Rocking himself to sleep
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Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: Toddler Times
Forum Description: Is bubs growing up and getting into everything? How do you train them to use the potty? When do you start feeding solids? Share your tips and advice here!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=23184
Printed Date: 27 July 2025 at 1:18pm
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Topic: Rocking himself to sleep
Posted By: kakapo
Subject: Rocking himself to sleep
Date Posted: 16 December 2008 at 7:37pm
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Jimmy started this habit a couple of months ago - he lies on his back in his cot with his eyes closed and rolls his head from side to side, sometimes for 20 minutes or so until he eventually falls asleep. During the last week he's started adding sound effects that can get surprisingly loud - a constant "yaldayaldayalda" kind of yell |
. I've read that this kind of behaviour is three times more common in boys than girls and they will often outgrow it by 18 months of age. Just wondering whether anyone else has a toddler who rocks themselves to sleep? Or whether they used to and have now outgrown this habit?Replies:
Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 16 December 2008 at 8:39pm
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Hi
Yes. My daughter does this. It started with her rocking on all fours at about 14 months of age but now she just rolls her head from side to side. She sometimes does it & plays flat on her back loudly for up to 4 hours at night but often it is just when she goes to sleep and once or twice a night when she tries to go back to sleep. It is pften very loud. She is now 2 years 3 months and still does it. There is absolutely nothing else "odd" about her. Paeds etc have confirmed that some kids (even some adults) just do it. Providing you have no other concerns about him just be happy he has a method of self-soothing and doesn't call to you to help him. ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: kakapo
Date Posted: 17 December 2008 at 7:13pm
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Thanks for your reply Fiona - nice to know there's nothing to worry about. Did you have trouble moving your daughter from her cot to a bed ... as in did her rocking/head rolling mean she was more likely to fall out of bed? Jimmy often moves around the cot and sometimes I'm convinced it's due to the rocking rather than crawling (but would probably need video evidence to prove my theory lol). |
Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 17 December 2008 at 8:48pm
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No probs at all. She slept better overall when she moved into the bed (she never gets out). We have patches of days or weeks where she is awake for up to 4 hours straight at night and then we have days or weeks where she sleeps through.
I do however have to put a rolled up sheet around the wall of the head of the bed and pillows along the side otherwise she ends up banging her head against the wall. LOL that sounds weird but it is just that in moving back and forth her head hits the wall and she hasn't got the knack of moving herself down the bed yet. ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: Mama2two
Date Posted: 18 December 2008 at 7:31am
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Samantha does this as well. It used to stress me out so much - I worried that she would do damage to her neck or something! She does it in her cot and car seat - basically anywhere she is trying to sleep. We ended up putting the bumpers all around in her cot otherwise you would hear her whacking her head against the side of the cot and she would get up in the morning with massive bruises and lumps on her head!
Crazy kids!  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: kakapo
Date Posted: 18 December 2008 at 5:42pm
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I've been too paranoid to use cot bumpers yet, but he's a year old now, so think I might have to do that too Mum2Sam. And good idea about the extra padding for the big kids bed Fiona. Don't think Jimmy's bruised his head yet, but he often ends up right up the top bumping his head gently against the end of the cot. The first time it happened several weeks ago DH both woke up in the middle of the night thinking WTF is that? until we worked out what he was up to One thing that does worry me is whether he will outgrow this habit in time to share his room with a younger brother or sister (we're TTC at the moment). Our house only has two bedrooms, so it won't be much fun for the other sibling if they have to listen to Jimmy yelling randomly during the night |
.Posted By: McPloppy
Date Posted: 22 December 2008 at 8:02am
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My Lachie did this but he was a tummy sleeper so he rocked with his little bum in the air...DH used to be worried but i always thought that if a child finds a way to sooth themselves well great!!! means i don't have to get them back to sleep!! BTW When I am feeling stressed or there is a sensory overload I rock myself back and forth while sitting on the floor...lol i look like a mental patient but whatever works right? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: kakapo
Date Posted: 22 December 2008 at 1:49pm
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That sounds so cute McPloppy - Lachie waggling his little bum around trying to get to sleep. How old was he when he started and then grew out of that habit? |
Posted By: McPloppy
Date Posted: 22 December 2008 at 2:45pm
Gosh it was so long ago...let me think.....he was in a cot and we were in our first house in auckland so between the age of one and two, he did not do it when he was in a bed. He was cutie....thanks. Not so much now the rowdy little bugger is washing his hands while singing and waking up the youngest!!!! How do I stop him from making noise!!!! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: kakapo
Date Posted: 25 April 2009 at 8:18am
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