Why does my baby hump to sleep?
It can be very alarming to see your baby humping. In our adult brain, humping is not an act that should be associated with innocence such as our little babies. So when you see your baby humping to sleep, it’s shocking! We totally understand why you decided to research this topic. In this article, you will learn why your baby humps, how to stop this behavior, and anything you should pay attention to regarding your baby’s humping to sleep.
How is humping self-soothing for a baby?
It’s often the action. Imagine adults that shake their legs when anxious. Or in school have you ever had that student who taps their pencil or foot? At work, you might notice that coworker who has a nervous tick. Usually, this is all done for the purpose of self-soothing. For babies, these more intricate ways of self-soothing aren’t possible. What is possible is the most natural motion that all ages can accomplish: humping!
Self-soothing often comes in the form of rocking too. This is common in orphans, especially those from Romania. However, babies aren’t able to rock until they can roll over. Instead, your baby will hump to sleep. This behavior might continue until your baby is old enough to rock himself to sleep to self-soothe. Instead, try this sleep method which reminds babies of life inside of the womb. Life inside of the womb is the most comfortable a baby will ever be. Therefore, the sleep method from SleepBaby.org is a great way to try to stop your baby from humping to sleep.
Is it normal for a baby to hump when tired?
Here is a short video from YouTube of a toddler upset that his soccer ball was taken from him. To show his upset and to self-soothe, he began thrusting his hips in a humping motion at the 27 second mark. This demonstrates how this behavior is common for babies, even when not sleeping.
How can I stop my baby from humping to sleep?
The easiest way to stop your baby from humping to sleep is using the baby sleep method found at SleepBaby.org. Other methods include simply giving it time until your baby stops. If you’d like to speed up the process, that sleep method is just for you. Remember, your baby is trying to soothe himself when humping. If you do things like play the sleep music provided in that sleep method, you’ll be giving your baby exactly what he’s looking for when humping prior to sleep.
Remember to never scold your baby for humping to sleep. This is very natural for your baby to do, just as your reaction to scold would be natural. Try to resist the urge and instead focus on trying a new sleep method (like the one at SleepBaby.org) to stop your baby from humping.
Should I be worried if my baby humps to sleep?
Truly no. There is no need to be worried if your baby humps to sleep. It’s not a sign of more concerning red flags or anything like that. Don’t read too much into it. If there are agencies or authorities, like schools or daycares, that are giving you strife about it, then follow the tips we mentioned above. Otherwise, this is something your baby will certainly grow out of. Nobody humps themselves to sleep for their entire life and your baby is sure to be no different.
Next time you see your baby humping to sleep, consider trying these special baby sleep sounds from the Baby Sleep Workshop at SleepBaby.org. They have a surprisingly calming effect on babies. Therefore, if your baby is humping to sleep to calm himself, playing the music from SleepBaby.org can be really beneficial to your baby.
My nights used to be a struggle, trying to get my baby to sleep soundly. All that changed when I discovered SleepBaby.org. It’s amazingly effective, getting him to drift off to sleep in just 45 seconds! This gem was suggested to me by his daycare. Life without SleepBaby.org? Unthinkable now.