When it happens · 3 min read
Leg pains that wake them at night
They have woken up crying and holding their legs, an hour or two after going down, and by morning they are running around as though nothing happened. It is unsettling precisely because there is nothing to see.
This is the commonest cause of recurrent limb pain in this age group. The name it goes by is wrong, but the thing itself is real.
Last updated August 17, 2026
Why the name is wrong
Growth does not hurt. Even at the peak of a growth spurt, a child grows far too gradually for it to be painful, so whatever is going on, growing is not the mechanism.
What the pattern actually tracks is activity. The aching tends to follow a day of hard physical play, and it shows up once the muscles relax rather than while they are being used — which is why it arrives at bedtime rather than at the playground.
What the usual pattern looks like
Both legs rather than one. In the muscles — thighs, calves, behind the knees — rather than in the joints themselves. Evening or an hour or two into sleep. Gone by morning, with a child who wakes up entirely normal and wants to do it all again.
Between episodes there is nothing at all: no limp, no swelling, no reluctance to walk or run, no illness.
What actually helps
Massaging the leg, a warm compress or a warm bath before bed, and an age-appropriate dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen when it is bad enough to be keeping them awake.
Over a longer stretch, building in rest breaks during energetic play and varying what they do — rather than the same sport hard every day — takes the edge off how often it happens.
It is also worth saying out loud to them that it is not dangerous and it will stop. A child woken by pain in the dark does not know that, and the fear makes it worse.
When it isn't this
The reassurance rests entirely on the pattern, so anything that breaks the pattern deserves a look rather than an assumption.
Pain in one leg only. Pain in a joint rather than the muscle, particularly if the joint is swollen, red, warm or stiff. A limp, or refusing to bear weight. Pain that is present in the morning, or that carries on through the day rather than clearing.
Alongside that: fever, weight loss, unusual tiredness, a rash, or bruising. Pain that follows an injury. And pain that is getting steadily and consistently worse over weeks rather than coming and going.
None of those means something serious is happening. They mean the explanation should be confirmed rather than presumed.
Common questions
- Can it really be growing pains if it wakes them from sleep?
- Yes — waking an hour or two after falling asleep is one of the classic features rather than an argument against it. What matters more is whether they are well between episodes and fine by morning.
- Should I stop them running around so much?
- No. Rest breaks during long stretches of hard play and some variety in activity help, but restricting normal active play is not the answer and is not what the guidance suggests.
- How long does this go on for?
- It comes and goes over months to a few years, typically clustering around busy periods, and it resolves on its own. If it is escalating rather than fluctuating, that is worth mentioning.
Still not sure
This page is the general answer. Yours is a specific child.
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Where this comes from
Every claim on this page traces to one of these. See every source we use →
Written from the sources named above, and it is not a substitute for your own doctor. If something feels wrong to you, that instinct is a good enough reason to call — you know yourself and this family better than any page does.