You said in your other post that your snake is getting ready to shed. It is possible that he is yawning and dunking his head to loosen the skin on his head is preparation for the shed. I would recommend keeping the humidity up and leaving him alone until he sheds. As far as the staying on top of the furnishings go, if the person that you got him from kept him on a different substrate, then possibly he was unsure of the smell and texture of your coco/aspen mix. Just give him time to adjust and settle in.
yep i second this. because they shed by breaking the skin of there head first. though mites are still a probability, just dont get worked up yet.