Why Do Babies Roll Their Eyes While Sleeping And When To Worry?

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Eye rolling is a common phenomenon that many people do involuntarily. However, when you see a baby rolling eyes, you may feel concerned about a possible health problem. Nevertheless, most babies and infants may roll their eyes on a normal basis without any underlying causes of concern.

However, you may seek medical care if your baby’s eye-rolling movements become too frequent and they begin to display any signs of neurological disorders.

Explore more about the possible causes, signs and symptoms, warning signs, and facts to remember about eye-rolling in babies.

Why Do Babies Roll Their Eyes While Sleeping?

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Babies may roll their eyes since their eye muscles and the visual system are not yet completely developed. Eyesight and control over eye muscles gradually develop in babies over time (1). According to Daniel Boyer, MD, specialized in molecular biology, histology, pharmacologyⁱXThe study that deals with the interaction of drugs on living organisms , and embryology, to name a few, “Babies roll their eyes because it is one of their natural reflexes. When babies stop rolling their eyes, it means that they have developed enough control over their muscles to keep their eyes focused in the same direction. This typically happens around six months.”

Eye rolling tends to happen during the transitional time between sleep and wakefulness. You may often notice eye-rolling when they fall asleep or while breastfeeding. It can be slow, repeated opening and closing, or blinking of the eyes. While breastfeeding does not cause eye-rolling in babies, most moms often observe their little ones close their eyes during nursing sessions.

Neurological disorders, head injuries, hypoglycemiaⁱXA condition where the blood sugar level in the body is below the normal range (low blood sugar), fever, etc. may cause seizure-related eye-rolling in many babies. Younger babies may roll their eyes since they have poor eye muscle control and developing brain functions. Whereas, it could be more likely due to pathology in a ten-month-old baby who has developed reasonable control over the eye muscles.

Quick fact

Excessive eye rolling or eyes moving in different directions in babies older than six months may be due to strabismus (crossed eye) (5). Strabismus is a disorder where both eyes don’t look in the same direction simultaneously.

Warning Signs And Symptoms In A Baby Rolling Eyes

Eye rolling can be normal in many circumstances. There won’t be any signs of behavioral or physical changes in babies who have normal eye movements. But, pathological eye roll may also be associated with other symptoms depending on the brain’s affected area or the problem with the visual system. Po-Chang Hsu, MD, a medical content expert at SleepingOcean.com,  says, “Eye-rolling could be a sign of disorders, such as nystagmusⁱXA term for rapid, unrestrained eye movements , strabismusⁱXA condition where neither of the eyes points in the same direction , seizures, and cerebral palsy. However, parents should remember that eye-rolling doesn’t always mean an underlying issue. They should only be concerned if such eye movements are accompanied by symptoms, such as shivering, convulsionsⁱXFast and rhythmic shaking, with muscles tightening and relaxing frequently , uncontrolled crying, body jerkiness, trembling, increased irritability, irregular breathing, or any unusual changes in the baby’s behavior.”

So, if you notice your baby rolling eyes often, watch out for signs of neurological disorders such as infantile spasms (West syndrome). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), West syndrome affects 1 in 2,000 children, typically beginning between 2 and 12 months of age.

Some warning signs of serious illnesses that may cause eye-rolling in infants may include (2):

• Limb stiffening
• Shivering
• Irregular breathing
• Increased irritability
• Jerky body movements or convulsions
• Prolonged crying

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These can be seizure symptoms in babies, and they may often require special care to avoid head injuries or other traumas during the seizure. However, Dr. Boyer clarifies, “A seizure is a medical condition that occurs when there is a sudden, brief change in how your brain’s electrical signals work. These changes can affect your body and brain’s normal functions, causing symptoms that can be mild to severe.

Rolling your eyes may not be a sign of a seizure because there is no uniform interpretation of what eye-rolling may mean. However, eye-rolling seizures can involve a person’s eyeballs.”

