Child Health What is it about babies twitching in their sleep?

Babies: Twitching in sleep is probably not related to dreams
When babies twitch in their sleep, parents often think that the little ones are dreaming. But this assumption may be wrong. According to US scientists, twitching could help the baby develop his motor skills.

When children twitch in their sleep
Parents who have just become parents often want to concentrate fully on the baby in the first few weeks. Even when sleeping, the little ones are still watching. When the child twitches, parents often think that this is related to dreams. But this assumption is wrong, according to US researchers. Rather, they assume that twitching helps the baby develop his motor skills.

When babies twitch in their sleep, my parents usually think that their child is just dreaming. But this assumption may be wrong. According to researchers, twitching could help the offspring develop their motor skills. (Image: famveldman / fotolia.com)

Infant becomes familiar with his limbs
As the Association of Paediatricians (BVKJ) reports on its website "kinderaerzte-im-netz.de", the scientists of the University of Iowa believe that twitching during the baby's (REM) sleep turns circuits in the brain be activated, which familiarize the infant with his limbs and his functions.

In a statement from the university, Professor Mark Blumberg of the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience explained that the knowledge of early sensory and motor learning (sensorimotor) and the development of skills helps to better understand and treat certain developmental disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia.

When babies start to reach for things
"Although this is often overlooked, these disorders often present significant sensorimotor problems," Blumberg explained. "We were able to see interesting connections between the twitching and the skills that babies develop," says the expert. For example, there seems to be a connection between the twitching of the throat during sleep and the baby's ability to move and hold his head while awake.

According to a report from the HealthDay web portal, Blumberg colleague Greta Sokoloff said, "Once children are able to hold their heads themselves while they are awake, twitching during sleep diminishes in this region and occurs more frequently in another part of the body on."

Researchers have also noticed that twitches in the fingers and wrists are most common when babies begin to reach for things.

Do not prevent convulsions
Parents need not be surprised if their offspring in the cradle in sleep "active". Also, "swaddling" is therefore not necessary in such cases. This is a traditional wrapping technique for babies, where they are wrapped up to the neck firmly in a cloth, sheets or a special puck bag.

By winding uncontrollable twitching ("Moro reflex") are to be prevented, which quickly tear the baby out of sleep. Above all, proponents of this method are concerned with the fact that the child experiences the security through the narrowness that he knows from the mother's belly. However, experts have reported that swaddling babies can cause hip damage.

Adults also twitch in their sleep
Even adults twitch in their sleep, the BVKJ writes on its website. They may be updating their sensorimotor system, the American scientists say. "We get fatter, we lose weight, we do strength training and learn new skills," says Blumberg. "All these things require a recalibration of our sensorimotor system." (Ad)