Is your baby shaking their head side to side or up and down (like nodding)?
Baby head shaking can be part of normal development and behaviors (such as learning to control their neck) or be due to medical conditions, including various illnesses and neurodevelopmental issues.
In this article, we go through how to identify why your baby is shaking their head and how to address the headshaking (if needed).
Anything our babies do that is out of the ordinary is a cause for concern for most new parents. A sudden loss of muscle control of the neck or the frequent lolling or shaking of our baby’s head can undoubtedly be worrying and should be sorted out, even if, in most cases, it is nothing alarming.
Below are 13 reasons a baby shakes their head and what to do about it.
13 Possible Reasons for Frequent Headshaking in Babies and Recognizing Red Flags
In this article…
- 1. Learning Neck Control
- 2. Curiosity
- 3. Playing and Imitation
- 4. Non-Verbal Communication
- 5. Sleepy or Self-Soothing
- 6. Hungry or Trying to Latch
- 7. Ear Infections
- 8. Other Pain
- 9. Infantile Spasms
- 10. Rhythmic Movement Disorder
- 11. Neurodevelopmental Issues Including ASD
- 12. Neurological Disorders
- 13. Impaired Eyesight
- When Can a Baby’s Headshaking be a Warning Sign?
- How to Make My Baby Stop Shaking Head?
1. Learning Neck Control
Usually, by two months of age, a baby starts to smile and look up at their parents. At this time, babies’ neck muscles may not yet be strong enough for them to be able to keep their relatively large heads up for more extended time periods. Therefore, we can see the babies shaking their heads from side to side in an attempt to face up. This type of headshaking is not a cause for concern since most babies have sufficient neck control once they can roll over, which happens by the third to fourth month. Practicing tummy time is an efficient way to help the baby strengthen their back and weak neck muscles.
2. Curiosity
At around two months old, babies also become more aware of the people around them, making them look up more or turn their heads from side to side to get a glimpse of who or what is around them. Since their neck muscles are relatively weak, this new curiosity may lead to some shaking, even if the intention is simply to look in different directions.
3. Playing and imitation
Babies may also shake their heads when on their tummy, back, or in your arms as part of playing and imitation. In this case, the headshaking may be part of trying to imitate people around them or interacting.
Needless to say, this type of headshaking is no concern. If you think your baby is doing it too much, try to distract them by interacting in other ways, and remember not to reinforce the behavior by giving it too much attention.
4. Non-verbal Communication Skills
Of course, at some point, your baby will start communicating non-verbally, and shaking their head will actually mean no.
This usually happens at around 13 to 15 months, while nodding appears more difficult. Babies/toddlers start nodding to say yes at 16 to 18 months of age.
All these four above reasons are part of your baby’s development as they learn new skills. Not all babies will exhibit odd head movements, but some will.
5. Self-Soothing to Fall Asleep or Reduce Stress
Some babies loll their heads to sleep. This may look odd, but it is actually quite common. It appears as if some babies find these movements self-soothing.
This self-soothing behavior may also occur if the baby is overwhelmed or stressed. A great way to help your baby relax in such cases is baby massage (if your baby appreciates it – newborn babies often hate being naked, so this may work better for older babies)
This behavior is considered normal as long as your baby’s headshaking puts them to sleep rather than disturbs their sleep. There are instances when head rolling, shaking, or banging when falling asleep is so forceful that it qualifies as a disorder, as explained later in this article.
6. Hungry or Trying to Latch
Some babies get excited when they try to latch on their moms’ breasts. At first, this can be due to lack of muscle control, while after a while, you may see it when the baby is starving and excited to get FOOD!
Above reasons for a baby shaking their head are entirely normal and of no cause of concern. However, babies may also roll their heads in different directions due to illnesses or developmental disorders.
Let’s go through some more concerning reasons and the red flags to look for.
7. Ear Infection
An ear infection could also cause the baby to shake his head more frequently than usual. In this case, the shaking would be a response to pain caused by the inflammation of the eardrums, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), or the ears feeling clogged or itchy. Sometimes, a discharge comes out from their ear.
In addition to shaking their head, the baby may try to pull at their ear, be fussy, have trouble hearing, and have a fever.
If you suspect an ear infection, contact your child’s doctor.
