head banging and night time crying

[nikki73]

My daughter is waking at night howling, she bangs her head against the sides, throws herself about the cot and cries and cries for 2+ hours at a time. I find the head banging particularly distressing. She is teething and she has just started nursery but I don't know if part of it isn't just a ploy to end up sleeping in our bed and/or breastfeed which tends to calm her but not necessarily make her sleep. If we take her with us she'll often just start playing, which often involves hair pulling and slapping! On several occasions I decided to let her cry it out but after a while I just feel really guilty in case it is really pain. We use bonjela, calpol, powders and even amber necklace, she still doesn't settle unless we pick her up or take her in our bed. I don't think it's hunger she eats solids well now. Part of the problem I think is that the cot is in our room through lack of space so when she wakes she sees us. I have moved to the living room but I am starting work and I am desperate for a good night's sleep. Is there anything else i can do to help her settle in her cot. And how can i deal with the head banging?

Thanks for any tips.

[Ko]

how old is you little one? would a cot bumper help reduce the thumping a bit? poor you. if it is teething pain, then calpol and bonjela should reduce it - do they make any difference?

how long has it been going on for? has she got some teeth already? if she has, could this be molars coming thru? so hard when they can't tell us what is wrong. will she play with toys in her cot when she wakes?

[kristymac1]

I always found nurofen worked better than calpol for teething pain, you could try that.

Good luck, sounds pretty distressing for all of you...

[dulwichmum]

Hi nikki73,

Have you asked the GP to look in her ears? My son did this and he went on to have a perforated ear drum. I still feel guilty about it now. Teething, the colds that they pick up at nursery at this time of the year and ear infections go hand in hand. It will only take seconds for your GP to check her ears but she could be in pain.

[nikki73]

Thanks all. Both hubby and I slept in the living room last night. She woke and settled herself to sleep within a couple of minutes. Hmmm is it all just one big tantrum... at 11 months? Cot bumpers are a good idea Ko thanks and I'll try making the cot more attractive to her as she hates it but I can't leave toys in it anymore: she uses them to try to climb out.

Dulwichmum I hadn't thought of an ear infection. I'll book an appointment tomorrow but are thre any signs I should be looking for?

[GinaG3]

You can look out for touching and pulling of the ear. Thats normally a sign of pain or discomfort in that area. My daughter did the same from 11 months until she started walking. Would definitely make appointment with GP or there is always Seldoc if its worrying you enough in the meantime. Took my daughter down there yesterday to check for ear infection - she has flu!! Doctor was brilliant and acted like a complete ninny to make my child happy.

Are you breastfeeding by any chance? I was and still am, we had to change our sleeping arrangements to stop her being able to smell me in the night as this caused huge tantrums at around 3-5am every single night. After we moved her a bit further away from us (she sleeps in our room and had always co-slept or been very near to us in the cot) everything was perfect, and she started to sleep through! Just an idea..

[dulwichmum]

Hi nikki73,

I had heard that a red ear, pulling of the year etc would be indicators - and I am sure they are, but to be honest, I didn't notice any of those signs with my tiny boy. I remember him howling for hours non stop, banging his little head, not settling. It was all so out of character - he is such a happy little chap. My mother in law insisted he was having tantrums and suggested controlled crying. Whenever his behavior went off on a tangent it was always his ears. Good luck tomorrow.

[Belle]

Yes - what Dulwichmum said. Though we didn't have the headbanging - and did on occasion have the odd ear pulling - we had loads of ear infections and once it was all sorted out, I did look back and realise 90% of our disturbed nights were probably ear-related. Having said that calpol/nurofen shd def help if it's ears, but of course you want to know what the root of the problem is anyway.

[nikki73]

Thanks all, she does ear pull and slap her ear. I had assumed it was tiredness or teething pain. I am having this checked today. Will let you know how we get on.

[Ko]

whenever i have had unusual crying (has happened twice), i have taken baby ko to the gp. don't care if they think i'm a neurotic mum, just so long as he is checked out and my mind is set at rest! try to make an appt with a female gp who has children herself! i have found such gps always talk about their own experiences, how they coped etc and they don't make you feel neurotic. good luck

[dulwichmum]

Dear nikki73,

What did the GP say? Is baby dumpling OK?

[nikki73]

Thanks for asking dulwich mum. The doctor has confirmed what i suspected: tantrums! I knew this would happen one day but so young...

[dulwichmum]

YIKES! Poor you.

Get thee to the offlicence sweetie. I think a nice bottle of white Burgundy is prescribed!