Growing Pains: What the Nighttime Leg Aches Mean, the 7 Red Flags, and How to Comfort Your Child
Updated: 2 days ago
Medically reviewed by Dr. Baraa Alnahhal, MD · Last reviewed: September 2026
Source currency note: This article reflects clinical content reviewed and updated December 24, 2025. Medical guidance evolves; confirm current recommendations with a licensed clinician.
TL;DR
Growing pains are harmless aches or throbs in a child's legs — most often in the front of the thighs, calves, shins, or behind the knees — that strike in the evening or at night and are gone by morning. They are not caused by growth, usually affect both legs, and peak between ages 3 and 14. The good news: growing pains cause no other problems, don't affect growth, and typically resolve on their own within a year or two. Comfort care — gentle massage, a warm heating pad, ibuprofen or acetaminophen (never aspirin), and daytime stretching — keeps kids comfortable. But pain in one leg, pain that lingers into daytime, joint pain, or pain with fever or limping needs a checkup, because some causes of childhood leg pain are treatable.
Quick Answer
What are growing pains? An ache or throb in the legs — usually in the front of the thighs, calves, shins, or behind the knees — that affects both legs, often happens at night, and may wake a child from sleep.
Are growing pains caused by growth? No. They don't happen where growth occurs or during times of rapid growth. The most likely cause is thought to be muscle pain at night after too much physical activity during the day.
What age do growing pains occur? They tend to happen between ages 3 and 14, and are slightly more common in girls than in boys.
How are they treated? There is no specific treatment — comfort care with massage, heat, stretching, and children's pain relievers helps, and symptoms often improve on their own within a year or two.
When should I see a doctor? Schedule a checkup if the pain is persistent, only in one leg, present during the daytime, interferes with activities, is located in the joints, follows an injury, or comes with fever, swelling, or limping.
Can my child stay active? Yes. Encourage your child to stay active — stopping usual activities doesn't prevent growing pains.
What Are Growing Pains?
When a child cries out about aching legs at bedtime, most parents assume it's "growing pains." That instinct is usually right — and reassuring.
Growing pains are described as an ache or throb in the legs, usually in the front of the thighs, the calves, the shins, or behind the knees. The pain tends to affect both legs. It usually happens at night and may even wake a child from sleep.
The name is a bit misleading. Growing pains don't happen where growth occurs or during times of rapid growth — the name stuck long before anyone understood what was actually going on.
What matters most for parents to know: growing pains cause no other problems and don't affect growth. In most children, symptoms get better on their own within a year or two.
What Do Growing Pains Feel Like? The Pattern Parents Notice
Growing pains usually cause an aching or throbbing feeling in the legs. The pain often occurs in the front of the thighs, the calves, the shins, or behind the knees — and typically, both legs hurt. Some children also may have belly pain or headaches during bouts of growing pains.
The timing pattern is the signature. Growing pains often strike in the late afternoon or early evening and go away by morning. Sometimes they cause a child to wake up in the middle of the night.
The pain often comes and goes. Your child might not have symptoms for days or weeks at a time. But some children have pain more often or daily.
Feature | Typical Growing Pains |
Type of pain | Ache or throb in the legs |
Location | Front of thighs, calves, shins, behind the knees; both legs |
Timing | Late afternoon or early evening; gone by morning |
Sleep | May wake a child in the middle of the night |
Pattern | Comes and goes — days or weeks symptom-free; some children have daily pain |
Other symptoms | Sometimes belly pain or headaches during bouts |
Why Do Growing Pains Happen? What's Known About the Causes
The cause of growing pains is unknown. But research and clinical experience point to a leading theory plus several possible contributors.
The most likely cause is thought to be muscle pain at night after too much physical activity during the day. Overuse of the legs from activities such as running, climbing, and jumping can be hard on a child's muscles and bones.
Growing pains also may be linked to a lower pain threshold — meaning a child starts to sense pain when its intensity is low. In some cases, the symptoms may be tied to mental or emotional stress.
The condition has also been linked with restless legs syndrome (RLS) — a condition that causes an uncomfortable urge to move one or both legs. Some children may have both conditions.
