What does rocking back and forth in your sleep indicate?

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Restless Legs Syndrome RLS
Learn more about this very real condition.

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It could indicate a sense of loss or a feeling of uncompfortableness

If you have recently lost someone or are having problems in your relationship that is the answer for the rocking (feeling of security)

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I am not sure what it means either but I am in my early 20s and I have been rocking in my sleep for my whole life. Its very embarressing if I sleep over someone's house because I look like I am having a seizure. I don't know why I do it, and my hair is such a mess in the morning, but it makes my muscles relax to go to sleep. I wish I could stop. I am normal and in college.

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I am a healthy 30 year old counselor who jiggles her foot to fally asleep. In all my studies, I've never heard anything about it. I also move a lot in my sleep and have been referred to as a "whirling dirvy" by my husband...I too wake up with messy hair. If the rocking is combined with some other symptoms, it may be something to look into, but if it isn't bothering the person and there isn't anything else to worry about, then....

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My husband has done this ever since I've known him. Some think it's going back to the safety of the womb. If you sit down and talk to a bunch of friends and bring up this subject you will be quite suprised at the odd habits people have of getting to sleep or even their sleep patterns. Try it. I brought this subject up about 3 years ago with friends (we all laughed ourselves sick and felt better about ourselves) and here were the results:

Slightly drooling on the pillow and placing their cheek on it. Ewww! LOL

Rocking back a forth (like counting sheep.)

Thumb sucking! You bet!

Bunching the pillow up in the "certain" position and you won't sleep until you get it right.

Your favorite blanket on the bed.

Twirling hair on the side of your face.

One finger in the mouth, the other curled over the bridge of the nose.

Bunching up a spare sheet at the bottom of the bed and running your toes through the creases.

Wearing a favorite nightie or PJ bottoms (in men.)

Listening to the radio

Watching TV

Reading

See, it's not so bad! LOL

Marcy

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Well, I am in my 40s and I have been rocking myself to sleep since I was an infant. My parents tell me that I started when I was 6 months old. I simply cannot relax without all the rocking - I can last from 5 mins to an hour. If I find that I toss and turn - as it were :) - more than usual, I simply get up like most people and might go read until I am ready to go back. If I am a guest at someone house, I can stop the rocking but it feels unnatural to me and if I feel that they can't hear me - I'll sneak it in. I have heard that I do this because of deep seated insecurities. Would I have been aware of them at 6 months old? I'm not sure but now, 40 years later, I am still doing it.

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although i am only 15 years old i have been rocking myself to sleep every night ever since i was a baby and just recently i have been told how little affection i got when i was a child and that i had to rock myself to sleep because that was the only time that i really got affection and it was the only time i really felt safe. It seems to have gotten better as i have grown up because i used to bang my head against the wall while rocking. Also i found that if i sleep in the same bed as someone else i dont rock.

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22 yrs. old. i don't really rock in my sleep as much as i absolutely have to move my legs in any manner that i can w/o disturbing my girlfriend.it drives me nuts when i can't move how i want.when i am awake,i can't sit any where w/o rocking.i am only self-concious about it around people i haven't met or am not comfortable w/.i have noticed that i subconciously tend to rock w/ the rythm of some pattern of movement or noise in the environment that i am in at that time.if my rocking is interupted,for instance,my girlfriend sitting on my lap,i get that feeling you get when someone runs their nails down a chalkboard or when your'e in a situation where you would rather be anywhere else in the world but there.i don't think that there is anything wrong w/ rocking generally.everyone has there reasons for doing it,whether they know the reason or not.in my opinion,if rocking calms you down,helps you sleep,helps you think or whatever,then flippi'n do it.who are you hurting?a lot of people don't understand rocking and think that there's something wrong w/you.as far as i'm concerned,it's just another part of your personality.do what you gotta do. peace, *