8. Other pain
Other pain, such as a sore throat or teething pain, can also lead to your baby shaking their head side to side in an effort to mitigate the discomfort.
Look for signs of a throat infection or teething.
Babies can also get a headache.
9. Infantile spasms
In subtle cases, infantile spasms may look like head nodding (rather than shaking side to side). The baby may also roll their eyes or arch their back. Infantile spasms are a rare type of seizure that needs to be medically examined, diagnosed, and treated.
Infantile spasms may be caused by, e.g., brain injury due to abusive head trauma, infections, or genetic mutations.
Symptoms of a brain infection are e.g., that the baby tries to move their head but seems in discomfort or pain. Neck rigidity will most likely make them cry as they try to move their heads.
A call to the emergency room or his doctor is paramount if you suspect a brain infection.
Check for your child’s vitals like his sensorium (Is he awake or drowsy? Is he having seizures?), temperature (High-grade fever?), and breathing (Is he breathing fast or slow?).
If your baby may have a head injury from, e.g., falling from the bed or changing table, or if there is a chance that your baby has been shaken hard (shaken baby syndrome), it is of utmost importance to contact your baby’s health care provider.
10. Rhythmic Movement Disorders (RMD)
While shaking the head to fall asleep is considered normal infant behavior in most cases, it can also sometimes qualify as an insomnia sleep disorder. It usually occurs when the child is transitioning to sleep or already asleep and can include head shaking from side to side or other repetitive motions, including head banging, or body rocking or rolling.
There are no tests to diagnose the RMD, but rather several criteria, including that the movements are frequent and strong enough to interfere with sleep, impair daytime alertness, or place the patient at risk of bodily injury.
There are variations of this, including hitting the head when tired.
Call your healthcare provider for medical advice.
11. Neurodevelopmental Issues including ASD
Repetitive and frequent lolling or headshaking may indicate neurodevelopmental issues, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or Tourette’s Syndrome.
When you suspect these, you must look for other signs such as sudden jerking movements, lack of eye contact, frequent head banging, tics (frequent jerky hand gestures or face or body movements), stacking, lining of things, and spinning, among others.
Reach out to your doctor for consultation and diagnosis for early intervention in these cases is vital for their development.
On a side note, Tourette’s Syndrome and ADHD are usually diagnosed at the age range of 5 to 7 years of age. However, some cases manifest symptoms in toddlers early on. Signs of autism spectrum disorder may appear already in babies and toddlers.
Additionally, Tourette’s Syndrome, ADHD, and ASD have overlapping signs and symptoms; hence, it is essential to consult a specialist early.
12. Neurological disorders
In rare cases, headshaking can be a sign of a neurological disorder. Below are two neurological disorders that have head-shaking as one of the symptoms.
Benign myoclonic epilepsy in infancy
This is a rare form of epilepsy where the seizure usually begins from 4 months to 3 years of age, but most often between 1 and 2 years of age.
Children with this condition have myoclonic jerks and seizures, including head nodding. In some cases, eye-rolling is also present.
The children need to be diagnosed and treated; for most children, the seizures will stop when they are around 5 or 6 years old.
Rhombencephalosynapsis (RES)
Rhombencephalosynapsis (RES) is a midline brain malformation that presents by, amongst others, head-shaking, unusual eye movements, and various degrees of developmental delays.
A study published in 2013 (referenced below) found head-shaking to be a marker for RES in 50 of 59 patients, even years before diagnosis. The patients were between 6 months and 32 years old. In 65% of the cases, repetitive headshaking in a figure-8 or side-to-side movement had developed during their first year of life.
RES is a rare condition, but still one to consider if there are other concerning symptoms present as well.
13. Impaired Eyesight
Another possible developmental reason is impaired eyesight. For example, blind children sometimes engage in repetitive behaviors like head shaking. But then again, blindness or poor vision would also have other symptoms.
These signs warrant medical consultation at the earliest possible time. The earlier you have the diagnosis and intervention, the better your child can cope with the world.
When Can a Baby’s Headshaking Be a Warning Sign?
