5 year old laughing hysterically in sleep

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When my 5 year old is unwell they will ‘wake up’ overnight frequently and do this incredibly manic laugh that freaks me out a little, they’ve done this for a good few years on and off, it tends to be when they have or recently had some sort of fever, even if it’s only a low grade and they’re dosed up on calpol and cool at that point.

When I go to see them they look awake and can sit up, eyes are open etc but they don’t seem fully awake, if I ask them a direct attention-seeking question like ‘shall we have some chocolate in the morning’ they almost immediately snap out of it and say yes, if I ask why they’re laughing they say they don’t know.

I just want to know if this is something else anyone else’s kids do or have done? I think I remember my family mentioning I used to do similar but it’s a little unnerving. 99% of the time it only ever happens if they are feverish but it has happened randomly on the odd occasions when they’ve just had a cold or very tired.

My dd does this, it's never occurred to me to worry about it, I've found it very adorable. I assumed she was having a funny dream

Ps I remember my sister doing it too when we were little

Oh god you reminded me. DS used to go into these weird zone out moments in the night where I couldn't tell if he was asleep or awake. He'd act really oddly and it used to really freak me out.

He just grew out of it. I assume he actually was asleep but in a kind of trance like a sleepwalker.

Could it be a reaction of the medication? Does it worry you? If it does, could you talk with the doctor about it?

What I find more uncanny, that my baby son does, is he sleeps with his eyes open sometimes. His eyes sometimes even flicker around at me or other things in the room but he's definitely asleep.

But again, I remember my sister used to do this when we were little and I used to giggle about it with my mum.

So dh and I aren't worried about it, again it's just adorable. My dd doesn't do it ever

My pediatrician told me once in response to my son waking and talking in his sleep and occasionally sleepwalking that we should never try to wake them up but gently put them back into bed , under the covers and help them go straight back to sleep . He also said if this continued to make an appointment with him right away. He didn't explain why he was so concerned as he didn't want to frighten me but I learned elsewhere that this could lead to psychosis in certain people. Hope I don't frighten you either. It usually stops all of its own in a short time. HtH

If a temperature is really high it can cause someone to be 'delirious'. Happened to me when I was really poorly as a child but wasn't a common occurrence. Could be something like that

I used to, and still occasionally do. I am 60. No signs of psychosis yet.

A child at my school has seizures that sound like he is laughing. They're called galastic seizures.

DS does this! I'm pretty sure it's funny dreams - though he can never remember them.

He does it regardless of how he's feeling (no direct link to when ill) however I do notice it more then, because the chances are he'll have climbed in bed next to me if he's feeling rotten, or I'll naturally be listening out more. Could that be the case here?

I have heard of this being a symptom of a certain kind of seizure. I would 100% get this checked out, just to be on the safe side. It's probably fine but definitely worth seeing a doctor.

I'd get it checked too, I have worked with children that have gelastic (giggle) seizures. It is probably nothing to worry about but I would want to rule it out.

Edit to add, try to get video evidence to show the doctor if you can.

This. My son did it every time he had a high temp. It’s called delirium and can also be linked to night terrors. I did mention it to the gp but she said it was normal (for kids). He grew out of it but it can be very alarming to witness.

I would get them checked as can be a sign of a certain type of seizure

I've never heard anyone but my mum use this word for kids and fevers 😅

I used get very delirious with high fevers as a child. I remember seeing the room full of weird balloons, and I'd get tunnel vision so my mum would look a long way away. I think they didn't keep the calpol as well topped up as I do with my kids now

Dd2 laughs in her sleep. She was singing the other morning 😬

I do it when I'm stressed. Figured it was my body's way of injecting some happy hormones.