Why Does My Baby Pull Hair, Rub Their Face, or Thrash When Falling Asleep?

Many parents are surprised when their baby starts pulling hair, rubbing their face, arching their back, or thrashing their arms and legs right before sleep. These movements can look intense or uncomfortable, leading some to worry something might be wrong. The truth is that these behaviours are extremely common in babies and are usually part of how they wind down before sleep.

Understanding why babies do these things can help you feel more confident and less alarmed as your little one drifts off.

Babies Use Movement to Self‑Soothe

Unlike adults, babies don’t yet have the ability to intentionally calm themselves by taking deep breaths, cuddling a pillow, or shifting positions. Instead, they rely on instinctive movements that help their bodies release tension.

• Rubbing their eyes
  
• Rubbing their face
  
• Pulling their hair
  
• Kicking or waving their legs
  
• Moving their head side to side

These are natural and often effective ways for babies to bring themselves into a sleepy state. The movements help them transition from alertness into relaxation.

Their Nervous System Is Still Developing

Babies have immature nervous systems, which means they often struggle to regulate their movements. As they get tired, their brain sends mixed signals to their muscles. This can cause jerky or repetitive movements such as thrashing, arching, or rubbing.

This is especially common in:

• Newborns
  
• Young infants under six months
  
• Babies learning new skills

These movements usually decrease as babies gain more control over their bodies.

Face Rubbing Helps Babies Release Tiredness

Rubbing the face is one of the classic sleep cues. Many babies rub their eyes, nose, or cheeks when tired because:

• Their eyes feel heavy
  
• They are producing more melatonin
  
• Their face becomes warm
  
• Rubbing provides comfort

This behaviour may look strong or frantic, but it’s simply part of how babies respond to the sensation of tiredness.

Hair‑Pulling Is Often Accidental

Many babies accidentally grab their hair while trying to self‑soothe. Their grasp reflex is strong, especially in the first few months. Once they grab onto something like their hair, your shirt, or a blanket they may hold on and pull without meaning to.

It’s rarely a sign of distress. It’s just a natural part of how babies explore and use their hands.

Thrashing and Leg Kicking Are Signs of Overtiredness

When a baby is overtired, their body produces cortisol, a hormone that can make them restless. This restlessness often shows up as:

• Kicking
  
• Arching
  
• Head-turning
  
• Flailing arms
  
• Squirming

These movements are the baby’s way of releasing energy so they can fall asleep. Although it looks dramatic, it’s developmentally normal.

Babies Process Stimuli Through Movement

Throughout the day, babies are absorbing new experiences voices, lights, sounds, sensations. Their brain processes all of this during the wind‑down period before sleep. Sometimes that processing shows up in physical ways, like rubbing their face or moving their limbs.

If they’re overstimulated, they may thrash more. If they’re calming down, movements may become slower and more rhythmic.

They May Be Trying to Find a Comfortable Position

Babies cannot roll, shift, or reposition as easily as older children or adults. Movement before sleep might simply be their attempt to get comfortable. Since they don’t have full motor control yet, the movements can look bigger or more frantic than they feel.

Once they settle into a position that feels right, their body often relaxes quickly.

Sometimes It’s Linked to Sleep Hormones

As babies become sleepy, melatonin increases. This hormone can make them rub their eyes or face because the skin around the eyes becomes slightly itchy or sensitive. This can make the rubbing look vigorous, even though it’s simply a response to hormonal changes.

When These Behaviours Might Signal Something Else

While most movements before sleep are normal, there are a few signs worth paying attention to:

• Excessive face rubbing paired with rashes or eczema
  
• Head thrashing paired with discomfort or crying
  
• Hair-pulling that leaves bald patches
  
• Frequent crying that doesn’t improve when settled
  
• Persistent movements that seem painful

These cases may suggest irritation, allergies, teething, or reflux. However, these situations are less common.

For the majority of babies, movement before sleep is simply part of falling asleep.

These Behaviours Decrease With Age

As babies grow, their nervous systems mature and their movements become more controlled. By late infancy, many of these pre‑sleep habits lessen or disappear. New calming habits often take their place, like cuddling a soft toy or sucking fingers.

FAQ

1. Is it normal for my baby to thrash around before sleep?
Yes. Movement before sleep is extremely common and helps babies release tension and transition to rest.

2. Why does my baby pull their hair when tired?
Hair‑pulling is often an accidental grasping reflex or a self‑soothing behaviour.

3. Should I stop my baby from rubbing their face?
Not usually. It’s a natural tiredness cue. Only intervene if it causes irritation.

4. Does thrashing mean my baby is uncomfortable?
Not necessarily. Most babies move a lot before settling, especially when overtired or overstimulated.

5. Will my baby eventually stop doing this?
Yes. As their nervous system matures, movements become calmer and more controlled.