Baby Is Hitting Himself In The Head! 3 Common Reasons Why

Is your toddler or baby hitting himself in the head? Relax; this is a common behavior and usually a normal developmental stage. We’ll discuss the most common reasons, what to do about it, and when to worry.

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Mom’s Question: We are concerned that our 10-month-old baby is hitting himself in the head. It seems he does this when he gets excited. Our son would hit the right side of his head with his right hand and sometimes both sides with both hands. And it seems he is doing this more often now.

We’ve read many forums where other parents are experiencing the same thing. However, I have not seen what explains this behavior in these forums and if it is normal.

Should we be concerned? Is this normal behavior? What is the cause or explanation of this behavior?

Your advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you, Arlyn (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Baby is Hitting Himself in the Head – Normal Or Not?

You’re completely right that this is common behavior, especially at around 1 year old. The behavior can start at early as around six months and continue until the child is a few years old.

There are a number of reasons why a baby might be hitting himself in the head, and it is completely normal.

Hitting themselves can also be a warning sign of developmental issues, and I’ll write more about that at the bottom of this article.

Normal Reasons Why a Baby is Hitting Himself in the Head

1. Frustration

Babies hit themselves, bite themselves, bang their heads against the wall or floor, etc. It looks awful, but it is usually their way of coping with frustration and anger.

Often, the baby does the same (hit or bite) their parents too when angry with them or even just for fun and to see the reaction.

This way of hitting themselves when frustrated is often seen in young toddlers trying to achieve something they find difficult – such as building a tower that falls down or putting on their trousers.

Dealing with negative emotions is hard for any person, and for babies and toddlers, of course, very hard. This is where toddler tantrums start, too – the child really wants something but is unable to manage it or is not allowed.

It’s tough to deal with strong emotions, whether you are a baby or an adult!

2. Excitement

Just like frustration and anger are strong emotions, so is excitement. Banging their head can be a child’s way of expressing excitement too. One of my children clearly did that, and obviously, your son too.

It is quite easy to relate to, don’t you think? Being very excited, hitting your head a little bit, clapping your hands, or jumping up and down.

Again, this is a sensory way of handling strong emotions and is completely normal. Older children and adults are more likely to clap their hands, dance, or cheer – because we’ve learned that these are normal and accepted ways to respond to excitement. Babies do what they feel like.

3. Pain-relief

Another possibility is pain-relief, so having his ears checked could be a good idea, even though you for sure can derive the behavior to the excitement, and he is showing no other signs of illness. I think you most likely have already identified the reason for his hitting.

But, since he hits himself in the head to relieve strong emotions, be on guard if he suddenly starts doing it more frequently or when you don’t think he is excited. Chances are that he would do it also because of, for example, ear or teething pain.

So what to do..?

Since you are quite convinced that your son’s behavior is related to excitement, you don’t have to worry. It is normal, and it passes. Since your boy is now ten months old, he is starting to understand words, and you can say “no” and gently stop him from hitting himself.

You can also show him how to “pat gently” or something like that with his hand.

But don’t make a lot of fuss about it – if your reactions are strong, or if he gets a lot of attention for this behavior, you might end up actually reinforcing it! So unless he seems to be hurting himself, try ignoring the behavior and focus on distracting him instead.

I’ve noticed, for example, that talking even to quite young babies (at around 1-1.5 years) in a very engaging way, confirming their feeling without judging, can really make them calmer. At least sometimes.

But again, any kind of positive distraction is usually the most effective way with young children if you want to reduce a certain behavior.

When Hitting Himself in the Head is a Warning Sign

While in most cases, this is just normal baby behavior, a baby hitting himself in the head can also be a reason for concern.

Hitting the head all through the day for no apparent reason and falling behind developmental milestones would be a reason for concern and should be discussed with a pediatrician, but that does not seem to be the case with your son.

Other signs of worry would be if he would hit his head very often, randomly, or if each time would continue for more than 15 minutes.

But again, how you describe it, I believe this to be normal. You can, of course, film one of the events and show a doctor, to ensure the behavior would be considered normal when seen. In such a case, taking notes on the frequency and length of the episodes can be a good idea.

But in conclusion, as described by you, I wouldn’t worry.

Your boy is learning how to deal with his emotions, which takes time. (A whole lifetime, really… ;-) ) Just make sure he doesn’t hurt himself or someone else. And don’t yell at him.

I hope this helps! Paula

Parents, if your baby is hitting himself in the head, please leave a comment below!

More Discussions About Babies That Hit

• Why Do Babies Hit Themselves?
• Baby Hits Herself In the Head When Tired

Research References

• Amy R.M. Gwyther, Arthur S. Walters, Catherine M. Hill, Rhythmic movement disorder in childhood: An integrative review, Sleep Medicine Reviews, Volume 35, 2017, Pages 62-75, ISSN 1087-0792, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2016.08.003.
• Sallustro F, Atwell CW. Body rocking, head banging, and head rolling in normal children. J Pediatr. 1978 Oct;93(4):704-8. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(78)80922-6. PMID: 309000.
• Self-Injury in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability
• Adam, H.M. (Ed) & Foy, J.M. (Ed) (2015). Signs & Symptoms in Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics
• Voigt, R.G. et al (2011). Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics.

Paula Dennholt

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.

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