# Do you rock?(Literally) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 21, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194 "2003-03-21T19:54:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qwisp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qwisp/32/397_2.png) [@Qwisp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwisp)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/1 "2003-03-21T19:54:07Z")
I’m wondering how widespread “nervous energy” is. I have never been able to sit still my entire life. I like to rock back and forth, usually only in private. In public I wiggle my leg or feet, I fidget around. My daughter is the same way. She will sit and rock on the couch. I’ve tried to just sit still, but it’s like telling someone who has an itch they can’t scratch. I’ve actually tried to get help for it, only to be diagnosed as obsessive-compulsive, which I definitely am not. I’ve also been told it’s a movement disorder but nothing seems to help. Heck I used to rock myself to sleep as a child, now I just wiggle my foot back and forth (thank goodness it doesn’t bother my husband.) Is anybody familiar with this? I’m tired of breaking rocking chairs and busting the springs in the furniture. ---
**Author:** ![Tarrsk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@Tarrsk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarrsk)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/2 "2003-03-21T20:20:34Z")
“I rock! I rock… so hard.” -Mojo Jojo Actually, yeah, I suffer from the same thing. I think it has to do with the fact that I’m a very tense person by nature- I can’t even handle average horror flicks because sudden motions/ sounds startle me so much (even when I’m “expecting” them). My restless motions tend to be along the lines of finger/foot tapping, although after listening to so much punk rock, I’ve gotten used to tapping as if I were playing a kick drum. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/3 "2003-03-21T20:42:47Z")
I don’t usually rock, but when I watch a [Weebl and Bob](http://www.weebl.jolt.co.uk/) cartoon, I find I start rocking slowly back and forth. Piiiiiie! ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/4 "2003-03-21T20:53:15Z")
I don’t rock but I have **[sup] tic-tic-tic[/sup]** a couple other odd th-th-th-things I do 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mith)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/5 "2003-03-21T21:57:14Z")
WHen I’m laying in bed, I rock as I’m falling asleep. I normally sleep on my side and I rock myself. I’ve always thought I must do this because it’s simply soothing and reminds me of being a baby or somekindapsychtheory. I came across a boyfriend who did the same thing in bed, so he woudl grab me and we would rock together. His timing WAS SO OFF, but it was nice. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/6 "2003-03-21T23:53:36Z")
I do, constantly. I wiggle my foot, I rock myself to sleep, and I barely even notice that I do it. I need kinetic movement to relieve stress, I’ve finally discovered. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/7 "2003-03-22T01:46:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qwisp \* > \*\*I’m wondering how widespread “nervous energy” is. I have never been able to sit still my entire life. I like to rock back and forth, usually only in private. In public I wiggle my leg or feet, I fidget around. \*\* Yup. And at work I find quiet things to play with (so I’m using my fingers) so I don’t bother other people- paper clips, pencils, pendants… I only rock when I’m sitting on the floor, though. The urge to do so doesn’t strike when I’m sitting on a piece of furniture, other than a rocking chair, of course. I wiggle my foot instead. I was hyperactive as a child, and I think that though I can now control the urge to get up and run around all the time, the wiggling and fidgeting are actually coping mechanisms, so I’m _already_ dealing with it the best I can; interestingly, typing also seems to fulfill the need to be in motion somehow, since I fidget far less when I’m doing that, as oposed to concentrating on reading something. It doesn’t seem to bother out people than I’m rarely completely still, so I don’t worry about it too much. ---
**Author:** ![mmhkay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@mmhkay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmhkay)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/8 "2003-03-22T02:18:07Z")
I shift my weight from one foot to the other with my feet spread apart so I slowly rock back and forth…if I’m standing in one place, then I’m rocking. ---
**Author:** ![drpepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@drpepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drpepper)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/9 "2003-03-22T02:27:50Z")
Similar to **mmhkay** kind of rocking, not so very obvious or discernible, and usually when I’m standing in church or assemblies and whatnot. Wise old relative once postulated that women who have raised babies are sure to do this. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/10 "2003-03-22T02:36:27Z")
