Night time head banging

[Clarabella10]

My ds is 22 months old and has always banged his head at bedtime as a comfort to go to sleep, but the last two weeks he's started to wake around 1/2ish and really banging his head quite violently to the point where you can hear the cot base bang and it actually makes the floor shake ... This can last up to 3 hours.

He doesn't appear to be hurting himself and whilst he's doing it he kinda sings and plays..... However I'm starting to get really concerned now and hubbie thinks we should take him to the dr I'm terrified there is something wrong with him.

I would love to heat that anyone has had the same experience??

Clare xx

I did do something similar as a child, rocking my head from side to side on my pillow, singing to myself, and indulging in imaginative stories in my head. I did it from around 4 or 5 yrs old, up to early teens I guess.

In the last ten years or so some researchers have labelled it 'Maladaptive Daydreaming', but I don't think the NHS will admit to its existence.

There are several web sites about it, including the early research, and 'support groups' for it; some sites are pretty weird, others more sensible.

However, your DS habit may not be that at all, and I would have thought at his age he is unlikely to be building 'daydreams' in his imagination.

It probably wouldn't do any harm to mention it to a GP or HV next time DS has a check-up.

Come back to me if I can help anymore.

(I am a 75 yr old retired male Teaching Assistant, with 25 years experience in primary schools.)

We have the same thing with dd (now almost 8). Hvs have always told us it's nothing to worry about - the first time we brought it up they suggested bolting the cot to the floor!

Asked another hv what she thought just a couple of weeks ago, and again told nothing to worry about. We routinely need to tighten the bolts holding her bed together as she rocks hard enough to loosen them. Dd isn't at all distressed, this is her way of getting off to sleep. Developmentally normal in every way and a happy personality. Nice to know we're not the only ones with a dc who does this.

Thank you both so much for your responses.... It's so good to know that there are others out there dealing with the same. I've put a pillow under his mattress now so it's not crazy loud. Also we've stopped going into him when he does the head banging I'm thinking he might be doing it for attention???? Thanks again Clare

Sometimes they're doing it as a comfort thing if they're not/haven't been rocked. You could try picking him up for a cuddle and rocking him to soothe him that way.