Eye movements not seen as normal include eyes that look only to one side and seem to be ‘stuck’ that side or eyes jerking from side to side constantly and not just associated with falling asleep or feeding.

Experts say

According to the University of Chicago Medicine, “Around 100 per 100,000 infants will suffer seizures, which may be difficult to recognize, even as an expert or parent (6).” Therefore, report any abnormal eye or body movement to your baby’s doctor.

What To Do If A Baby Rolls Eyes?

Frequent observation is required to determine whether eye-rolling is severe or not. You may keep a log of the number of times eye-rolling occurs and any associated symptoms. Daily records on the baby’s eye-rolling habit can be useful for diagnosis.

If possible, take a recording of the event on your phone. It sometimes comes in handy when the healthcare provider is seeing the baby when the eye movements are not happening.

A seizure can be due to fever, infections, or epilepsy disorder in babies. Seek immediate medical care to diagnose the cause.

When To Consult A Doctor

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Consult your baby’s pediatrician if you notice abnormal eye-rolling in your baby. If you are concerned or suspect infantile seizure, discuss with your doctor to diagnose the causes.

Infographic: Normal And Abnormal Causes Of Infant Rolling Eyes

Although infants display a range of eye movements, including rolling their eyes often for benign reasons, sometimes it could indicate an underlying medical problem. Explore the infographic below to learn the normal and abnormal causes behind a baby rolling their eyes.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

Is it normal that my newborn baby often rolls her eyes and shakes? Alleviate your worries by watching this video, which provides valuable insights into this behavior and the treatment you can look out for.

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Dr. Wayne HoughMBChB, MMed, FC Paeds

Dr. Wayne Hough is a pediatrician with around six years of experience in the field. He is currently based in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town in South Africa. Dr. Hough got his medical degree from the University of Stellenbosch. He then worked at the Tygerberg Children's Hospital before completing his pediatric training and qualification from the South African College...more

• Dr. Daniel BoyerMD

  Dr. Daniel Boyer is a practicing Doctor of medicine at Carabobo Football Club, Dallas, Texas. He did his BS from Liceo Carabobo and MD from Carabobo’s University.
  
  Dr. Daniel Boyer is a practicing Doctor of medicine at Carabobo Football Club, Dallas, Texas. He did his BS from Liceo Carabobo and MD from Carabobo’s University.
• Po-Chang HsuMD, MS

  Dr. Po-Chang Hsu is a medical doctor and medical content expert. He received his medical doctor's degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston in 2016. Before that, he did a master’s degree at Harvard University and wrote a thesis on neuroimaging in schizophrenia patients at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
  
  Dr. Po-Chang Hsu is a medical doctor and medical content expert. He received his medical doctor's degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston in 2016. Before that, he did a master’s degree at Harvard University and wrote a thesis on neuroimaging in schizophrenia patients at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Dr Bisny T. JosephMedical Doctor

Dr. Bisny T. Joseph is a Georgian Board-certified physician. She has completed her professional graduate degree as a medical doctor from Tbilisi State Medical University, Georgia. She has around 5 years of experience in various sectors of medical affairs as a physician, medical reviewer, medical writer, health coach, and Q&A expert. Her interest in digital medical education and patient education...more

Rohit GarooBSc, MBA

Rohit Garoo is a writer-turned-editor with over 9 years of experience in content writing, editing, and content marketing. He did his bachelors in Science at St. Xavier's College, Hyderabad, and masters in Business Administration at Osmania University. Also, he holds a certificate in Developmental Psychology from The University of Queensland and loves to expand his knowledge through certifications in various...more

Shinta Liz SunnyM.Tech

Shinta is a biotechnologist who is highly intrigued by science and technology. She holds a master's degree in Biotechnology from Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences and a PG Diploma in cellular and molecular diagnostics from Manipal University. At MomJunction, Shinta writes on mother and child health and wellness. Previously, she worked as a scientist for three years, involved in developing...more