**Mith,** and anyone else who rocks while you sleep, see a doctor. Could be Restless Leg Syndrome. I have the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/11 "2003-03-22T02:52:12Z")
I always tap my foot lightly… Sometimes just barely moving it up and down so it comes within hairs of touching the floor but not quite. I just realize I’m doing it after a while. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/12 "2003-03-22T04:42:34Z")
Lemme put it this way: the single most frequent sentence I hear in my life is, “Will you PLEASE stop DOING that! You’re rocking the whole damn (car, bed, boat, sofa, house)!” ---
**Author:** ![Qwisp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qwisp/32/397_2.png) [@Qwisp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwisp)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/13 "2003-03-22T06:14:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LifeOnWry \* > \*\*Lemme put it this way: the single most frequent sentence I hear in my life is, “Will you PLEASE stop DOING that! You’re rocking the whole damn (car, bed, boat, sofa, house)!” \*\* I thought I was the only one who heard that line constantly.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ChrystinP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@ChrystinP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrystinP)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/14 "2003-03-22T06:29:27Z")
I’m the one who says “Will you please stop that damned wiggling?” My spousal support unit and every male in his family seems to do it to varying degrees. I’ll never forget the first holiday dinner I had with his family (we’re married 25 years Monday) when I asked him to “Please stop wiggling the table” and he said it wasn’t him. Turned out it was his brother doing it. My oldest nephew does it really bad, and has a variety of other annoying behaviors such as cracking his knuckles incessantly. My youngest son has bad wiggle legs and I’m hoping he doesn’t develop the other annoying aspects that seem to be prevalent in this gene pool. ---
**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/15 "2003-03-22T07:17:18Z")
I don’t know about rocking, but I wonder if it’s just another form of [Restless Leg Syndrome](http://www.rls.org/frames/home_frame.htm). ---
**Author:** ![The\_MacDairmuid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_MacDairmuid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_MacDairmuid)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/16 "2003-03-22T07:35:38Z")
I don’t _rock_ as such, but I have a devil of a time sitting still for more than half a minute or so. Any more than that and I start to fidget. If I can hear music I enjoy I can’t sit still even that long. Some time ago, a friend of mine noticed his brand new car had a strange vibration while driving, but only when I was in it. Turned out that it was me in the back seat, drumming along to the radio or the music in my head, whichever was playing louder. ---
**Author:** ![TJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@TJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJay)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/17 "2003-03-22T09:20:14Z")
Originally posted by DrPepper: > [@](#): > > Wise old relative once postulated that women who have raised babies are sure to do this. I can vouch for this - I never used to rock at all, but since having two children, both of whom are still pretty young, whenever I’m standing in a queue or something I rock very slightly from foot to foot. I don’t usually realise I’m doing it unless someone points it out, but it dates from when my first child was born and was a real screamer. I used to spend hours just rocking him, to try and get him to sleep! ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/18 "2003-03-22T23:11:52Z")
Oh, yeah. Give any mother a crying child and she will immediately go into Mommy As Automatic Rocking Chair mode. I have also noticed a similar tendency in Daddies, but there it’s called Automatic Horsie mode. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/19 "2003-03-22T23:20:07Z")
Yup, I do this. If I’m standing, I rock back and forth very slightly. If I’m sitting I usually have to jiggle my leg/foot. It’s gotten much better since I started getting treated for panic disorder, but I still… resonate. Even if I’m not moving I’m moving it seems. I’m pretty sure it’s an inherited trait: my dad is a leg jiggler. My brother used to thump his head on his pillow to fall asleep. I always move my foot back and forth when trying to fall asleep. My mom was the one always yelling “WILL YOU ALL STOP MOVING?!?” When I met **Hamadryad** in person I thought our combined nervous energy would topple buildings. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194/20 "2003-03-23T01:36:42Z")
Hee, **Rasa**! I twitch all the time. Jiggle a foot, rock my leg, jiggle my leg, rock back and forth…usually I have some kind of music going in my head and I’ll usually rock to that. Even when I’m reading I’m never not moving. If I’m sitting on the floor I’ll rock back and forth. One of the things I love about the concrete floors in my house is my leg can twitch all it wants and it doesn’t bother anyone else. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rock-literally/163194.md?page=2)