My daughter suffers from RMD, she is almost 5 and shows no sign of stopping. It is severe. We have seen Psychiatrists and Neurologists and they had her get a sleep study. They seem to think it is linked to her severe sleep apnea. They say that the apnea wakes her and sends her into her rocking motions. So, we are in the midst of treating her sleep apnea. Maybe this could help you. And, if anyone has any experience with the results of treating apnea and if it helped RMD, I'd love to hear if we are pursuing the right help.
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My teen daughter of 16 has rmd---I never thought it was a problem when she was younger, I thought she would grow out of it. But no--infact it is to the point of ocd rmd. She constantly curls papers, any kind--her school books are a curled mess, we have paid for many damaged books. I did not know you could get treated for this? Any info would be awesome.
I am about to be 58 years old and only due to research on the internet have self-diagnosed myself with rmd. I have "rocked" myself to sleep since early childhood. I was astounded to read that your daughter also manifests an additional behavior I have had all these years of "rolling" paper - all kinds of bits of paper, preferrably long, narrow strips. Stress is definitely a factor, but not all. In addition, I can hardly bare to sit for long in any chair that does not rock. My sleep is very much effected by my "body rocking". I have described these behaviors and problems with sleep to my DO with no help.
If you find any help, please let me know. Keep searching as I doubt that your daughter will grow out it. I wish the best for you and family.
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I am 34 years old and I was so shocked to find out that I have RMD and I thought that I was only one person in the world because I haven't never seen body rocking among my friends/family. They all know that I sleep "weird" way. I have been rocking left-right on ongoing basis until I fall asleep or when I am about to wake, I would rock until I am awake.
I have been doing this for all of my life. This did cause some problem with my relationship when I moved to couch from our bed because I just want to rock. As of the result, things didn't work out between us because we both thought that there's something wrong with that between us when I moved to couch. But now to my horrible discovery - it's just a disorder.
I did often wonder if I would ever stop and I DO WANT to stop but I just couldn't. Now I know that this is a disorder - maybe that will help me to work to get it outgrown. I am going to see a sleeping specialist later this month.
Sorry I wasn't much of help but, just that I am letting everybody know that I am one of the rare adults that have RMD - specifically body rocking. Not head rocking or banging at all.
OMG!! I just turned 40 and I STILL rock myself side to side to fall asleep. It usually takes 20-25 minutes before i find myself sound asleep. Funny thing is...when someone is in the bed, I do not rock. I live alone and have rocked my ENTIRE life. It does not bother me as it is only a minor disorder in my opinion. I do believe, however, that it stems from not having enough physical contact in infancy. That was the case for me and it makes sense. I am amazed at how many people this affects. This whole time I thought I was the only one in this "boat". Thanks everyone for sharing your stories.
This is the first time I've used a message board. Today I finally did a search on bed rocking. I'm a 58 year old woman who has had this problem since I was a teen. (maybe before that, but I don't remember). My rocking usually lasts until I go to sleep and it doesn't matter if I am alone or with my husband. Is there any treatment for this? I was surprised that there were others like myself.
Sadie
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I am a 56 year old female who has rocked herself to sleep nearly all my life. I read once that we each have an internal rhythm that brings comfort and it could come from something like the rhythm of a rocking chair when a mother rocked you as a baby, or even just the rhythm of a wall clock. This could explain my rmd as my parents had antique wall clocks running all the time. I had a very loving childhood with loads of attention, so for me it rules out the theory that it can be caused by not enough physical contact as a child. I've been blessed to have always felt loved. As a baby I banged my head on my crib. That led to rocking my head into my pillow and later rolling side to side. My dad built me a rocking chair at age 3 and I rocked in it continuously. Then I got the Wonder Rocking Horse and could rock on it non-stop hour after hour. I had a large swingset as a kid and when I outgrew the horse, I could swing for hours. I rocked myself to sleep every night until I was married at age 21. I forced myself to not rock after I was married, but he was in the Navy and the moment he was out to sea, the rocking began again. I stopped the rocking for many years after he was out of the service until a few years ago. He began a job where he was coming home so dead tired that he fell asleep on our couch. This continued for so long that the rocking came back and I simply cannot fall asleep without rocking. With his new job he sleeps in the bed. I love him with all my heart, but I cannot sleep with him because of the rocking. As hard as I try, I cannot sleep unless I am rocking. I rock as I'm going to sleep and I often wake up while I'm rocking so I know I rock in my sleep. I sneak out of our bed and rock on our couch and then sneak back into our bed before he wakes up in the morning. I thought I was the only one still rocking in her fifties! I read about rolling paper...I do this also. From one extreme to another, I also have had episodes of sleep paralysis (cataplexy).