And doctors have suggested connections to several health factors, including low vitamin D levels, very flexible joints, and foot conditions such as flat feet.
Possible Cause or Contributor | What the Source Says |
Leg overuse (most likely cause) | Muscle pain at night after too much running, climbing, or jumping during the day |
Lower pain threshold | Child starts sensing pain when its intensity is low |
Mental or emotional stress | Symptoms in some cases are tied to stress |
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) | Causes an urge to move one or both legs; some children have both conditions |
Low vitamin D levels | Suggested link with growing pains |
Very flexible joints | Suggested link; may lead to physical therapy recommendations |
Foot conditions (flat feet) | Suggested link; may lead to orthotics (shoe inserts) |
One thing is certain: growing pains do not result from rapid growth — they don't happen where growth occurs or during times of rapid growth.
Risk Factors: Who Gets Growing Pains?
Growing pains follow a fairly predictable demographic pattern.
Age is the clearest risk factor. Growing pains tend to happen between the ages of 3 and 14.
Sex plays a small role. They are slightly more common in girls than in boys.
Activity level matters too. Running, climbing, or jumping more than usual during the day might raise the risk of leg pain at night.
The 7 Red Flags: When Leg Pain Is NOT Growing Pains
Most childhood leg pain is growing pains. But not all of it is — sometimes leg pain is caused by health conditions that can be treated. Knowing the difference protects your child.
Talk with a member of your child's healthcare team if you're concerned about your child's leg pain. Schedule a checkup if the pain is:
Persistent or getting worse.
Present in only one leg.
Still there in the morning or during the daytime.
Bad enough to get in the way of your child's usual activities.
Located in the joints.
Related to an injury.
Accompanied by other symptoms — such as swelling, tenderness, fever, limping, rash, loss of appetite, weakness, or fatigue.
Notice how the red flags invert the typical pattern: growing pains affect both legs, these flags flag one leg. Growing pains vanish by morning, these flags persist into daytime. Growing pains leave no trace, these flags bring fever, swelling, and limping.
How Is Growing Pains Diagnosed?
Here is reassuring news for parents: most often, tests aren't needed to find out if a child has growing pains.
Diagnosis is largely a process of recognizing the classic pattern — bilateral, evening-to-night aches in the legs of a child ages 3 to 14, gone by morning, with none of the red flags.
In some cases, though, blood tests or X-rays are done to find out if a different problem is the cause of your child's symptoms. That's because not all types of leg pain in children are growing pains — sometimes, leg pain may be caused by health conditions that can be treated.
If tests find that your child is low on vitamin D, the care team may recommend calcium and vitamin D supplements. If the growing pains may be related to foot issues or highly flexible joints, the healthcare team may recommend physical therapy or orthotics (shoe inserts).
Diagnostic Step | What Happens |
Recognize the pattern | Bilateral leg aches at night, gone by morning, ages 3–14 |
Check red flags | Rule out one-leg, daytime, joint, injury-related, or febrile pain |
Physical exam | Provider checks bones and muscles for tenderness |
Blood tests or X-rays (only if needed) | Used in some cases to find out if a different problem is the cause |
Targeted follow-up | Vitamin D testing and supplements, physical therapy, or orthotics if indicated |
Treatment: The 4 Home Remedies That Help
There is no specific treatment for growing pains — and the good news is none is really needed, because they don't cause other problems and don't affect growth.
While comfort care is going, symptoms often get better on their own within a year or two.
You can help ease your child's growing pains with these four home remedies:
Rub your child's legs. Children often respond to gentle massage. Others feel better when they're held or cuddled.
Use a heating pad. Heat can help soothe sore muscles. Use a heating pad on a low setting before bedtime or when your child complains of leg pain. Remove the heating pad once your child falls asleep. A warm bath before bedtime may help too.
Try a pain reliever. Offer your child ibuprofen (Advil, Children's Motrin, others) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Do not give aspirin. A rare but serious condition called Reye's disease is linked with giving aspirin to children.
Stretching exercises. Stretching the muscles in the legs during the day may help prevent pain at night. Ask a member of your child's healthcare team which stretches might help.
