Why does the child kick at night? Restless legs syndrome

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is characterized by unpleasant sensations that are difficult for the patient to describe. It may be a creeping sensation, itching, and to get rid of them, the patient is forced to move his legs. Occasionally, similar violations are noted in the hands. It is characteristic that symptoms are noted only at rest and completely disappear with movement, for example, when extending the limbs, rubbing or walking.

In patients suffering from this violation, it is extremely difficult to stay still in bed and fall asleep. Dysesthesias and the need to move the legs are most pronounced at night and often lead to difficulty falling asleep. Many patients also complain of severe dysesthesia and twitching of the legs during the night, after which it is difficult for them to sleep. The severity of symptoms varies. Patients may experience spontaneous remissions and severe exacerbations, regardless of external factors.

Most patientswho suffer from restless legs syndrome also have periodic leg movements during sleep (PSMS). However, PDNS can develop in isolation, outside the RLS. They are characterized by stereotypical repetitive rhythmic leg movements (duration 0.5-5.0 sec. With an interval between movements of 20-40 sec.). This is usually dorsiflexion of the foot. Sometimes the same phenomena are observed in the hands. Typically, the frequency of PDNS is higher in the first half of the night, but movement can also be observed throughout sleep.

In some cases of movement lead to the awakening of the patient, and if there are many of them, then the night sleep is disturbed, which leads to drowsiness during the day. The prevalence of PDNS increases with age. So, 5% of people under the age of 50 and 44% of people over 65 suffer from them.

In most patients, suffering from restless legs syndrome and PDNS, the etiology of the disorders is unclear. Therefore, they are considered idiopathic. Familial cases of RLS are common. Both RLS and PDNS can be observed with anemias: iron deficiency, with a deficiency of folic acid or vitamin B12, as well as in patients with neuropathies, myelopathies, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid dysfunction and uremia. Therefore, with PDNS, it is necessary to exclude the above conditions and appoint consultations of appropriate specialists.

Restless legs syndrome treatment.

Exist three main classes of drugs, which have been shown to be effective in the treatment of restless legs syndrome and PDS. These are benzodiazepines, dopaminergic drugs and opiates. From the benzodiazepine group, clonazepam, nitrazepam lorazepam and temazepam are used. They improve the quality of night sleep in patients with RLS and PDNS. The most widely used is clonazepam. Its therapeutic effect is mainly associated with a decrease in the number of nighttime awakenings due to leg movements. The starting dose of clonazepam for the treatment of PDNS is usually 0.5-1.0 mg at night. RLS therapy may require additional doses of the drug taken throughout the day.

Benzodiazepines can worsen sleep apnea, especially in the elderly.
There is data confirming efficacy of L-dopa preparations for the treatment of restless legs syndrome and PNS. At the beginning of therapy, carbidopa / levodopa is prescribed at a dose of 25 mg carbidopa / 100 mg levodopa at night, then gradually increased until a therapeutic effect is achieved. Typically, a dose of 50 mg carbidopa / 200 mg levodopa is sufficient to completely control RLS and PDS. Treatment with long-acting carbidopa / levodopa (Sinemet CR) can cause a rebound phenomenon. The side effects of carbidopa / levodopa treatment are minimal, with the exception of the aforementioned rebound phenomenon, which consists of symptoms of dysesthesia and involuntary limb movements during the day.

In the fight against this phenomenon combined daytime use of carbidopa / levodopa and benzodiazepines may help. Dyskinesias due to long-term treatment with L-dopa drugs, which often occur in patients with Parkinson's disease, are uncommon in patients with RLS and PDNS. Bromocriptine and other dopaminergic agents are also effective in treating these conditions.

Opioids very effective in the treatment of restless legs syndrome and PNS. However, the risk of habituation and dependence limits their clinical use. In severe cases, when other drugs are ineffective, short-term drug therapy is prescribed. Other possible treatments include carbamazepine, clonidine, and baclofen.

Some new moms and dads complain that their kids have trouble sleeping. Kids are constantly tossing and turning in their sleep, while the child himself does not sleep well and does not allow adults to sleep normally. A child can jump up, twirl around, pound on his feet, stretch his arms and legs, turn abruptly onto the other side, in a word, develop the most real physical activity even in complete darkness. What is the reason for such a restless sleep in a child and why, after all, why does the child toss and turn in his sleep?

One of the causes of sleep disturbance in a child is his emotional activity. When a child is in continuous movement throughout the day, then even at night, the baby's brain does not stop processing the information he received during the day. Therefore, sometimes there are involuntary movements of the arms and legs, this is a kind of imitation of the movements that the baby made during the day.

Young children often wake up at night due to their own activity. To prevent this from happening, parents should make the place to sleep as convenient and comfortable as possible:

• dress your baby for a season of sleep, he should be warm;

• if the child throws off the blanket, then be sure to wear socks, feet should be warm;

• before putting the baby in the crib, make sure that there are no objects there that can interfere with a restful sleep;

• before going to bed, be sure to ventilate the room so that it is fresh and pleasant to fall asleep.

