Has This Happened to Anyone Else

Not even once , please get a second opinion. Nothing worse than a doctor who won't tell you they don't know.

My kids also did that when breastfeeding and falling asleep. They still do it when falling asleep now-they are 15,13,9,9 yrs old. My pediatrician had the same response as yours. The kids do talk in their sleep and occasionally walk in their sleep...don't know if it is related or not.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. I do this too when I get really tired. My husband laughs and laughs because sometimes my entire body will shake and then I will fall asleep. Just watch like your doctor said and he should be fine.

If you are still concerned about this in a few months, get a second opinion or see a neurologist. It's probably nothing but if it would make you worry less, an EEG is NOT painful or invasive. It's how we found out our oldest has epilepsy. If the shaking gets worse or lasts longer, go to the doctor and have some tests ran. It's better to be safe than sorry.

my one son did that and so did my friends but i think her did it while she was awake. i have been told two things. one is the stage of sleep the other is the there neurologiical system is not completely developed and it is normal.. so either way it has been normal and both grew out of it.

Hi! I have a three month old boy who does the exact same thing. Sometimes in the middle of nursing he will shake his head back and forth. At first I didn't notice it but then my husband commented that he would do it in his bassinet in the morning when he was trying to wake up. I have read that some babies do do that when they are nursing. My son has always been very active during nursing so I think it is just something he does. I would not worry about it. I have stopped swaddling my son and have put him in his own crib so he has more room and he has seemed to stop doing it as much when he is asleep, but sometimes I think he honestly does it to try and wake himself up. Well I just wanted to let you know that you are not the only one and my son is very healthy and does it too! Hope that makes you feel better!

Jaxon will be 9 months old and he does the same thing... I dont know what it is or what causes it. Sometimes he acts like he got a chill, and sometimes its like he just shakes... he also rubs or scratches my arm, chest, or face while he is eating or going to sleep.

If you find anything out, please let me know too

My husband and daughter both twitch like that when they are falling into deep sleep. It's nothing to be worried about. He's probably just more relaxed when he's nursing.

You mentioned that he doesn't do it with the bottle. Was the bottle given until he fell asleep? It's more then likely the "twitch" is just the left over nerve energy going off before he falls asleep. It happens to me, I'll be drifting off then suddenly my body'll "spazz" waking me up for a moment then I'll go right to sleep. It could also be that he likes breastfeeding and when he is he tries to fight going to sleep so that he can suckle longer. I would watch him closely but try not to stress yourself too much.

it is happening to me with my 5 and a half month old. happened twice and was starting to worry...same as with you. did it get better?

Hi J..

My son did the exact same thing. He would do it at almost all his night time feedings when he was younger. Now that he's 8 months old, it happens way less often.

I agree with the doctor. I have caught myself jerking away during an early sleep stage and know my children have done it too.

Oh, J.! This very same thing happened to me with my one and only little boy. I was freaked out by it, and no one else saw this happening because it would only happen while breastfeeding. I pursued this with his ped., and even went to a neurologist at Akron Children's. As my little one was getting hooked up to all the electrodes for an EEG (?), I was so upset with myself for pursuing the matter. It was so awful to see him so upset by getting these electrodes glued all over his little scalp. In the end, he was perfectly fine which made me feel even worse having put him through that. Eventually, the jerking did go away, and I think this was all caused by teething. After he got his first tooth, the shaking seemed to subside. I was a nervous wreck for awhile though. We were also dealing with allergies at the time, which I didn't discover until after his first birthday. Your Pediatrician's advice sounds very good, and the fact that he's hitting milestones and is happy, playful are all positive signs that he's perfectly fine. Enjoy everyday with your little one!!

I asked my doctor about similar twitching in my son (except it was his arms) and he said that if you can stop it by waking him up or by touching him to stop it, then it is fine and just normal. It is only if you can't stop it that you need to worry about possible seizures, so it sounds like you are fine.

I have heard that babies do this sometimes when they pea!
He might be making more room for what you are feeding him!

As an adult, I sometimes twitch when I "fall" asleep. I think that is normal. That is maybe why they call it "falling" asleep, because your body jiggles as if you are falling.

If he does not change color (become pale, blue lips, pasty as if insufficient oxygen) and you do not see a change in breathing, then PERHAPS he is just a deep sleeper.

I understand your anxiety, but if breathing is not hampered, then maybe all is well.

C. W