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i am 25 years old and ever since i was a baby have been head rocking and banging it on the wall at times. i use to do it in my sleep when a child and get woken up by my mum, but i would do it again later on that night. i sometimes do it if i have a headache, pass why. now i rock and sometime bang, to try to get to sleep, it is relaxing at time, to think straight, instead of cutting myself, or overdosing, to stop being agitated, or even if i am plain sick of been awake for too long, like tonight, it is 4.02am, and no sleep so far. i suffer with schizoaffective disorder. i have had a mental health problem since i were 5. i also rock back and forth during the day time, sometimes with out me knowing it. i pace alot, i can not stop moving for very long. the only problem with head rocking and banging my head on the wall is, one day i might catch my nerve and never move again, or if lucky just have a painfuly bad neck for the rest of my life. i can sometime rock for 2 hours non stop, then get up and be angry with myself, as my long hair is in a right mess, and i have to brush and pull out all the knots, which in it self is fustrating and sometimes i cry because the knots are so bad. i mainly rock now when i am ill and no other time, that i know of. i guess i rocked and banged when i was younger, because i had lots of ear ache, or the amount of bad dreams i was having and it was a way to wake up. maybe i did not feel loved enough, or did not have enough quality time with people. i have no idea really.

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I am 44 and have been rocking myself to sleep my whole life. I do it more when I am under stress or cramping. My mom told me I started when I was 6 months old and was in the hospital with pneumonia. The doctor made her come take me home because I was banging my head on the oxygen tent, rocking back and forth. When I was a kid the doctor told my mom I would stop when I slept with someone. Not the case. My husband and I have a king size bed and that seems to take acre of bothering him. I have investigated RLS but the symptoms don't seem to match. It's only in bed that I rock my body or leg. I think the answers about feelings of distress have some merit. Now if I read or do a puzzle in bed and feel relaxed I don't rock myself to sleep. You may want to try cross word puzzles or suduko to relax while you go to sleep. I've become interested in this again because I'm starting to see a fertility doctor and don't want the rocking to effect my ability to carry to term.

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I am 51 and have been rocking my head and body before sleep since I was a baby. I either talk to myself or sing at the same time! I feel a bit silly and always stop when I hear my wife coming up he stairs but other wise I enjoy it. It can go on for about half an hour. I find it hard to drop off without doing it but once I am asleep, I am quite still. I don't know what it indicates either. But I have had no mental health problems so far. Not even a stiff neck!

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i am 25 and have been rocking all my life, my mum used to do it too. i used to rock so badly that i would hit my head against the wall and wake up with my hair all matted. the only way that i would stop is if my mum or dad would come in and put a hand on my shoulder. i don't do it as much now but every now and then my husband will tell me in the morning that i was rocking during the night.

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This is great! i knew some people would rock but only in a chair or something. i'm 34 male and been rocking ever since i can remember. my parents never understood why and never bothered me about it. i do remember when i got into my first bed (out of the crib) my folks put up a ping-pong net so i wouldn't fall out! ha. the other side was always against the wall. i'm still single and i still put my bed aginst the wall (not to fall out though, i have controll rock) to save space.

i find rocking very medative and relaxing. i only do it now before going to sleep and ALWAYS with music. i'm a musician and i totally "disect" the music while rocking, trying to fiqure out what each insturment is playing etc. rocking really puts me in a eurphoria "zone". when i'm staying with (at) other places i can stop the rocking but i do need to move my leg or tap my foot to go to sleep. i believe it's a rhythm thing. when i was young i would always rock after i ate, kind of like smoking after eating. i do talk to close friends about it now but growing up with an older brother it sucked. his friends used to try and bust me! it was embarrasing! can't do it in front of people at all, only family (hotel rooms,etc.), and still feel weird about it. they ask about once a year if i still rock and i say yeah. don't do as much for sure, only before going to sleep. i don't know about the headbangin thing, i save that for the shows! ha. i don't think i'll ever "quit". it feels good, let's me escape, and every once in a while it helps pop my lower back. i rock on my side, fetal position like, mainly upper body. sometimes 10 min sometimes 3 CD's worth. whenever i get tired and stop to sleep.

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