Rhythmic movement disorder

[Madallie]

My dd has this. She is 2.1 years old. I just wondered if anyone else has a toddler/child with this?

Dd bangs her legs and head when falling asleep and when she stirs in the night. She also does it when waking in the morning, until we go and get her up. She also hums/moans to herself while doing this. She is not upset by this and goes happily to bed every night but I find it very stressful as each episode is very loud and can last quite a while. Consequently I find it quite difficult to sleep and get woken up a lot. Some evenings she does it on and off once she has gone off to sleep so I find it very difficult to even get to sleep. She tends to stop doing it/do it less frequently after about midnight by which time I am so tired. I am also 38 weeks pregnant at the moment so am really struggling with the lack of sleep.

Just wondered if anyone has any experience of this?

There is a lot on websites about 'maladaptive daydreaming' which often is accompanied by what you describe. I did it as a child, rolling my head on the pillow and singing to myself, before going to sleep, and making up 'stories' in my head.

It is sometimes triggered by some 'trauma' - loss of a pet, favourite doll, moving house - but other times there may be no explanation.

The NHS don't accept it's existence, but a lot of people have experienced it.

I'll give you a link, but take the reports with 'a pinch of salt', as some are pretty weird: HERE.

Thank you. I've never heard it called that but that's interesting. Everything I have read online about RMD says it is very common in young children but I don't know anyone else whose children have this or do similar things to this and I'd never heard of it before dd displayed these characteristics.

She bangs so loudly that it's very worrying to me and makes me very anxious. I'm not sure whether to speak to a doctor or hv about it although im not sure what they could do about it. I'd love it I stop as it doesn't sound restful to me and of course it impacts on both me and my dh's sleep as well as dd's - I'm sure she wakes herself up doing it.