Shaking Head Back and Forth...

[Wrighty26]

My DS is 5.5 months old and recently he has started shaking his head back and forth when he is either going to sleep or just waking up. It's not like a slow head turning, but really fast.

I'm thinking that this is his way of self-soothing-- but it concerns me because it's so fast and I worry that he may have effects similiar to "shaken baby syndrome." I mean - that can't be good for him, can it??

Anyone else experience this?? Is it just a passing thing that I shouldn't worry about?

[Hawaii2SJ]

My DS did that right around the same age, if not younger, and did it for a while too. I thought something was wrong with him:p I asked the pedi and she said it's normal and is a self soothing thing. My DS always did it when he was tired, especially if he was lying on our shoulders he'd rub his entire face/head all over us. I wouldn't worry, it seems like a pretty common thing after asking the moms in our playgroup. DS is 13.5 months now and your typical boy:)

[ellidew]

he'd rub his entire face/head all over us.

My ds is only 6 weeks old and does this. It's like he's wiping a snotty nose all over my chest/shoulder/arm. Just face plants and thrashes. He does it for a few minutes, i shhhh'sh him and he calms down and falls asleep. He does it when he is very very tired. I honestly hadn't thought twice about it.

[Mommy2ml]

Mine sleeps on his tummy (I know, I know, another topoc entirely, but h can already roll himself over so I do not worry and neither does the doc) and does the same thing - back and forth, smooshing his face against his sheet - I actually keep an absorbent pad there that I change every day or 2 cause he loves to wipe his nose and his drool like that as he's falling to sleep LOL

[Medako]

Totally normal.

For a child to be a victim of shaken baby syndome, it has to be pretty intense and generally more of a front to back motion (like a whiplash motion). You don't have anything to worry about.

Lately my son has taken more to shaking his head around too. It's like he's constantly saying "no" with every bit of energy he's got. :p

[sunflower10/04]

My son also did this. He would do it really fast, so at first we got a little freaked out, but then we realized he always did it when he tired and about to fall asleep so we figured that was his way of soothing himself. He did it in the car a lot (he always falls asleep in the car) and he managed to rub a whole patch of hair off of the back of his head!

[Wrighty26]

Thanks guys!

I figured that this wasn't anything to be TOO worried about but it's a little freaky watching him doing it! I'll still bring it up the ped at his 6 month appointment, but just wanted to get some reassurance that this was a "normal" thing in the meantime.

he managed to rub a whole patch of hair off of the back of his head!


Yep! Same with my son - he's got a nice little bald spot going on right now :)

[jmvan74]

My DS did the same thing at that age. Now he's graduated to rocking himself and slamming himself against the side of the crib. Fun times. DH thinks he's going to hurt himself, but I know it's just how he settles himself down. :rolleyes:

[ShelbyMay]

I was just wondering this morning WHY my DD was trying to smother herself into the mattress just as she ought to be falling asleep!

[mkvh]

Fun times! Ditto for C. She's done it for a while now. And she too has the bald patch to prove it!

[Renrel]

My son did something similiar and I pretty much assumed it was because it was fun. The world looks really funny when you shake your head back and forth really fast. Anything that they can do that causes a change in their world seems to fasinate them. DS at 3 still sometimes likes to shake his head back and forth, a bit slower and it seems to still be to enjoy the effect. Like spinning to feel dizzy.

[jesseybell]

She's done it for a while now. And she too has the bald patch to prove it!

Yep, that's my darling E too.

It does kind of freak me out how fast she does it.

I should also say that she is swaddled, so really the only thing she can move is her head.

[Mindy3094]

My daughter did this too around that age. Then she stopped doing it for a while, but now does it during dinner time. She's 10 months. :) We have this little game where she'll shake her head back and forth and I'll nod my head and say, "yes yes yes." She cracks up. She shakes it pretty hard though. Sometimes I tell her she better quit it or she'll get whiplash. lol

[nuhmah]

DS has been doing this now since he was about 2 months old - it freaked my parents out the first time they saw him do it, but it is pretty par for the course. He usually does it right before he falls asleep.

[daisysue62]

My DD did that around that age and wound up with a bald spot! Thank goodness she quit doing it ;)

[sparkle&shine]

We have this little game where she'll shake her head back and forth and I'll nod my head and say, "yes yes yes." She cracks up. She shakes it pretty hard though. Sometimes I tell her she better quit it or she'll get whiplash. lol

My DS used to do it all the time. He would also do it during dinner and have the funniest look on his face. He would shake "no no no" and I would say Yes and he would just think it was the funniest thing in the world. I don't even remember when he stopped doing it.

I do remember being concerned at first also thinking something was wrong with him but it is totally normal!

[mkvh]

In addition to the bald spot, we developed a friction burn complete with scab on Thursday during her nap. Lovely! My poor MIL (who babysits) thought that she'd given C some terrible allergic reaction. Nope, just "head thrashing".

[Sevilla]

I believe the reason that babies shake their heads to self-soothe is because it resets their vestibular system (their inner ear which helps develop balance and coordination). This is why bouncing/rocking also helps babies calm down.