My daughter suffers from RMD, she is almost 5 and shows no sign of stopping. It is severe. We have seen Psychiatrists and Neurologists and they had her get a sleep study. They seem to think it is linked to her severe sleep apnea. They say that the apnea wakes her and sends her into her rocking motions. So, we are in the midst of treating her sleep apnea. Maybe this could help you. And, if anyone has any experience with the results of treating apnea and if it helped RMD, I'd love to hear if we are pursuing the right help.
My son also suffers from RMD. He is 4 1/2 year old and we found out in March this year after begging the neurologist to do a sleep study that he had severe sleep apnea. He had his tonsils & adenoids removed. He recently had a follow up sleep study and he now only has mild sleep apnea. The doctors as well said that the excessive rocking is due to a way to comfort himself from the apnea for so long and now it is just a habit. Does your daughter hum as well? The humming is what keeps the whole family up at night. We have tried several different things. We have such a hard time giving him sleep medicine so that we can sleep, but we are close to that point. We are definitely a sleep deprived family. I hope he outgrows it soon. Has your daughter outgrown this yet?
Hi, Ive been with my partner for 4 years and when we first met she explained to me that she has RMD. Like most people I listened but didnt really understand what it involved and because she doesnt do it while she's awake she couldnt really explain it properly as she only knew what other people told her. So at my fright on the first night she started Head Banging!! Since then she has exibited loads of signs such as sleepwalking, talking, crying, uncontrollable shaking (like a fit) and very slow breathing causing sleep apnea. However the Head banging has been the one thing she has consistanly done for all of her life. She is now 31 and is struggling with day to day functions due to her disorder causing Chronic Fatigue. She has quite severe short term memory loss, finds it hard to control her emotions and temper, especially after a long night of movement. She has to take anti depressants to control the symptoms but were still trying to find other non medical solutions. Most doctors want to fill her full of sleeping tablets which dont help at all and just make her want to sleep all day. If anyone else has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated.
Hey, I was just wondering. I think I am a sufferer of RMD but only diagnosed myself through the internet as (may sound silly) but too embarised to talk to anyone/Doctors about it so I chose a forum like this. Im just worried to whether I should seek medical help for this as I have not done so and I was wondering if constantly twirling your hair is a substitute of the paper rolling as I do not do this yet I am constantly twirling my hair. I do not how to stop the rocking either, I am 16 years old and constantly wounder if I shall ever grow out of it, as I thought I would have done so by now. Every chance I get I sit on the sofa and rock back and forth and before I go to sleep I head bang and Im a bit worried for my future as relationships have fallen due to this. I just need help on this. Can you help? I have also researched and found out that sleep apnea, anxiety, autism, and other disprders come into this, I am really confused as to what is the reason I do this. Hope you can help.
Does anyone suffer from RMD and you are one of the rare adults that did not fortunately grow out of it? What treatments have you sought?
I didn't know that was a disorder?? I have rocked back and forth since I can remember, and am still doing it. I looked it up online one day and you'd be surprised how many people have this "disorder" Thats actually the reason I started on these health boards because I thought it was a symptom to me having aspergers.
I rock back and forth to do heavy thinking, or if I want, no thinking at all! I don't feel like I would need treatment...
