It is almost always around 11pm. You are finally still, the house is quiet, and then you hear it: a small voice, then a louder one, then the words you have come to know by heart. “My legs hurt.” You go in and find your child curled up, rubbing the fronts of their shins or the backs of their knees, not quite awake and not quite asleep. There is no bruise, no fall you can remember, nothing you can point to. Just an ache that showed up after a big day of running around. If this sounds familiar, you are very likely dealing with growing pains, and the good news is that there is a lot you can do to help.
What growing pains actually are
Growing pains are a common, harmless kind of leg ache that shows up in many children, often somewhere between the toddler years and the early teens. Despite the name, doctors generally do not think the pain comes from bones actually growing. The more common explanation is simpler: active legs that ran, jumped, and climbed all day are just tired and achy by night. The pain usually settles in both legs rather than one, tends to live in the muscles of the thighs, calves, or behind the knees, and has a habit of arriving in the late afternoon or at bedtime. The classic, reassuring sign is that it is gone by morning, with your child bouncing out of bed as if nothing happened.
Why gentle warmth helps
When muscles are tired and tight, gentle warmth is one of the oldest and kindest comforts there is. Warmth helps the muscles relax and gives your child something soothing to focus on instead of the ache. It is the same instinct that makes a warm bath feel so good after a long day. For tired, achy legs at night, a soft warm pack resting on the sore spot can take the edge off and help a restless child settle. If you ever find yourself unsure whether to reach for warmth or cold, we walk through that choice in more detail in our guide on ice or heat for kids. For ordinary growing pains, with no swelling or injury, gentle warmth is usually the comforting choice.
How to use a warm pack safely
This is the part worth slowing down for, because a child’s skin is more sensitive than ours. Our stillnus kids comfort pack is made for exactly this kind of moment. It is filled with organic flaxseed, never gel and never anything synthetic, and it is handmade in Southern California in a soft, child-sized shape that rests easily on little legs. To use it warm, microwave it only briefly, then test the temperature against your own inner wrist first. It should feel pleasantly warm, never hot. Always put a thin layer of cloth between the pack and your child’s skin, rest it on the achy muscle rather than pressing it down, and stay with your child while it is in use. Warm should always mean comfortable, and a few seconds too long in the microwave is easy to undo by simply waiting a moment before you bring it in.
A bedtime wind-down that helps
Warmth works best as part of a calm, predictable routine rather than a single fix. Many parents find that a little gentle massage goes a long way. With your child lying down, use slow, light strokes along the calf or thigh, working in the direction the muscle runs, and ask them to tell you where it feels best. A warm bath before bed can loosen tired legs, and a few easy stretches, like gently pointing and flexing the feet, can help too. From there, the familiar rhythm of pajamas, a story, dimmed lights, and the warm pack tucked against the sore spot gives the body permission to relax. If your child tends to ache in the same way after busy days, it can help to build this wind-down in before the pain arrives rather than waiting for the 11pm wake-up. The same warmth-and-comfort approach is one we lean on for other small aches too, like the kind we cover in our notes on warm comfort for a sore tummy.
When it is probably not growing pains
Growing pains are common and benign, but it is worth knowing the signs that point somewhere else, because a few things are not typical and do deserve a call to your pediatrician. Reach out to a doctor if the pain sits in a joint rather than the muscle, if there is any swelling, redness, or warmth over the area, if your child is limping or favoring one leg, or if there is a fever along with the pain. Be especially mindful of pain that stays in one specific leg, pain that lingers into the morning instead of clearing overnight, or any ache that keeps getting worse over time. None of these are the usual pattern for growing pains, and they are worth getting checked. Trust your gut, too. You know your child, and there is never a wrong time to ask a professional when something feels off.
Common questions
Are growing pains a sign that something is wrong?
Usually not. Growing pains are a common and harmless kind of muscle ache that many children get, typically in both legs and usually in the evening or at night. They tend to clear up by morning. The signs to watch for instead are pain in a joint, swelling, redness, limping, fever, or pain that stays in one leg or lingers into the day, which are worth a conversation with your doctor.
Should I use heat or cold for growing pains?
For ordinary growing pains, where there is no injury and no swelling, gentle warmth is usually the more soothing choice because it helps tired muscles relax. Cold is more often suited to a fresh bump or swelling. If you want to think it through for a specific situation, our guide on ice or heat for kids covers it in more detail.
How warm should the pack be?
Comfortably warm, never hot. Microwave it only briefly, then test it on your own inner wrist before it goes anywhere near your child. Always keep a thin layer of cloth between the pack and the skin, rest it gently on the sore muscle, and stay with your child while it is in use.
How long should I leave a warm pack on?
A short, supervised stretch is plenty, often just long enough to help your child settle. There is no need to leave it on once they are drifting off. Keep it as a comfort during the wind-down, check in on how the warmth feels, and take it away as your child falls asleep.
Can I do anything to prevent the night-time aches?
You cannot always prevent growing pains, but a calm evening routine can take some of the sting out of them. Many parents find that a warm bath, a little gentle massage, some easy foot stretches, and the warm pack worked into the bedtime routine, before the ache fully sets in, help their child settle more easily.
This is general comfort guidance and not medical advice. If you have any concerns about your child’s pain or health, please speak with your pediatrician.
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