6 Month Old Waking up Crying Uncontrollably

Updated on January 11, 2009
J.L. asks from Durham, NC
12 answers

I have a six month old who is such a happy boy. He really only cries when he is hungry and sleepy. He has slept through the night since I brought him home, but the last few nights he was woke up crying uncontrollably. He's not hungry and if I hold him finally he will calm back down but then he is awake and wants to play. If I set him back down in bed then he starts the crying over. I am very tired here and not sure what to do. What could be going on? I took him to the doctor and he is 100% healthy. Is this a phase? Is he in pain, but this is the only time he does it? Is it bad dreams? Any clues or ideas would help. Thanks!

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J.T.

answers from Louisville on

He might be teething. My son was the same way - he was and is a very happy baby. He only cries when he is overly tried, but when he was getting his first teeth - he would wake up at night and cry. After about a week of this - he had his first teeth. We gave him baby Tylenol to help with the pain at night, and he seemed fine after that.

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A.H.

answers from Memphis on

Maybe it's teething pain? When my little guy was teething from about 5 months to 7 months when the first tooth broke through all he wanted to do at night was nurse. Maybe try a blankie with a teething ring attached to it for night time?

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H.W.

answers from Raleigh on

My 6th month old boy did the same thing a few times...in our case it was because of teething. He's just now cutting them. Even with Tylenol he was screaming for 20 minutes...the only thing we could do to get him to stop was put some whiskey on his gums. He stopped screaming in seconds! The old wives tale worked great!

As far as the wanting to play, he did the same, so I'd let him play while I pumped & then he's be ready for a little milk and would go right back to sleep. Stinks being up for an hour in the middle of the night, but it seemed to work and he seems to be over that phase for now :)

Good luck!

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E.M.

answers from Louisville on

6 months old sounds about the age to be teething. if this is the case alot of time they will get pain in their ear and it cause the crying. and in the middle of the night the moons pull is greatest on the earth causing the pain to be worse. try some teething tabs before bed and see if that helps! good luck

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J.C.

answers from Raleigh on

Have you noticed if his gums are swollen slightly, drooling, diapar rash/diarrhea? It's about time for him to be teething, and that can be very uncomfortable. You could see if rubbing Anbesol on his gums (or other teething gel)when he wakes up helps to calm him. Also, if he is having sinus/ear problems, laying down for hours at night can increase pressure and cause pain. It might not hurt to run a vaporizer in his room at night with the dry winter air.

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M.H.

answers from Louisville on

Sounds like seperation anxiety. Try a special blanket or stuffed animal. Playing peek-a-boo during the day helps too.

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P.K.

answers from Raleigh on

My six month old did this and had an ear infection.

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M.B.

answers from Chattanooga on

My daughter is 6 months old and started waking up fussy in the middle of the night about 3-4 weeks ago. Most nights she will wake up. Sometimes hungry, sometimes just wanting to play. I don't turn on any lights to allow her to wake up anymore. I change her diaper and sometimes feed her just a few ounces that will help her to fall back asleep. She still wakes at her regular time and stays on schedule during the day. I think it could be a growth spurt. I have tried to let her go and fall back asleep on her own, but she won't do that. If your son isn't hungry, I can only suggest soothing him, rocking him to sleep, and cross your fingers that this all passes quickly. Good luck!

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J.L.

answers from Louisville on

My daughter is 4 months and we haven't experienced anything like this, but I just read an article that said some babies around this age start waking up in the middle of the night. The articl listed a few a few different causes - It could be teething or a growth spurt (thought probably not this since he's not hungry). The other thing the article mentioned is that babies start doing this when they are ready to hit a big milestone, like crawling or walking. It says it makes the babies excited and they are more apt to wake and want to get up. Good luck - I'm sure it will pass soon.

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M.Q.

answers from Nashville on

Could he be having night terrors? When my daughter was a baby every now and then she'd just start balling in her sleep. The first time it happened I thought she had been bitten by something - her eyes were closed, her body was stiff and she was just sobbing. It was a different cry too, different then her regular cries. After stripping her to check for bug bites then holding her for a little bit she just stopped. I don't think she was ever really awake. I spoke to her pediatrician about it and he said that it was most likely a night terror. He said they occur at certain times during the sleep cycle and usually happen if a child is over-tired. I noticed hers would always happen about three hours after she went down. He told me that I could wake her up or leave her be. He said it was basically what would make me feel better because she wouldn't remember it anyways. I could always tell when it was a night terror because she had a distinct cry that we only heard during these little episodes. I would just go into her room and rub her belly or head until she calmed down. She usually never even woke up.
Hope that helps! Good luck!

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R.B.

answers from Raleigh on

Have you noticed if he snores or if he stops breathing? My oldest (of three) would wake up screaming also and we finally figured out he had sleep apnea(sp?) and would stop breathing and that would wake him up scared - he had his tonsils and aednoids taken out just before he turned two - he stopped snoring and started sleeping better immediately - hope this helps

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J.T.

answers from Louisville on

J., my oldest daughter had the same problem when she was a baby. I never really figured it out, but she did still have trouble with it when she was older. Basically she was acting like she was having nightmares and it was difficult to wake her up from them. After potty training, I would take her to the restroom and then it would stop and she would go back to sleep. You may consider gas drops. Not sure about the name, my youngest is now 4, but sometimes the gas pains can cause them to cry like someone is beating them. I like the idea of the teething, and would recommend, with your doctor's ok, herbal teething tablets. They are homeopathic and can be obtained by just asking the pharmacists. They are over the counter but they keep them in the back. LOVE THEM!!! One or two little tablets and happiness returns! Best of luck and hope this helps

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