Toddler banging his head on the wall to go back to sleep?

Question

My 2 year old son has got a habit of headbanging to get himself back to sleep. Hes been going to sleep on his own since he was a baby, I never rocked him. He goes into a crawl postion and rocks back and forth hitting his head on the wall each time. Its not bothering or hurting him so it seems but its very nosiy and I cant sleep until he stops. Ive gotten up and told him no more banging your head on the wall and he does stop, but sometimes starts again. He is NOT developmentally delayed or autistic. He knows so many words and all his letters, colours and shapes. How do I get him to stop the head banging?

Answer 1

Sometimes my son kicks the wall until he falls asleep.  I would move his bed away from the wall for a few days just to break the cycle.  Don't tell him why you are moving it.  He will invent a better way to settle himself down.  Just don't go up there for the next couple of days, or his "new way" to settle will be your atttention.....

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Affix a pad to the wall his bed is against.  If it doesn't stop him, at least he will make less noise.

Answer 3

hm mm, that's a hard 1 my 2 year old was getting in the habit banging his head on the floor on purpose so he'd get his own way because he new it was wrong then id just ignore him n if he persisted id give him a open hand smack n don't give him wat he wanted. um if he isn't hurting him self or u aren't sure wat to do, well c ur doctor. otherwise yea h**l grow out of it. i thought only my son did that lol n it was unusual or he had learnt it off some1

Answer 4

I've read about behaviours like this in the book, Better Sleep for Your Baby and Child: A Parent's Step-by-Step Guide to Healthy Sleep Habits By Shelly K. Weiss . The book covers all kinds of things about sleep. If I remember correctly it had solutions for those behaviours. From the sounds of it that is your son's way of settling down and going to bed. If it is a problem for you personally, I think the idea of moving his bed away from the wall is seems good. But if that doesn't work maybe try finding that book at your local library.