Here are some red flags that you have to look out for when headshaking becomes frequent:
- Frequent head shaking with fever or neck rigidity
- No sustained eye contact with the people around him
- Your baby or toddler is not aware of his environment or the people around him
- Your child fails to reach other developmental milestones outlined by your doctor
- Your child doesn’t respond to your voice, as well as other sounds
- Sudden jerky movements and out-of-control shouting
- Presence of inappropriate body or facial movements
- Cannot stay in one place
- Frequent head-banging to the extent of hurting himself in the process
- Seizures
If you feel that your toddler or baby exhibits these signs, do not postpone a call to a pediatrician. Early intervention is key for children with developmental concerns.
How to Make My Baby Stop Shaking Head?
Investigating the possible causes of your baby’s headshaking is important. Our actions will vary depending on the cause of this action.
Developmental reasons, such as trying to latch, look around, or play while the neck muscles are still a bit too weak, are not a cause for concern. Encourage your baby’s development by playing, introducing tummy time, and simply interacting with your baby. When you see them lolling their head to sleep, carrying or patting them and singing a lullaby should do the trick.
If you believe that the headshaking is for attention and part of imitating and playing, remember not to reinforce this particular movement (in case you think it has become too much). Try not to react to your baby’s headshaking and instead distract with other types of interaction.
However, when you see red flags, it should be reiterated that calling your doctor is of utmost priority. Early interventions for both infections and neurodevelopmental issues can save your children’s lives.
Read Next
- Baby Suddenly Shaking
- Baby’s Arm is Shaking: 12 Important Reasons to Investigate
- Baby Shakes After Waking Up: 9 Reasons to Investigate
- Signs of Autism in Babies and Toddlers
- My Baby is Rolling Eyes!? 15 Reasons To Check, When to Worry
Research References
- Seizures in Children | Symptoms & Causes
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Tourette Syndrome
- Epilepsy.org: Benign myoclonic epilepsy in infancy
- Tully HM, Dempsey JC, Ishak GE, Adam MP, Mink JW, Dobyns WB, Gospe SM Jr, Weiss A, Phillips JO, Doherty D. Persistent figure-eight and side-to-side head shaking is a marker for rhombencephalosynapsis. Mov Disord. 2013 Dec;28(14):2019-23. doi: 10.1002/mds.25634. Epub 2013 Sep 18. PMID: 24105968; PMCID: PMC5510988.
- ConnectCenter: Repetitive Behaviors in Children Who are Blind or Low Vision: What Are They?
- Kettner, Viktoria & Carpendale, Jeremy. (2013). Developing gestures for no and yes: Head shaking and nodding in infancy. Gesture. 13. 10.1075/gest.13.2.04ket.
Is your baby shaking the head, too? Add your comments below; a lot of parents already have! :-)
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Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing are based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.
Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians who assist in reviewing and writing articles.
Hi, My 18 month old daughter started shaking head side to side for different sounds like Hoover, blender, hair dryer, motor bike noise, fireworks ,loud music beats etc and also when she is sleepy and tired since she was 6 month old and doing it till date.does any one know is this normal ? Will she outgrow this ? M worried about this a lot.
Hi Candy,
It sounds to me as if your daughter has a musical talent. My youngest son actually used to shake his whole body to the beat of me grating carrots when he was baby. Hilarious! It turned out when he was a few years old that he was an excellent talent as a dancer.
Add to this that your daughter may be shaking her head as a way to put herself to sleep, which is normal too.
I wouldn’t worry. Explore rythms and music with her – maybe try a toddler musical class?
And you can, of course, film her headshaking and show to her nurse or doctor at her next health visit to get proper help with assessing if it is normal or not.
take care,
Paula
My baby is also shaking her head and hitting her head with her hand, but mostly on the right side. She even shakes her head in her sleep. She also gets an ear infection every month. Is there anything I can do cause? I might think that its an ear infection, then it might be something else.
My daughter is 22 years old and studying medicine. She has been shaking her head ever since she was a few months old to the point where no hair would grow on a circle at the back of her head (until she was about 3). She says she needs to do it; it relaxes her and helps her go to sleep. Maybe it has to do with the fact that she is a highly driven, at times rather anxious person. None of my other children did it.
However, at 7 months, my twin granddaughters have just started to shake their heads violently, independently from each other, once or twice a day, usually just before they drop off to sleep. I believe it’s odd but have come to the conclusion that it’s probably harmless if possible medical reasons have been checked out first.
Hi, My 3 yr old son rolls his head from side to side whilst lying on his back, the movement is very quick and even aggressive. We first noticed it as a baby in his car seat and his head would nearly bounce off each side.
