to think this isn't normal behaviour for a 16 month old?

[STANTER]

My son is 16 months old. Usually lovely and very active. Always on the go, walked at 9 months but is yet to say his first word. We've been out all day, he should be knackered, but for some reason he's awake and incredibly hyper. He's banging his head off the radiator and laughing, kicking me if I go near him, headbutting me, slapping my face, spitting at me, screaming and laughing after every minute or so and being generally extremely hyperactive. It's bizarre and I've never seen him like this before. He's now starting at me just saying rarararara repeatedly. Honestly it's like he's been swapped with a child I've never met before. Has anyone experienced similar?

Has he had any food he wouldn't usually have? Is he on a sugar high?

Could he be overtired from your busy day?

He hasn't had any sugar today. He had rice and vegetables for tea at 6:30 and has just had breast milk since. It's like he's just gone crazy!

Unless he's overtired? I think at 16 months I would just be making him have a sleep whether he wants to or not. I work with children and they are all different. After the age of 3.5 they stop having an afternoon sleep.

Sounds like a good thing to me OP - I think artificial coloring in a cake or something used to get my DD acting bizarrely.

Sorry FOOD thing not good thing...

He’s still awake now? You were out all day...did he nap at all?
He sounds insanely overtired and overstimulated
Calm him down in a dark quiet room and get him to sleep!!! BF, rock him, whatever works
good luck

If he won’t let you hold him he’s probably just so overstimulated that you touching him is more stimulation

Rock him to sleep in the pram and then transfer him to cot/bed once passed out

It's the first day ever that we've been out with no pram or sling and he's walked everywhere. Maybe that's it. He's usually out like a light at this time. He's driving me slightly mad! I would like my son back now!

He'll flake out all of a sudden.

Rara Mum!

Yes , my youngest did the same the other week , she is around the same age , she eventually crashed and slept. My mum said my brother always would do the same when he had a long day.

He's overtired, he'll be fine by tomorrow, doesn't help you tonight though

Ear infection?

I think at 16 months I would just be making him have a sleep whether he wants to or not.

Definitely just sounds completely overtired OP. Children that small don’t have any impulse control so try to remember him banging his head or smacking you is because he’s feeling out of control. He’ll be fine! He’ll calm down soon and then do whatever you normally do to get him to sleep.

Thanks all. It's weird seeing him act like this. Im sure he's fine, he's just being a bit nuts

That's how DD (15 months) is when she's overtired. Unfortunately for us it means a night of her being completely unable to link sleep cycles so waking every 45 minutes then having a ridiculously early start to the next day. As long as that day we have a chill day at home and a decent nap (in cot rather than carseat/buggy/on me) it seems to reset itself.

Way overtired by the sound of it! Good nap in the day tomorrow will help him get off to sleep tomorrow night.

Could also be teeth or ear infection as a PP said.

My 19mo is always extra active when he's not had a proper nap and is overtired!

Because it's half term and we've been busy, he's had quite a few "buggy naps" this week, and he'll only sleep for max 45mins in there, whereas in his cot he has 1.5 - 2hrs. Plus the excitement of the day, travelling, etc. You can definitely tell when DS has only had a quick snooze, because by about 6pm he's full of frantic energy and then normally struggles to get to sleep at bedtime (7:30ish).

Hope he calmed down and went to bed for you, OP!

He sounds tired-drunk to me. Dd gets like this, it’s like a second wind fuelled by pure adrenaline and makes them slightly nuts.

Slower paced day tomorrow should sort him out.

It might be that he’s overstimulated. Did you do a lot of activities that he wouldn’t ordinarily do?

Absolutely overtired, mine were in bed by 6-6.30 at this age.

My eldest was like this after we started walking places, I put it down to effectively an exercise high - he’ll be flooded from endorphins from using all his muscles.

Will he feed to sleep in a dark room?

DS went through a little phase like this
I was horrified by the head banging, the destruction he caused, scratching and hitting. Apparently it is normal. He's 19 months now and a bundle of energy but doesn't do any of those things any more. I put it down to frustration at not being able to communicate what he wanted, but sounds different with your DS.

Best thing I did was not to react to that behaviour. If I told him no or seemed shocked in any way it seemed to encourage him.

Overtired ? Take him up to bed and stay with him until he falls asleep .

Fruit shoot?