19 month old waking screaming during night

[nicolemodesti]

Okay I have been an incredibly blessed mother in the fact that my son has been a good night sleeper, since 6 weeks old, and self soothing to get back to sleep. This week though has seen him waking once at night anywhere between 10pm - 2.30am, screaming and fearful, with tears streaming down his face. It takes about 20 minutes to calm and soothe him. He becomes even more upset if we try to return him to his own bed so he settles in with us and is then lifted back to his bed once he is asleep. He wakes at his normal time of 6.30am happy and ready to go. I have read on Babycentre about night terrors and wondering if this may be it? This week he has also had his 2nd MMR and a swine flu jab. Plus he has had a couple of extra days with me due to school holidays but also been at nursery. We have noticed that he has become very clingy to 'mummy' of late. No obvious signs of teething/teeth coming through but has been biting a little on his favourite sheep toy. Bed time routine is the same. Any ideas??????

[Pickle]

We've had exactly the same with both of ours. My son (now over 3) has always been an excellent sleeper but we had a period of waking doing exactly as you describe. He was often standing up and very confused which we think may have been a bit of sleep walking (which I used to do a lot as a child) as well as bad dreams.

My daughter has done a similar thing over the past few months, she's 22 months old now. However I think hers is a combination of night terrors and teething - she's been very slow to get her teeth and they really seem to bother her these days. Fingers crossed the last few nights have been much better, so I'm hoping we're through the other side of it now!

Hopefully it will pass with your little one.

[nicolemodesti]

Yes Pickle, he is standing up in his cot, very confused and doesn't seem to be fully awake. Finally after calming down he seems to realise where he is and settles in with us only with the lamp on. He then chats quietly and falls back to sleep. I was also a dreadful sleep walker (still do at times of extreme stress) and sleep talker!!

This motherhood bit is completely worrying about their EHWB and trying to make them feel safe. We shall keep doing what we are doing and hopefully he will fall back into his comfort zone again.

A couple of people have suggested a night light???????

Keeping my fingers crossed for your daughter and sleep Pickle!

[Bishberro]

It's hard to tell but going by my own experience I would guess teeth or the jabs. My son has always been a good sleeper and the only times he wakes up are if he's ill or in pain from teeth (and often I don't realise he's been teething until you notice them poking through a few days later). Also after he had the swine flu jab back in Jan he had a good ten days where he was really unsettled, high temperature, just not himself. I think the clingyness is just a stage they go through at that stage and not related to waking in the night in my experience. I would keep the bedtime routine exactly the same and just hope it will pass. My son who is just 2 is still teething really badly at the minute and keeps waking in the night - it's the front top ones that have really given him the most grief.

[Pickle]

Interesting that you were a sleep walker too, I was really bad as a child (to the extent my parents used to find me out in the garden, having unlocked doors etc.) and am still quite bad as an adult much to the amusement of Mr Pickle who has to answer questions such as "where's this boat taking us?" as I'm standing looking out our bedroom window at 3am. My son is a sleep talker too, once again takes after his Mum :-$

[nicolemodesti]

Ha ha Pickle my parents would find me heading out the back door to 'save the donkey in the rain' or other madness! Living in a small country Australian town they had to not only lock the screen doors but also the wooden door. Unheard of then!! My partner will often tells me the weird conversations I will have with him or find me walking around the flat with lights blazing!! Amazed he actually stayed with me after his initial confusion at the beginning. Wonder if my son will turn out to be a sleep talker as he normally does a good running commentary at night talking about names at nursery.

Thanks Bishberro = it may be teething as well although we have never experienced this before and he has 16 teeth. The upper left canine seems to be taking a bit longer extending down and he is gnawing on that side. May be that he is experiencing more pain. Have to say that I also had the swine flu jab same day as him (Mummy being brave with him) and I have had a badly sore arm at injection point, threw up that night and nausea for a few days. Goodness knows how he is coping!

He has gone down peacefully tonight, as usual, so hopefully he will have a better nights rest!

[nunheadmum]

I've had similar with both mine, most recently with my 21month old. I don't have any answers as to why. I think sometimes that it's just linked to little brains working at high speed and trying to deal with what they've come across in the day. I tend to do whatever gets us all back to sleep quickest and if it starts going on too long (more than 4-5 nights maybe for us, depending on how disruptive the behaviour is....we used to let it go much longer with No1), then a bit of tough love and letting them shout for a bit usually sorts it out (and we wonder why we didn't do it sooner).

Sorry, I'm not as hard hearted really as that sounds but I tend to think that night terrors wouldn't happen every night consistently - if it's consistent then it feels to me like it's more likely a developmental thing that they need to learn to deal with themselves in the longer term.

With those wise words I'm off to bed, hoping that no2 doesn't decide to shout (but not wake) 3-4 times a night as she's been doing the past week or so. She gets back off with no problem.....it's just dad and I who lie awake trying to work out why and worrying that next time she won't go back off....!! Any solutions on that one gratefully received.

[pommie]

My 19 month old daughter has been doing exactly the same. She wakes up any time from 3.30am until 5.30am crying, really upset and no matter how many times i lay her back down in her bed, she doesnt go back to sleep so we are having to put her in our bed until she falls asleep and then put her back into her bed.

[nicolemodesti]

Tonight is going to be the 'tough love' night with Daddy doing the strategy. Lastnight was a 2am shout out to Mummy although he wasn't as upset as previous nights....plus mummy possibly should have left it a bit longer but think automatically got up. He then chatted away in our bed, between us, but I'm sure I fell asleep before him and that's where we all woke this morning.

Good luck nunheadmum and pommie and if you do crack it then please let me know!! Back to work on Monday, teaching 28 7 year olds and I rely on my solid sleep each night to get through it!!