Now he says he needs to do it to help go to sleep, I have asked the GP, my chiropractor and friend psychologist, to no official answer.
Reading everyone’s comments help ease my mind just knowing there is nothing “wrong” with him as he has developed normally in every other way!
Thanks for the comments and the website!
You’re not one hundred percent with this , because my son whom is 22 now made eye contact, smiled and was and still is affectionate and he has severe autism.. So please stop putting people with autism in a box because just like everyone else in this world they are unique, and not All the same.
Thanks sincerely a fed up Mama
Hi April,
I can totally understand that you are fed up with myths surrounding autism. Just because not making eye contact is stated as a warning sign of autism, it, of course, doesn’t mean that all autistic people avoid eye contact. You might enjoy reading this article I recently wrote about autism myths. Make sure to at least check out the first myth! The article includes an interview with a mom to an autistic little boy. Let me know if you can relate to her story!
7 Autism Myths and Misconceptions
Take care,
Paula
I am so relieved now that I read this post. My 7 months old baby is doing the same thing and I was so worried. Now I know it is just normal.
Hello Everyone,
My baby is 10 months old and I notice that he shake his head from side to side whenever he seems sleepy, but as a mom, I still worry if I misread his sign and that there is more to his head shake. Now, I am very glad to know that this is just a stage of baby growth.
It is great to read the answers the responses from everyone.
My baby, now 8.5 months, started dropping her head down and up while sitting at 7 months. She did this often, and I was scared that she might have seizures, so I got EEG done(sleep). Her reports were normal. Doctors asked me to keep a check on her and said this might be BMEI (Benign myoclonic epilepsy in infancy) and will go on its own. After a few days, she stopped doing it, but now she again does it at the time, not very often. So there is nothing to worry about, and her habit will go on its own. Her growth patterns are all normal to date. I hope she is just fine!
I used to shake my head to fall asleep when I was a child. I would put my head between my legs and shake my head from side to side until I was so tired I would go to sleep. I did this until I was about 9 years old. The only reason I stopped doing it was that even at 9, I knew that it was not normal, and I told myself I needed to stop doing it, so one night, I decided I wouldn’t do it anymore and started shaking my foot to go to sleep. I still have to shake my foot every night before bed, and I am in my mid-twenties now.
My baby started shaking her head at one month whenever she wanted to wake up from sleep; I thought is a problem. I took her to the doctor, but he confirmed it was normal.
My baby is 5 and a half months and has just started what seems to be involuntary head movement. The first one I saw he moved his chin to the left and then rolled his head to the right. Other times he moved his head side to side and the back for two to three times. Took hi mto a DR and all they could find was that his ear channels were a bit red?! There’s one jerking of the body or eye rolling. Does anyone see this in theor baby? :-/
Hi all. My baby is 6 months old and she shakes her head from time to time. I took the time out to research the internet and I am glad to read comments that this is just a stage of baby’s growth and that this does not present a real worry should they carry this later in adult life.
It’s a relief to hear such comments. I just wanna make sure though that it is really of no medical or health concern. Please comment.
Thanks.
Hello, I am 24 years old and I shake my head before I sleep. It helps me sleep better, it’s my best part of going to sleep. I have been shaking my head to sleep since I was a baby. I’m a perfectly healthy and academically gifted lady.
On nights of bad weather and thunder, I tend to shake it more rigorous.
As a child, I was taken to doctors and neurologist as my family found it strange and troublesome. I’m not ready to stop shaking my head, but ready to compromise for my partner should I get married.
My twin sister also did the same a baby but stopped before the age of 4. It’s normal for babies to do this and stop before school-going age, rarely does it go into adulthood.
My son does the same since 1 week, He got for weeks the cold been a few times to the doctors with him about his cold. But they don’t want to give something for his cold. Next week he is 6 months old.
My baby is 4 months and shakes his head briefly like he’s trembling after being woken in a sudden manner from either a sound or from taking him from place to place while he’s in a deep sleep. He had fallen on the floor when he was 5 weeks, and the dr asked only for an x-ray but didn’t ask for a brain MRI.. some of the previous comments comforted me, but I think it’s best to check with the pediatrician. I hope that it won’t develop into epilepsy.
