4mo head thrashing at night - what's going on?

[ChasingButterflies]

Hi, my 4mo ds has started, in the past couple of weeks, thrashing his head from side to side in the night. He has a feed at 11.30 and settles v quickly to sleep in his crib next to our bed, and then tends to semi-wake about 2.30. It's a very odd movement - he turns his head a little to the left and then whips it right round to the right, quite forcefully, almost banging it into the mattress. He doesn't always wake up when doing it, but it's very noisy and can go on for a good while, and he doesn't look happy IYSWIM. If it does wake him up, he's often upset and needs feeding (he is bf and generally needs a feed in the night anyway, so that's OK). Just wondered if anyone else has experienced this and what on earth might be causing it. He hadn't really lost any hair up to this point, but now his sheet is covered in it in the mornings!
TIA

has he had a cold recently? I'm thinking his ears may be bothering him.
I'd speak to your health visitor or GP if I were you.

Flier, thanks and yes, he's been super-snotty for a little while now (though I now can't recall whether the cold or the thrashing came first!). Will get that checked out. He does seem to get lots of ear wax - find myself staring into his ears as he's feeding!

Hmm, a friend has asked if ds has started trying to roll over yet - could it be related to that? Not sure, given that he's usually half asleep when he does it...

No idea what it is (sorry) but my son started doing it at about this age too. It never woke him up but it woke us up! I think it could just be them stirring and trying to get comfy. My son still does it sometimes at around 3-4am (he's six months) but he's in his own room now so i watch him on the video baby monitor if I'm unlucky enough to be awake!. I wouldn't worry- my ds rubbed an enormous bald patch in his hair by doing this too, he can't be doing it as much cos the hair's growing back lovely!

Thinking about it- it did coincide with him having his first cold so i guess it could be related to that maybe. Dunno- odd little creatures aren't they?!

A friend's little boy did this all the time at night (and still does it now at aged 4!). Apparently they do it to soothe themselves...

Thanks all - it doesn't look particularly soothing, but then again nor does stuffing an entire fist into his mouth, and he seems to enjoy that
The cold doesn't appear to be bothering him in any other way (he doesn't care that he's covered in snot!), so I guess I could wait and see if the thrashing stops once the cold has cleared. Or if it might be an ear problem, would I be better off getting that checked sooner?
Meandmyjoe - his bald patch is coming along nicely!

Hi CB

My ds does this as he is dropping off... it seems very strange + I am always holding my breath thinking he's going to waken himself up! But agree with the others, could be cold related

Mine did that for aaaages - real back-and-forth thrashing.

Has mostly stopped (he is 10m). Now when he's trying to get back to sleep or get comfy he twists/crawls whole body all over the bed...

DS1 (2.6) does this and has done since he was a baby. I think it may be hereditary as I and both of my brothers used to do it too (probably still do).

I have mentioned it to the doctors before and they weren't concerned. It is a good idea to mention it to anyone who looks after him though incase they think he is having a fit or something (as DS1's nursery carers did)

Hmm, looks increasingly as though it might be one of those odd things that some babies just do... Will keep an eye on the cold/ear situation, but maybe we'll just have to wait till he grows out of it (or moves to his own room in a couple of months' time so he doesn't wake us so much ) And I'll ask my mum if I used to do it as a baby - thanks Washer!

in babycarrot this inevitably means trapped windin her sleep. She stops thrashing after I burp her (and extra marks if I manage not to wake her up whilst doing it)

recently sat her up in bed (we co-sleep) to wind her after she was thrashing and she turned and latched onto my nipple, sitting up, still asleep.

cheeky little scamp.

try winding, perhaps?

windin = wind in

sounds like head banging

may help
well described in millpond sleep book and richard ferbers book

bad link, luvaduck

oops sorry
www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,3941,00.html
? that better
best to chat to gp as well though to make sure developing nomrally as its a diagnosis of exclusion

my son did that too! when I asked the health visitor she said he was doing it becuase he could! Its like when they find their feet or realise that those things floating in front of them are their own hands!...perfectly normal...I was worried because it looked violent and sore, but she said it was just because he was in control of it and could do it, so kept doing it!

Thanks so much all of you, will read the piece on head-banging, cheers luvaduck. He was doing it again last night but didn't wake up (woke me and his dad up though ) - and accompanied it with some leg-thumping too! Both up in the air together and then down with a real thump. Luckily we're moving him into his big cot in the next couple of days; still in our room so not sure we'll get much benefit, but I don't think the poor crib can take much more of this

lol at littlecarrot latching on in her sleep

My ds does this, as well as lifting his legs and slamming them down in his cot (he is now 7 months). He is always fast asleep, but it wakes me up!

He is ina different room, but i still hear him!

I asked my family, apparently my brother used to do it til he was three and he too rubbed a huge bald patch in his hair when he was a baby. Guess this is where my little one gets it from. Very strange way of soothing but it seems to work for my ds!

My 5 month DD does this too -- has done for the last 6 weeks or so...I always assumed it was because she was dreaming of having a good old breast feed & was moving her head to try & find my boob!! She does have quite a large bald spot because of it, bless her.

This is why I love mumsnet - every time you think your lo is doing something incredibly weird, you discover lots of other people who've experienced it too! Thanks all

Duchess, I think my ds dreams of the breast, too: sometimes he does this little chewing action with his lips all pursed up. Unbelievably cute...

This is why the site is so good, none of my friends babys do this!!

my ds does this - we call it mr shakey shakey head as he falls asleep. he's just started head banging - especially when eating or waiting for food. and now he's taken to rocking backwards and forwards when he wants to crawl but can't quite.

i read the article and i can not believe that my ds is stressed or abused in anyway so i'm hoping it's frustration or soothing and not developmental problems. but it didn't occur to me to be worried as he seems to really enjoy it and i took it to be like spinning round in the play ground when i was in primary school - causes controlled chaos that's fun.