A child's restless sleep can be caused by physiological reasons, such as a confused daily routine. If he confused day with night, sleep disturbances can also be observed. So, the concepts of day and night in a baby are already formed by 3 months. Also, the child's sleep pattern depends on what his biological rhythm is - "owl" or "lark". If the regime established by the parents does not coincide with the biological rhythm of the baby, then the child may toss and turn in his sleep.

If for a long time the child does not have a sleep regimen, then later problems may arise that only the doctor will solve. The sleep process in a child, like an adult, is divided into phases, and in the process of falling asleep, the baby can turn and twirl in the crib until the deep sleep phase begins.

A child may toss and turn in his sleep if he fell asleep in uncomfortable conditions, for example, he is too hot or cold, perhaps he is pressed by an elastic band on his pajamas or some stitches. The best temperature for sleeping is 18-20 degrees, humidity is 60%. If you are unable to maintain a normal temperature, then at least ventilate before bed.

A child may toss and turn during sleep due to health problems. A sleep disorder can be a symptom of one of the diseases such as allergies, pain in the intestines, stomach, infectious and other diseases.

If the baby tossed and turned in his sleep and woke up, then do not ignore him, come up and calm him down in a quiet voice, caress, do not turn on the light and do not rush to change the diaper, just tell him a couple of gentle words, if the problem is in the uncomfortable position of the child, then fix the problem, correct crib, and the baby will soon fall asleep again.

I don’t know if it’s appropriate and, unfortunately, I cannot name the author of this document - I came across it already without a signature.
BEDROOM
"The bed is our whole life, here we are born, here we love and here we die."
Guy de Maupassant.
In more than half of the cases, insomnia is caused by poor sleep hygiene. Therefore, before discussing purely medical issues, we will talk in your bedroom.
Bed
Many people, even twenty years later, sleep in the same sagging bed they bought for the wedding. If your bed is more than 10 years old, then consider replacing it with a new one. If changing beds is too expensive for you, be sure to place a sheet of plywood under the mattress. It should be 4 cm narrower than the mattress and 30-40 cm shorter. Some people with spinal pain may benefit from sleeping on a very hard surface. However, if you have not felt relief within a week, you should not deprive yourself of comfort, since the benefits of this method have not been proven in terms of preventing the progression of the disease. A firm, flat mattress is probably best for your backs.
In addition, the bed should be wide enough, especially if two people sleep on it. Did you know that when two people sleep on a regular-sized double bed, the width of the part of the bed each occupies can be compared to the width of a baby crib. If you sleep together, try to get a king size bed (183 or 193 cm wide) or put 2 single beds side by side, and you will sleep better.
Pillow
Try to get in the habit of sleeping on the lowest pillow you can. In no case should you use a large pillow tightly stuffed with feathers. In this case, the head is constantly in an unnaturally bent position, which can lead to headaches and problems with the spine. You can use special contour pillows.
Linens
It is advisable to use soft cotton underwear. Satin sheets are certainly beautiful, but they slip too much and do not let the air through.
Don't use any synthetics. Recently, there has been evidence that darker colors of underwear contribute to better quality sleep.
Atmosphere
It used to be thought that one sleeps better in a cold room, but this has not been confirmed. It is now believed that everyone should experiment and choose the optimal temperature regime for themselves. However, excessive dryness of the atmosphere should be avoided. In winter, make sure that heating devices are equipped with humidifiers, or at least throw a damp towel over the radiator before going to bed. This advice is addressed primarily to those suffering from bronchitis and asthma.
Lighting
Excessive sunlight can significantly impair sleep quality. In the bedroom, it is advisable to hang dark curtains or use a protective eye mask.
Noise
Silence in the bedroom is a prerequisite for restful sleep. If you are worried about noise outside, especially on motorways, invest in new soundproofed window frames.
Clock
Many people with insomnia purchase a luminous electronic watch and put it near their bed. Painfully trying to fall asleep in the evening, they all the time anxiously look at the clock. Of course, there should be an alarm clock in the bedroom, but if you tend to look at it anxiously, set it up so that you can hear but not see. Some people, on the other hand, feel calmer when they have a clock in their bedroom. It may seem to a person that he did not sleep at all, but looking at his watch, he sees that he slept for several hours.
Often, before important events, sleep is disturbed due to the fact that a person is afraid to oversleep and wakes up several times a night to see if the alarm is working. In this situation, set two or three alarms at intervals of 5-10 minutes and your sleep will be much calmer.
What to sleep in?
According to doctors and psychologists, the question of what to sleep in does not really matter. It is only important that the body breathes normally and that your night dress does not interfere with the normal flow of air and temperature regulation. If you like sleeping naked, sleep.

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