Head banging is a sleep-related rhythmic movement disorder. While it is disturbing for family members who observe it, there have not been cases of serious injury reported and it generally clears up by age ten. Though adults may also exhibit head banging sleep, it is usually due to mental retardation, autism, or some other developmental disorder. It is not considered a disorder unless it greatly disturbs sleep or causes injury. If it is cause for concern, actions can be taken to minimize the impact.
Instructions
1. Seek medical attention. Prior to the visit, it is a good idea to keep a sleep diary for a week or two. This diary should include the times the banging occurs and how long it lasts.
2. Prepare for the visit by gathering a complete medical history for yourself or your child. There may be other medical issues that need to be ruled out.
3. Your doctor may prescribe a sleep study to diagnose a sleep disorder. . This is called a polysonogram, which will record limb movements, heart rate, and brain waves.
4. Your doctor or therapist may prescribe medications. While most medications are only minimally effective, a 1996 Canadian study reported in Sleep magazine showed that adults who have this disorder may benefit from benzodiazapines.
5. A therapist may suggest practicing habit reversal. This includes having your child look into a mirror while he intentionally does the motion so he becomes more conscious of how his body feels and what muscles he uses when he is head banging. When he begins to head-bang at night he should start to recognize doing it by raising his hand, or saying "I'm doing it" or whatever signal you decide upon.
6. Practice a competing response every time you or your child feels the urge to do the behavior. Whatever that response is, use some of the muscles used in the head banging. It may be as simple as flexing your neck or shoulders or rolling over in bed.
7. Do not reinforce the behavior through negative input such as nagging your child to stop. This will actually help make it continue.
8. Offer your child (or yourself) a comfort object. This is because head banging may be a means of comforting self.
Tags: your child, head banging, Your doctor