Hi, I have a 19.5month old daughter and pretty much EVERY night for months now she has woken up in the middle of the night, usually between 3 and 4am, just screaming hysterically. This gets worse if we leave her to cry it out (which we can't and havent done for long), usually stops when my husband picks her up - not me, that just makes it worse! He either has to take her and lie with her on the couch or put her in the spare bed and lie with her for a while when she will then go back to sleep. On some occasions we actually have to turn the TV on to get her to snap out of it as shes just beside herself with racking crying.
Now everyone we have spoken to has said this is night terrors, but every night? is this normal? I cant even remember the last time she slept through the night. We have just moved her into a toddler bed as she wasnt sleeping in her crib and hated it passionately- an average of 2 hours a night for quite a while, and she is loving her toddler bed more so we're all getting more sleep, except for the screaming.
So any ideas about the screaming? talking softly, rubbing back, popping in paccy doesnt work, but how long will they last, is it something i should discuss more indepth with my Ped. I have mentioned it in passing and she said night terrors. Im worried that its something else. The rest of the time, shes happy. We're so worn out that I feel like we wake up with a hangover every day its got to that stage!!
Just to let you know that sounds like she might be colic..Or worse have gas on her tummy..You might want to get her checked by a pediatritian
Hi L.
It does sound like your baby is having night terrors. I was curious if you put your baby to nap during the day? I ask because I was told that usually night terrors result from lack of sleep. Your baby should be sleeping at least 12 hours at this age with at least 1-2 naps during the day (each lasting approx 1-2 hours). I had a friend that went through this with her son when he was about 3 yo. and she struggled with it, primarily becasue he was a child who really hated naps (to this day he hates to go to sleep and he's 11 yo now) so he was definitely sleep deprived.
Well if the sleep is not the answer I would mention this again to your ped. She may also have a number of other sleep conditions like apnea or enlarged tonsils which may block her breathing a little if she has been sick recently. Well hope this helps.
M.
Unfortunately, what you are experiencing is night terrors. There is no cause and no cure. It will pass but in the mean time you will have trouble getting through it. I had night terrors when I was a child and one of my two daughters had them as well. My mother tells me mine passed after almost a year and a half whereas my daughters passed after around 8 mos. I feel for you but there is little you can do. My best suggestion is to comfort her and try to wake her up gently but it is most likely that she will not wake up fully and the only people it disturbs are the parents. Despite the screaming she is getting the sleep she needs but you parents will suffer that time until it passes. Try taking a night away if you can. It helped for me to have my parents come and stay a couple of nights while I slept at the hotel just so I could get some uninterrupted sleep! Good luck!
It's prob. just a phase, I hate to say it, but you may have to stick it out. My son started sleeping thru the nite last Aug. at 9 mths and then my 2 1/2 yr old daughter started waking up. She woke up EVERY NITE from Oct. to May - It was the worst thing in the world. I thought it would never end, but after 7 mths it did. It was awful, she'd come in our room at 3am, I'd walk her back to her bed, then again at 5am - this went on for 7 MONTHS! not one night did she sleep all the way thru. They share a room and for about a week (after 3mths of waking up) I let her just scream and holler and turn the light on and call my name and wake her brother up and he screamed too for about 2 hrs. And in the morning they would both be asleep in the crib. I'm telling you it work me out, if I had to go to work every morning out of the house I would have died...keep hope alive, it should get better.
My 8 month old used to wake up consistantly around 11:00, screaming. She didn't cry really bad, but she did a little. I put one of those floor lamps that shine up at the ceiling in her room that dims and just put it on very dim all night long. It wasn't so bright that it made her think it was day time, but that kind of lamp illuminated the whole room just a little. She hasn't cried since, so that leads me to beleive she may still be waking up, but maybe she isn't scared anymore. I hope you figure it out because I know it breaks your heart when that happens.
Hi, I have a two year old girl that has been doing the same thing for 6months now. There is such a thing as nightmares vs night terrors. My daughter I believe has nightmares as she wakes up crying but not screaming. Night terrors causes them to wake up screaming and thrashing about and it is almost impossible to wake and console them. Nightmares causes them to cry but you are able to wake and console them. My daughter has the latter. She cries everynight in her sleep several times a night. I have to jump out of bed and go in and give her a paci or talk to her or simply just cover her back up and she falls back asleep. Every once in a while I have to actually pick her up and hold her for a minute and then lie her back down again. She still naps during the day for 2-3 hours and sleeps 10-12 at night so its not from lack of sleep. Her dr had said it was night terrors but as I researched them I found there was a difference between terrors and nightmares. I have to say of the two I am glad she only has nighmares. I can't wait for the day she grows out of it. I know what you mean about being tired. I was pregnant when my daughters nightmares started and was so tired and now I am more tired as I have to get up for my three month old and my other daughter at different times throughout the night. I can't wait for one of them to sleep the night through. I hope you too get some relief soon.
L.,
My daughter woke up screaming at night for two years and the pediatrician continued to say it was night terrors. I'm not saying this to scare you, but I just want you to follow your instincts. I continued to pester the pediatrician about it and she continued to say they were night terrors. I knew something wasn't right, but how do you question something the doctors swear is night terrors. Well, at the age of 5, my daughter went into what is called status epilepticus and had continuous seizures. Again, I'm not saying that your daughter has a seizure disorder, but if you feel these "night terrors" is just something that isn't right, please see your pediatrician and continue to pester them if it doesn't resolve itself.