Hey,
Firstly sorry to hear about the break-ups and I, to, have been disaplined about the annoyance of rocking (noise wise) but im just scared bout telling people, like future relationships for example. Do u choose to tell your partner? Im just baffled tbh
I do not know why mah parents av not taken me to the doctors - I should ask - but all these forums say that you should seek medical attention and all this so Im just worried whether I should or not :/
Are you worried about what the Dr might say? I think that's my problem too you know :/
IMost doctors will say your child will outgrow the rocking by 3 years old and then if it doesn't happen by 3 they will say by 5 years old for sure. After 5 years old, 5% of children rock the rest of their lives. My son rocked and hummed all night long leaving us with only a few hours of sleep each night. He was grumpy, we were grumpy for months. We take him to his ped. and once again tell them how severe the rocking is and he finally suggests that we see a child psychologist to rule out autism and also see a neurologist. The child psychologist tested him and saw a bright child with no problems. I begged the neurologist to do a sleep study because she like all the other doctors said rocking is "normal." They do a sleep study and come to find out he has severe sleep apnea. They remove his tonsils and adenoids three days later. He still rocks after he heals. He goes back for another sleep study a few months later and his apnea is now mild but he is still rocking. He has had a rough year with colds and picking up the flu, almost sick non-stop. I notice he can't blow his nose so I tell his ped. He recommends us to an allergist. They do a blood test and also a ct scan on his sinus cavities. Turns out he has chronic sinusitis, which means all his sinus cavities are full of fluid. Now it all makes sense. His apnea is mild but still has a hard time breathing because of the fluid so he rocks to comfort himself just like he always did when the apnea was so severe. So he goes on a treatment plan for the blockages. In the meantime his blood work comes back and his bacteria antibodies are extremely low. Once he is off the treatment plan he has to have a vaccine to see if his body has the ability to build up those antibodies. We wait a month and then another blood test to see the results of those antibodies. If his body did not react the way it should then he has a "poor immune system" or a "immune disorder" which is caused from poor sleep. His body will not fight infection like it should so he will be prone to pick anything up. The whole point of this post is to GO TO THE DOCTOR. I have read post after post that people are scared to go. You should not be embarressed. My son rocked to comfort himself from severe sleep apnea and chronic sinusitis that may lead to an immune disorder. A sleep study may be what you need in order to figure out why you are rocking so much. My son has rocked since he has been 14 months old and hums very loudly along with the rocking. Shame on ALL those parents that have disciplined their child for rocking. There maybe something much deeper going on then you think. It has taken us 4 years to figure all this out. Sorry I have written a book here but this subject is very important to me. Good luck to everyone!!
WOOOHH Laughed in your face!! - HARSHH!! omg thats awful did you like report it? I guess moving surgey was the best thing. Again, sorry to hear bout your relationship and I do not know why my parents never took me to the Drs :|
Let me know if you have any luck with your new Doctor (Y)
Note to N124 (March 2010 post): Hello there - dont be embarrassed about it. I have been in same position as you are and was afriad to share or even to discuss about RMD with my parents even though they know about it and have discussed with our family doctor without my realizing it.
I have sought medical attention but after these years I spent on the "search", I ended up finding out that I am fine in the firs place, even before I started the search. Physically - I am healthy as an ox and my intelligence doesn't reflect at all after scoring exams/screen tests and got a higher percentile as being above "normal intelligence" out of university population. The only challenge I have with this is my sleeping schedule is way off the radar and my pattern of sleeping schedule is so unpredictable.
So, with that being said and after reading others post in this discussion thread - it doesn't mean that there is something "wrong" with you. To sum this in nutshell - you are ok.
I am a walking proof of this: no medical or "modification" is required (I am speaking on behalf of those who have RMD that don't bounce their head ["bang" is pessimistic and it prompts a sort of negativity so, it's best to use "bounce" instead of "bang"]). RMD doesn't have any bearing to individual's intelligence, social ability, leading a regular life, and even marriage/partnership.
Granted, it's a great way for parents to check it out for sources at same time, it's advised that RMD shouldn't be seen as medical issue in a perspective.
Parents - Be assured, by the time you have read this post - you have read all other posts and you did your homework and that you can sit back knowing that your child is ok (given that there's no other medical issues than RMD itself).
Lastly, I am so glad that there is a discussion forum on RMD because I am starting to see that more people are emerging to have RMDs as well - and that helped me to see that I am not singled out and even that I am not insane.
Good luck people! (And please do keep posting on RMD as I am interested in getting posts on this issue (I even hooked specifically this discussion board to my blackberry so I am able to get all of posts on this issue... LOL).
I do not know why it is but I just get the feeling that RMD, if thats what I have, will have a major effect on future reolationships. I mean it will be alot to ask for ther other half to tolerate with the headbanging or bouncing. Also for things like university - travelling there, staying over... it would just be embarising and you can not just "not do it" its so hard :/.
I've rocked all my life (age 56) as you can read in my previous post. I am wondering if anyone else has discovered that reading information on their iphone in bed works to completely stop the rocking-to-sleep. It has been amazing. I am in bed, in the dark, with my iphone and scanning through the different aps when I find I get very sleepy. I put the phone away and I go immediately to sleep. There are actually a number of aps just for making a person go to sleep so evidently others have caught on to the fact that something about the flashing bright lights of the iphone in the dark must trigger a release of melatonin or some other sleep mechanism in the brain.
I have done that before on my ipod touch, which is basically the same concept but I only really fall asleep straight away when Im realllyy tired! How long do you spend on your iphone to help with getting to sleep? and what kind of apps do you look at? sleep ones? x
and I, to, have been disaplined about the annoyance of rocking (noise wise) but im just scared bout telling people, like future relationships for example. Do u choose to tell your partner? Im just baffled tbh 
