DS is 15 months old and started to bang his head on cot

[buliej]

I think the title says it all - what's with this behavior - instead of lying down (or holding on to the sides and walking around the cot until he's exhausted), he's decided to bang his head against the rail. I find it really upsetting and worrying...but I think I read about other kids doing this. Is this common? Why would he do it - it can't feel good!

[BlackRose]

My DS does that too. He rocks himself to sleep and bangs his head against the side of the cot. Can't feel good and sometimes it gets quite violent. We padded around the edge of his cot which helps. My GP said he'll grow out of it. He is now 21 months and he's slowly doing it less and less. Probably once or twice a week now. At 15 months he was doing it to go to sleep every night.

Hopefully yours grows out of it too!

[buliej]

Thanks Blackrose - I don't like it at all (because I worry) - but it helps to know that others do it.

[Charlotte91]

DD crawls around her cot at night (pretty sure she's going to be a sleep walker) and crashes into the sides.
I had hearing her hurt herself in bed, even if she's not asleep.

DD bangs her head occationally when going to sleep.
I'd say it's normal.

[BlackRose]

Thanks Blackrose - I don't like it at all (because I worry) - but it helps to know that others do it.

You're welcome! It is worrying though.. My sister would bang her head on her pillow and moan herself to sleep until she was in her late teens!!! O_o

Now that my DS has a proper pillow on his bed he moves around less and less and prefers his head on that comfy pillow but every so often he'll rock/bang his head to put himself to sleep, mostly after he's woken up after a bad dream. Lasts around 10-15mins.

[Kmn]

WE had to move him into a big mattress on the floor - because he would bang his head whilst asleep and wake himself up!
They're just experimenting with bodies and noises and so on.