![]() ![]() Check all the screws and bolts on your toddler's crib once a month or more to make sure their rocking and head-banging aren't loosening anything. You may want to spend a few minutes before bed rubbing their back or stroking their forehead. Some babies also find it soothing to listen to lullabies or hear you sing softly. Give them a warm bath before bed, a gentle massage, or spend extra time rocking them before putting them down to sleep. Help your baby find other ways to unwind and comfort themselves, especially if they're having trouble "coming down" from a busy day. They're too young to understand the situation, and your disapproval may only make matters worse. Even if you can't completely disregard the behavior, don't scold or punish them for it. If they still bang their head to get your attention, though, try not to make a big deal about it, or you may reinforce the behavior. If your child is a toddler, this tip still holds – but make sure they get plenty of positive attention from you when they're not banging their head. If the sound of your baby banging their head bothers you, move the crib away from the wall. Head banging can be an attention-seeking behavior, so try not to fuss over your baby every time they do it. Give your child your attention – but not when they're head banging. Most kids will grow out of head banging in time, but here's what to do to try to alleviate the behavior: Rarely does head banging alone signal a serious problem. Head banging can be associated with autism and other developmental disorders – but in most of these cases, it's just one of many behavioral red flags. And since they like it when you fuss over their behavior, they may continue the head banging in order to get the attention they want.Ī developmental problem. ![]() Understandably, you may tend to become solicitous when you see your child doing something that appears self-destructive. Like screaming, ongoing head banging may also be a way for your toddler to get attention. And again, they may be comforting themselves during this very stressful event.Ī need for attention. They haven't yet learned to express their feelings through words, so they're using physical actions. ![]() If your toddler bangs their head during temper tantrums, they're probably trying to vent some strong emotions. Head banging seems to help kids feel better, perhaps by distracting them from the discomfort in their mouth or ear.įrustration. Your toddler may also bang their head if they're in pain – from teething or an ear infection, for example. Developmental experts believe that the rhythmic motion, like rocking in a chair, may help your toddler soothe themselves. They bang their head rhythmically as they're falling asleep, when they wake up in the middle of the night, or even while sleeping. As strange as it may sound, most toddlers who indulge in this behavior do it to relax. ![]() Your baby may also bang their head to distract themselves from pain if they're teething or have an ear infection, for example. What makes babies bang their heads?Įxperts speculate that the rhythmic back-and-forth movement of head banging may soothe a baby and help them fall asleep. Head banging can also happen during the day as your baby's way of communicating with you that they're upset, frustrated, or in pain. They might keep it up for just a few minutes or for as long as an hour. This is because your baby is self-soothing, or winding themselves down for sleep. Head banging usually happens when your baby goes down for a nap, goes to sleep for the night, or shortly after waking. Your child's head banging habit may last for several months or years, though most outgrow it by age 5. Head banging often starts around 6 months and peaks between 18 and 24 months. Boys are more likely to do it than girls, though it's not clear why. As many as 20 percent of babies and toddlers bang their heads on purpose. Although it may look alarming, it's usually nothing to worry about. Head banging is a common behavior some children use to self-comfort or self-stimulate. ![]()
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