About body-rocking, head-rolling and head-banging
It’s common to see young children body-rocking, head-rolling and head-banging at bedtime or during the night. They do it because it’s rhythmic and it comforts and soothes them.
For example, your child might:
- get on their hands and knees and rock back and forth, hitting their forehead on the bedhead or edges of the cot
- sit in bed and bang their head backwards against the bedhead
- lie face down and bang their head and chest into the pillow or mattress
- lie on their back and move their head or body from side to side
- make humming noises in time with their movements.
You might see body-rocking around 6 months of age and head-rolling or head-banging around 9 months. Most children stop this behaviour by 5 years, but occasionally it keeps going after this. As children get older, they might change the way they move. For example, children might bang their heads at 12 months but roll their heads or bodies at 2 years.
How to handle body-rocking, head-rolling and head-banging at bedtime
If your child is developing well in all other ways and the body-rocking, head-rolling or head-banging happens only at night, you might decide to put up with it. It might help to remember that it’s a common childhood behaviour, which will eventually go away.
Here are ideas that might help in the meantime:
- Think about how long your child is spending in bed before falling asleep. Too much time awake in bed might result in head-banging and body-rocking.
- Avoid giving the behaviour your attention. Children might behave this way more if it seems to keep you around at bedtime.
- If your child is in a bed, remove bedside tables or other hard surfaces, and move the bed well away from walls. This will help to stop bruising or thickening of your child’s skin in the spot where they bang their head.
- Consider putting your child’s mattress directly on the floor away from walls. This can help to limit the noise.
If your baby is 0-12 months old, keep their sleep space clear of bumpers, quilts, pillows or other soft objects. This helps to create a safe sleep environment. In a safe sleep environment, your child sleeps on their back, on a firm, flat and level surface, in a space that’s clear, not too hot and smoke free. This reduces the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and fatal sleep accidents.
When to get help for rocking, rolling and banging
Head-banging might result in red marks, slight bruising or skin thickening on children’s heads. For most children, this doesn’t cause any serious or permanent injury.
But it’s a good idea to talk with your child’s GP if the head-banging, rocking or rolling happens a lot through the night and your child also snores or seems tired in the morning. The GP will check for things that might be disturbing your child’s sleep, like obstructive sleep apnoea.
Occasionally children rock, roll and bang their heads more if they’re experiencing anxiety or stress during the day. If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health, check in with your GP.
Body-rocking and head-banging can be particularly intense in some children, including children with developmental delay, autism or blindness. These children are also more likely to rock or bang during the day. For these children, the rocking and banging can result in more bruising, but it’s rarely harmful. In this situation, you can get advice from your child’s paediatrician or health specialist.
If you’re concerned about your child’s rocking, rolling and banging or about other areas of your child’s development, it’s always OK to talk to your child’s GP or child and family health nurse. It’s a good idea to take a video of the behaviour that concerns you to show the GP or nurse.