I’ve noticed it when my 4-month-old baby is trying to sleep. I got so scared at first and just cuddled him in my arms; he had been doing it for a month now on and off, not that much, though, but just recently, my partner, when we were getting ready to go out, he said our son shook his head and hands while he was sleeping, Epilepsy (however you spell it) Runs on his side of the family so today I’m making an appointment for my baby. I hope all is well with him. He never shakes like that after, thou, so I hope it’s not Epilepsy.
Hi my 11 month old does like a head rolling drunken movement recently that is making me concerned. My friends son did this thing where he would dip his head and come up a few times and luckily she took him to the pead as he was having seizures. He had scan and meds and luckily she caught it earlier enough that he has no brain damage. But now I’m scared everytime she does this shaking thing
I’m a 25-year-old female and have rocked my head side to side for long as I can remember. I thought I was prob a bit strange and the only one who did it.
I used to get told off for doing it, mainly because they found it disturbing, and it really tangled up my hair pretty badly. And would take ages to brush out. I threatened if I didn’t stop, they’d cut my hair off like a boy; they never did, though. I was treated as if it was naughty. And even my grandparents looked down on it too.
I don’t have to rock myself to sleep, and my partner has no idea of this; since a child, I learned to try to hide it and think of ways to prevent my hair from getting tangled.
I can go weeks, even months, but I enjoy it when I do; I find it relaxing and can shut off from the world into my own thoughts.
Now a mother myself, my eldest child, does it. He’s always had to be rocked to sleep, either in Moses’ basket or if we held him when he was a baby; sitting up rocking back and forth trying to soothe him helped him settle for about 9 months, and he began headbanging. I don’t stress over it or make him feel ashamed. He starts when he gets tired while I read him a story and sing him songs before his bed. He’s now three, though, and I was hoping he would have grown out of it by now, but I’m not going to tell him to stop. He’s healthy and happy, and if 15 of head rolling helps him sleep, then nothing I do or say will stop that.
I’ve been rolling my head back and forth to get to sleep all my life, 44 years now. It’s always just seemed to be a strange personal quirk and never a sign of anything further at all, but I pretty much cannot fall asleep without doing it except on rare occasions when I’m exhausted or drunk.
There have, however, been many times I’ve spent the night with others and have been too embarrassed to roll… Those are generally miserable experiences for me, although as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more aware of what is happening within my body and better at compensating. I experience this need for rhythmic movement as a kind of “nervous anxiety” centered in the base of my spine, so thoroughly stretching those muscles with awareness before getting into bed can really help (plus, no one really thinks anything about you stretching before bed).
I just thought to look into it online and was surprised at how many articles claim it will not last beyond young childhood. But to be clear, most articles seem to label it a “disorder”, and it sounds like some of the descriptions are more violent than rhythmic; many involve headbanging or shaking rather than rhythmic rolling, so there may well be various different issues and manifestations being grouped together here.
Again, for myself, it’s always been simply a matter of gently rolling back and forth for some shorter or longer period of time until the nerves are settled, and I’m ready to fall asleep. I may well have done it more energetically when I was very young, as children often do everything with way more energy than needed ;-)
I hope this helps someone else out there. This forum has been interesting to me!
I thought I was the only one that did it.
My baby boy is 6 months old. When he started doing the side-to-side shaking, it scared me, but after researching, I am not so scared anymore.
Many babies do this to explore what they can do as their milestones. For my baby, the shaking had to do with a congested cold. I pray that he will outgrow this soon.
My baby’s head shaking is different. He started shaking his head at 1 month and 2 weeks. He shakes his head when we do something he doesn’t like as if he understands what’s happening in his environment. For example, when I hold him to make him sleep and start talking with our housekeeper, he will look at me and shake his head. When I stop talking, he will stop shaking. Isn’t that very odd?
My 11-month-old son shakes his head from side to side. He has been doing this for a few months now. I do think he does it when fighting his sleep because he only does it when he is tired.
My son also has one side of his head different than the other. On one side, a bone sticks out like a bump. The other side had it, but it has been gone for months. Is this just his head still developing?
I heard somewhere that shaking could be a peeing signal, but I do not buy that whole thing about peeing and shuddering. My one-year-old seems to shudder or get chill-like symptoms a few times daily. I am very concerned about this, but her Mom always laughs when I mention it. I disagree that she is peeing when this happens because her Dad, who is 25 years old, does it too!!! Any comments?
