HELP PLS! Head Thrashing 4 month old no SLEEP!

[Kaidensmum]

hi hoping people have some advise for me regarding this as me and oh are exhausted...
Lb 16 weeks old ebf was sleeping through with only one feed until 8 nights ago ð???
He sleeps in a sleepy head next to me cot (or used to!). 8 nights ago became really unsettled part way through night and began shaking head side to side.
This has just got consistently worse til last 4 nights I have got him to sleep, put him down and within 30mins to an hour he is thrashing head side to side. He does this constantly til he wakes himself up (about 5 mins) then will cry if left much longer, requires feeding/cuddling to get back to sleep. This carries on all night but usually lasts around 20 mins in cot til head thrashing starts again ð???
He sleeps slightly better on oh chest but still thrashes to some degree. Slightly better in my arms where he can latch on and off nipple but I can't sleep like that! Can't bedshare as our mattress is too soft.

Been to docs he doesn't have any ear infection etc, doc had no idea said probably just a phase!
Possibly teething? But can see no evidence and calpol/ teething powders seem to have no effect!

Also considered could be 4 month sleep regression or wonder week. Or I'm now thinking its to do with sleep cycles - been unable to go from one to next, but what can I do to help him??


So ladies any ideas or advice? (Please!) I need more than an hours straight sleep!

[Acorncat]

No idea but my 4 month old is the same, chucking himself side to side for what feels like all night. During the day he sleeps peacefully! I now co-sleep to see if that helps but it doesn't seem to. He's always done it a bit but it does seem to be getting worse. Hoping someone has the answers...

[omama]

My ds always did this when he was tired. Still does sometimes at age 4. Think its a way of settling to sleep. Looks wierd but nothing to be concerned about. Could your lo be overtired? Happened more for us when ds was.

[tulip87]

weird my son did this last week at nap times and I worked out he wanted feeding. might be completely different to your little one but thought I would share :)

[Madamnit]

My LO did this and we found putting the cot mattress in the travel cot worked wonders. Baby was bashing head again the soft material side not the hard bars...may be worth a try?!

[Monkeybrain10]

I have a "Mr shakey shakey head" too! He went through a few weeks of it at about 4 months and just did it again today (6 and a half months)!?? My boy looks happy when he does it so I always thought it was either itchy ears or head or maybe he just enjoyed it (what kid doesn't love making themself dizzy!). You should persist with the Dr if it looks like your baby is distressed otherwise maybe don't worry...looks like lots of us have shakey head babies!

[WhyNotSmile]

My now 5.5mo has been doing this for a few weeks, but thrashes his arms and legs as well! If I pick him up he rubs his nose from side to side against my chest. Feeding settles him a bit, but often when I put him back down he starts again and i have to pick him up.

I've resorted to putting him to sleep in his pram, as he has less room to thrash about, and that helps a bit, but I haven't found a solution yet. I was thinking he was maybe over-tired, as a PP said, so I'm moving his bedtime a bit earlier to see whether that helps. He's also teething, so I'm thinking maybe his ear and cheek could be sore.

He's allowed the pace of thrashing a little this week, so it may be that he's outgrowing it. Will post here if I find a solution or things improve!

[WhyNotSmile]

Also, interesting to note that all posters so far have said it's their son doing this... Is it a boy thing?

[Monkeybrain10]

I wonder if it is a boy thing ? Good point whynotsmile! :-) I also wi fee if it's teething related as my lo had a bad night last night (most likely teeth as he's recently got his first two) .

[Mumblefireplace]

My dd is a head thrasher too! She likes to play a game during the day of head shaking with people she meets - e.g people on the bus! this started at about 6 months and she sometimes still does it now at 7.5 months. Last few days she has been doing it at nap time / bed time while I'm putting her to sleep. Seems to me like she's too excited to sleep. I'm sure it's a phase that will pass.

[Redling]

My DS now 5 months started raising both legs and banging them down really hard in his sleep over and over and over at christmas. This would wake him up too! We'd sit downstairs listening to the THUMP........ THUMP....... THUMP and then he'd do it in the night. I confess as he's not rolling so its not dangerous I've stuck a pillow under his legs at night to stop it. And I hope he'll have stopped when I remove it! I have no idea why he does it.

[Mouse6]

Don't stress I have 3 sons all 3 have or are still doing this it's an over tired comfort thing my 12 year old stopped early only did it for a few months my 8 year old still does it and my 4 month old has just started doing it

[FATEdestiny]

shaking head side to side

Classic "I am exhausted and really, really, REALLY want to be asleep. Please please pleaseeeeeee help me get to sleep. I'm so tired!!^ sign.

Help baby get to sleep. You could try:

• feeding to sleep
  
• dummy
  
• swaddle
  
• cosleeping
  
• rocking
  
• pushchair/ bouncy chair in daytime

[PopsicleToes]

I feel for you OP, 3mo DS has been doing it for weeks... head + arms + recently legs! it starts after the first sleep of the night. Not much to offer by way of solutions, but i swaddle (not helpful for restraining head i know!) and when it's at most extreme i lie propped up in bed, lie him on his side on my chest so head is sideways - which stops him thrashing it about, restrain his arms with mine, and usually manage to get a bit of sleep.