Home Remedy | How to Use It Safely |
Gentle massage or cuddling | Rub the sore legs; some children respond to being held |
Heating pad | Low setting before bedtime or when pain strikes; remove once your child falls asleep |
Warm bath | Before bedtime may help soothe sore muscles |
Ibuprofen or acetaminophen | Use children's formulations (Advil, Children's Motrin, Tylenol); never give aspirin to children |
Daytime leg stretching | May help prevent pain at night; ask your child's care team which stretches might help |
Physical therapy or orthotics | Recommended if pains relate to highly flexible joints or foot issues such as flat feet |
Vitamin D and calcium | Supplements may be recommended if tests show your child is low on vitamin D |
One important reassurance: encourage your child to stay active. Stopping your child's usual activities doesn't prevent growing pains.
Preparing for a Checkup: What to Bring and What to Expect
Most children who have growing pains will not need to see a healthcare professional. But talk with your healthcare professional if the pain is ongoing or unusual.
Before the checkup, write a list that answers these eight questions:
Where in the body does the pain occur, and how bad is it? Does it cause your child to cry?
When did the pain start happening? Is there a certain time of day when it usually occurs?
When the pain happens, is your child usually also upset about other issues?
How long does the pain last?
What, if anything, helps it get better?
Does the pain wake your child up at night or make it hard to fall asleep?
Has your child had any other symptoms, such as swelling, belly pain, or headaches?
Has your child recently started a new sport or type of physical activity?
What to expect during the exam: your child's healthcare professional likely will ask questions about your child's symptoms and activities. Your child's bones and muscles will likely be checked for signs of tenderness.
Conclusion and Next Steps
Growing pains are one of childhood's most unsettling — and most benign — experiences. A child waking at midnight with aching legs frightens parents, but the classic pattern (both legs, evening to night, gone by morning, ages 3 to 14) almost always points to a harmless condition that resolves on its own within a year or two.
Your job is simple: comfort your child with massage, warmth, safe pain relievers, and daytime stretching — and keep them active. Your vigilance is just as simple: remember the red flags. Pain in one leg, daytime persistence, joint pain, fever, or limping deserves a checkup, because some causes of childhood leg pain are treatable.
If your child's leg pain is ongoing or unusual, schedule a checkup with your child's healthcare provider. Bring notes on when the pain happens, how long it lasts, and what helps — the eight questions above make perfect prep.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age do growing pains occur?
Growing pains tend to happen between the ages of 3 and 14. They are slightly more common in girls than in boys.
Are growing pains really caused by growing?
No. Growing pains don't happen where growth occurs or during times of rapid growth. The most likely cause is thought to be muscle pain at night after too much physical activity during the day.
Why does my child's leg pain happen at night?
Growing pains often strike in the late afternoon or early evening and go away by morning. The most likely explanation is muscle soreness from overuse during the day — running, climbing, and jumping can be hard on a child's muscles and bones.
How do I soothe my child's growing pains at night?
Rub your child's legs (many children respond to gentle massage or being held), use a heating pad on a low setting before bedtime (remove it once your child falls asleep), try a warm bath, offer children's ibuprofen or acetaminophen — never aspirin — and stretch the leg muscles during the day.
Can my child keep playing sports with growing pains?
Yes. Encourage your child to stay active — stopping your child's usual activities doesn't prevent growing pains.
When should I take my child to a doctor for leg pain?
Schedule a checkup if the pain is persistent or getting worse, is in only one leg, is still there in the morning or daytime, interferes with usual activities, is located in the joints, is related to an injury, or is accompanied by swelling, tenderness, fever, limping, rash, loss of appetite, weakness, or fatigue.
How long do growing pains last?
Symptoms often get better on their own within a year or two. The pain often comes and goes — your child might be symptom-free for days or weeks at a time, though some children have pain more often or daily.
Can growing pains be restless legs syndrome?
Growing pains have been linked with restless legs syndrome (RLS), a condition that causes an urge to move one or both legs. Some children may have both conditions — mention this to your child's care team if your child also describes uncomfortable urges to move the legs.
References
This article is for general educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment decisions.
Health information, not medical advice. This article is for general education and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your own health, and seek emergency care for urgent symptoms.
Comments