My baby boy has plagiocephaly and is currently undergoing helmet therapy. He has had his helmet for about five months now, and we are definitely seeing progress in his head shape.
He recently started shaking his head back and forth and having what appears to be a quick tremor. His body stiffens but only for a few seconds. He does not sit up for very long or crawl, he does not hold his own bottle, he doesn’t like to stand with support, and he’s almost nine months.
He has an appointment with the craniofacial specialist on Tuesday, and I’m hoping these are all normal things that occur with babies with plagiocephaly.
I’m 24 and have been shaking my head from side to side since I was little. My grandfather, for my mother’s part, has done the same thing his entire life (75 years).
Reading some of the above comments makes me think this could really be hereditary or very influential on kids (though I can’t say I spent that much time with my grandfather as a child).
I’ve always considered it an unusually bizarre thing to do and refrain from ever talking about it with anyone, not even with my parents or sister, though they know I still do it. I find it really embarrassing since it’s not something I do only to get myself asleep, but at random times during the day while lying down and listening to music.
I’m also concerned I might never be able to ‘cure’ this behavior, for I have tried restraining myself from doing it a couple of days in a row and was shocked to wake myself (or be woken up by my sister) while doing it (subconsciously).
Hi,
My baby is 8 months old now. She is shaking her head. When I traveled internationally (my baby was 6 months of age), one of the passengers asked me why she was shaking her head. I noticed from that time onwards. I reached my home country, and all of my friends and relatives asked the same. I was scared. She is 8 months old but is not crawling or sitting without support. Can someone give me some suggestions? sept
My 4-month-old daughter started shaking her head ..as if saying no.. involuntarily 4 days ago, and I blew it off at first, but it has increased over the last few days to the point I took her to our Nurse Practitioner yesterday. She saw her do it and said she wanted to tell me it was nothing but is sending us to the Pediatric Neurologist Friday for an EEG to be sure. I am scared half out of my mind..just ready to know she is o.k. I will post our results.
I am 24 years old young woman who used to shake my head as a child, not only from right to left before and after sleeping but also by hitting the back of my head on the chair. I did this often when I was mad or while listening to music. When I was around 12, my parents started to get worried that it might cause some damage, so they started helping me stop. Slowly I did. Even though I replaced the head thing with a foot thing, lol. Anyways I have always been the best o my class, and now I’m studying engineering, so I can tell you it doesn’t cause brain damage ;)
woohoo, I’m normal, Lol
I was checking this out tonight because I’m 28 years old, and I’ve rocked and rolled myself to sleep every night since I was a baby.
My 4-month-old son has been doing this for a few weeks now, and I wondered if it was hereditary.
I can stop some nights and go to sleep on my side, but I do enjoy rolling my head from side to side; it feels like it relaxes me into a deep sleep and blocks out any other noise that is going on in the house, especially my partner’s snoring!
Hi, I am 12 years old, and I still rock my head side to side ever since I was a baby to get to sleep. I find it helps me get to sleep, and I can’t sleep very well without rolling. It keeps putting my neck out of place and giving me headaches. I also find it fun to roll. I’m glad to know after reading this that I’m not the only one.
I was delighted to see all the comments about head rolling and shaking this evening. My little boy, nearly 7, has rolled his head side to side in a frantic fashion when sleepy to get himself off to sleep throughout the night, and early morning, since he was a tiny newborn. I have never consulted a doctor, as he is happy and healthy in every other way. As a Mum, I guess you worry about all these funny goings. Lovely to read all the other comments; very helpful.
How do you stop your baby from shaking their head? Not trying to be mean, but I don’t think my little boy growing up and doing this all his life is weird. Plus, he needs to go to sleep when I want him not to try and stay awake.
My nearly 11-month-old started doing this yesterday. She seems fine, though I do wonder if it’s an ear infection since we’ve been going swimming so much lately.
