Twiddling/playing with my hair when tired/upset

[terrifiedofgoingblind]

My 18mo DS won’t leave my hair alone when he’s tired, upset or needs a bit of regulation. I love the fact he wants cuddles but he often pulls at my hair (I tell him not too and remove his hand) and he is insistent on putting his hand back in my hair to sort of massage.
I was wondering if firstly this is normal at this age (he’s been doing it since he used to feed at a young age) and secondly if there’s a soft doll/teddy anyone knows of that has hair that he could sleep with? We are weaning off his dummy soon and I think it would help him to have something soothing he already likes in his cot with him…

Apparently my husband used to do this- he'd cuddle up, suck his thumb and twiddle his mum's hair! It seems quite common I think. I think I read on a thread somewhere that a lady cut a lock of her hair off so that her baby could play with it like that instead- but that just seems creepy and frankly unsafe to me 😂
I think it's sweet, but can understand it being annoying if he's pulling it.