3yr old has sleep movements at nights. it starts 3hours of being asleep- he kicks his legs, throw his arms and shakes his head side to side. it goes on for a few hours until he wakes for the day. at times he muffle words and cries. what can this be?

Night terrors are a sleep disorder relatively common in young kids. It can increase in frequency when they have not been getting enough sleep. These differ from nightmares by occurring in relatively deep sleep & they do not wake to light touch. Light touch will bring a kid having a nightmare to an alert state quickly. Both issues resolve without treatment over time.

A sleep evaluation may be helpful. Avoid electronic devices, loud noises prior to bedtime. A bath and bedtime story are often helpful in improving sleep quality. Keep sleep area clean and quiet. A nightlight in the room may also indicated.