My son is 16 months old he was shaking his head a while back but he was diagnosed with epilepsy. He did this few months back when he had a cold. Now it’s back again after he caught a cold from his sister. He stopped for like few months and it’s weird last time he had it he also had a cold. So I’m not sure if its associated with his cold or his epilepsy. I’m trying to find out myself. Possibly bring him in for a eeg to see if it’s anything to do with it. Maybe it’s something for my son an aura before a seizure or it could be nothing like a lot have said. A thing that they just do. But I do find it weird that it came back once he has a cold. I hope an eeg will shed some light for us. Cause we are always worried about the littlest thing
Hi,
I did this into adulthood as well. I was in my late 20s when I had a sleep study done and found out that I had sleep apnea. Rocking my head is the only way I can get decent sleep without a CPAP machine. I no longer rock my head and haven’t for almost 10 years, but I also use a CPAP machine every night now.
I’m not saying that people who do this into adulthood all have sleep apnea, but it wouldn’t hurt to get a sleep study done. They observe for lots of things in those studies and you might be amazed by what they find. If they find nothing, well, at least you are sure. I wish I had not waited so long to get mine done.
Finally, feeling rested.
My baby also was shaking her head side to side. I have a swing that you can change the direction of the swing either going like a normal swing front to back like you would on a playground or the swing moving from right to left. I changed the direction of the movement of the swing(they have a button where u can change it moving from front to back or side to side usually) and within a week she stopped doing that. Also using the swing less is a good idea.
In my opinion, I think it is the direction of the swing and using the swing too much. It is a suggestion for anyone having that problem.
Hi all
Good to see such question and comments which resembles the case of my son too.
We notice that my son shook his head from one side to another (on either direction occasionally). We first noticed this after he fell down from the couch when he was four months old, so we were worried that it might be due to head injury. I heard from some sources that head injury can also cause seizures/epilepsy. So we consulted a doctor. The doctor took many observations, including 24 hours EEG to find out if he had the signs of seizures/epilepsy. They found nothing. The doctor could not do further investigations and since the frequency of his shaking was coming down, the doctor concluded that we should wait and see for another 6 months.
We waited and now my son is nearly a year old. He hardly shakes, but he still does sometimes. He does it when he is excited particularly. So the doctor and we believe that it will disappear as he grows.
The doctor says that it also can be due to the growth of his brain and it will be fine when the babies have grown more. Another possibility is that some babies do this as fun or as a habit and when they go to a baby care center they will stop since they will then start seeing other babies who don’t shake their heads.
I started to shake my head when I was a little baby. I’m 18 years old and still do it, not as much as earlier, but it does help me get to sleep.
I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who is over 13 who still does it. I have never seen a doctor for it. but my mom said that she did it when she was little too.
I remember my grandfather would beat me when I would shake my head. Just remember that beating your child isn’t going to make them stop!
It’s a way to relax and get to sleep so let your child shake their head. It’s ok don’t punish them for it.
I was just wondering – my son shakes his head for the last 3 months before sleeping. Hoping he is normal. After reading all the comments, it seems normal.
My son is one year old and he shakes his head and rolls his eyes all the time.
When my son was 6 months old he used to shake his head side to side real fast while smiling. I thought it was something serious. It turns out that they just do that to try and keep themselves awake. As their bodies grow they are going to be taking fewer naps so they are going to try and stay awake.
My son is one year old and he shakes his head and rolls his eyes all the time. Some times he will throw himself back like 5 times in a row with his eyes rolling. I’m not sure if this is normal. When he has these symptoms, he sometimes will yell after it is over, not like it hurts him but just a normal baby yell. Does anyone else’s baby do this?
Good, I found something about this on the net. I am 41 and still do it, although not as much. Maybe it is like counting sheep. Take care rolling heads.
My 9 mo old shakes his head like he is watching a tennis match (started a month ago) every time he nurses or rests his head on your arm. I thought it was odd and it bothered more lately as it increased, I finally discovered a bump on the back of his neck that seemed to be mostly under the skin and probably a bug bite. Sure enough, when I touched he avidly tried to soothe an apparent itch or discomfort by rubbing it on my hand. Pay attention to your gut feelings and inspect your little ones. If you think it is something, have the pediatrician check it out.
I have twin girls, 8 months old, and one of them I have noticed very rarely will tremble as if she is cold. She may do this 2 times a day and then I wouldn’t notice it again for about a week or so. I am really concerned now and will visit the doctor. Does anyone know if this is normal?
My 7-month-old grandson shakes his head almost like he gets a chill like babies do when they pee. Any thoughts?
