaos and mayhem at girl guide camp when someone spotted me asleep with my eyes open. That must have been around 40 years ago and I have no health issues.

cocksstrideintheevening · 26/02/2023 22:08

One of mine did this and my niece, bizarre but don't think it needs the gp

AuditAngel · 26/02/2023 22:14

My brother used to do this all the time, freaked me out the first time I saw it. Then DS started doing it and DH couldn’t understand why I wasn’t freaking out!

Original poster
Edinburghgirl2 · 26/02/2023 23:29

Thanks everyone! Definitely put my mind at rest a bit 😀

OP posts:
SkankingWombat · 26/02/2023 23:36

My Dad used to do this as an adult. He always fell asleep on the sofa watching the Grand Prix, snoring like a train, eyes wide open. No related health issues that I'm aware of (the snoring was related to having had his nose broken multiple times rather than sleep apnoea).

sandgrown · 26/02/2023 23:38

Apparently I used to do this when I was very tired . No known health issues

pinkySilver · 26/02/2023 23:40

My DD used to do it too. First time I - like you OP - thought she was dead! Absolute shock and horror in those seconds before she reacted to my trying to wake her. I saw her do it more than once. Absolutely fine

Catmuffin · 26/02/2023 23:47

Do people blink when they are doing this? Maybe it's similar to sleep walking where you'd be asleep with eyes open but without the walking

PennyRa · 26/02/2023 23:49

I used to do that, so did my mum, so did her mum.

Apparently it's a left over survival thing from when we were cavemen to make predators think there was a lookout

Pieceofpurplesky · 27/02/2023 00:24

DS is 19 and still does, just about a quarter open. Used to freak me out no end when he was little

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