My Son shakes his head before sleeping since 1 month old. I remember he developed rashes on his cheeks and my wife and I were thinking that it is his way of scratching his cheeks on the pillow or blanket by shaking his head to relieve the itchiness on his cheeks. He is now 7 years old and he still shakes his head when he feels sleepy, about to sleep or when he is asleep and slightly waken up by a noise and tries to sleep again.
I am a mother of twin boys who are seven months. Tonight Parker scared the bejesus out of us when he started shaking his head while his eyes were rolling around in his head. I would call his name and he would reach for a yogurt bit, but then passed out in his highchair.
He has never done this before and his brother Miles has never done this either. I immediately thought it was a reaction to his medication for an upper respiratory infection, but after checking the side effects we determined that the meds were not the reason.
I am glad that I read everyone’s comments, but I will be contacting their doctor tomorrow to make sure everything is ok.
If your baby shakes his / her head and they lose their balance or their eye-roll around or back or they fix their eyes as in a trance this may indicate a more serious problem. Seizures can be due to head trauma or epilepsy. Please take your baby to the dr if any of these symptoms are present. A friend of mine discovered their baby’s skull was not growing to accommodate rapid growth and it was causing their daughter to have these problems. NEVER TAKE A CHANCE and be comforted with internet advice.
My son is now 2 years old last month and he does it almost every night as dos my other two children. I was worried at first with my first child but was told it was just his way of getting off to sleep. My son (now 12) is perfectly healthy and academically top notch and my daughter (8) is too so I am not even worried about my third. Please don’t worry if your child is doing this but obviously seek medical advice if you think something more is going on as mums (and dads) know their child best. Xx
My baby has 11 mth and lately he shakes his head and he bring his shoulder to his ear … He does like he eat a sourfood
usually a child instruct us or might be face some trouble in ear or near head.
My son is almost 9 months old and has been shaking his head back and forth at different times (usually when we are playing with him or we are going to bed). At first we joked that he was telling us “no” because that response would often seem to fit in with the play or to signify that he was done playing or didn’t want to go to sleep. I have been worried about it recently though and thought I should do some due diligence in at least researching on the Internet. It looks like this is pretty normal and no cause for alarm but that we should still keep alert to any other unusual behavior that presents itself. What a relief. Thank you everyone for your posts. They really do help us worried moms!
Ouh my god. Sorry for my bad english. This thread made me cry. Thats because i finally found that someone else on this world do this head-rolling thing too. Im 21 year old boy and i was doing this since i was 3 month old. Every day of my entire life i thinked that i have got some brain issue since i was born… i tried hard to hide this head rolling from my friends, but some of them seen me doing this and than i felt very bad and sad. I thinked that im just some failure. My parents whole my life hated me for this. They used to hit me when i was in sleep while head-rolling. We have been to doctors, i drinked a lot of different sleeping and other pills but nothing helped. When im head-rolling i sometimes like to hit my head against the pillow,thatmakes me feel comfortable… im just so glad that i finally found that im not the only one. It would be really funny if we all found each other in the same room while doing this. :D my life was really stressfull and depressing but i think this thread just literally saved my life. Long live head -rollers!!! :) I just really hope that i will finally meet some girl to marry and she would love me as i am. :(
Your parents should be in jail
I’m glad this article has helped you to understand and accept yourself. Try to forgive your parents, they probably aren’t aware of the harm they did you. Look after yourself and best wishes for a happy life.
i gave birth on July and my baby started shaking head immediately and from point of observation he has no problem what could be?
Hi Patricia,
Is your baby still shaking his head? Newborn babies often do all sorts of weird movements in the beginning, but the movements should become more voluntary over time. Is he doing the exact same movement now as in the beginning?
I am 40 years old and started rocking my head at 6 months. I don’t know why and my parents took me to doctors to make sure I wasn’t going blind or crazy.They told them not to worry it was my way of comforting myself in the crib. I’ve done it all my life, however not in public. Well once my sister let me know I did it sometimes when I walked (how embarrassing). I still occasionally do it to relax myself and all of my friends and family are aware that I rock. It has not affected any part of my life, mentally, physical, emotionally. They will either grow out of it or learn manage the behavior just like anything else. Moms don’t worry it’s just a rather gratifying tick, I consider it my personal form of yoga.