My 15 month old son has always been a pretty good sleeper. However, the last 7 days he has been waking at the same time every night, screaming. He goes to bed around 8:30 pm and wakes up screaming around 11 pm. My husband or I will go into his room and reassure him everything is ok. Sometimes he will go back to sleep after we comfort him for 10 minutes. Other times he needs extra reassurance and will stay up for 1/2 hour or so. The rest of the night he sleeps soundly.
Does anyone have any advice on how to best handle this? Do you think he is just having bad dreams? If so, how can it happen exactly at the same time every night? Or is this a common phase? Thanks.
Thank you to everyone for your responses and suggestions. I looked up Night Terrors on the internet, and I also called his pediatrician. That's what it was! It was quite amazing to know that Night Terrors primarily occur during the transition from stage 3 non-REM sleep to stage 4, which is approx 90 minutes after the toddler falls asleep. That's why they happen the same time every night. And, even though the child's eyes are wide open, they are really still asleep (similar to sleep walking). I learned that sometimes Night Terrors are triggered by lack of sleep. So I put my son back on two full naps a day.... and sure enough the Night Terrors stopped!! Thank you to all!
My son went through that. I think it's one of those things you just try to get through. We would take him outside for fresh air. It almost seemed like he wasn't really awake, because we couldn't reason w/him. My Mom tells stories of my doing the same thing around that age, & they always took me outside.
Good luck!
I had this problem with my son he would start crying at the same time every night. It seemed to happen all of the sudden so we started to take notice of what was happening at that same time of night around our home. It was about twenty minutes after we would go to sleep. It also turned out our new neighbor got home from work at the same time he was waking. We decided it was probably a combination of no noise in our home to cover up the sound, and the slamming car door out side. We did a few things to change the noise level in his room. We got heavier curtians for his room to deaden some of the outside noise and we got a noise machine for his room. It took a few days to get back to normal but we did and he started sleeping. My mother also told me it would be better if when he woke up, not to turn on any light and to speak as slowly and quitely as possible. I hope this helps you. But if you cant find the cause call your doctor it could be something they can help with. There are a number of medical reasons children wake up in the night. Including sleep appnia. Its important not to let this go on for long...
Best of luck
M. B
Is he actually awake? It could be night terrors. They seem awake, but really they are not. When you come in to comfot him, does he get more upset? My son did this for several weeks. We finally discovered that he was not getting enough sleep. We began moving his bedtime back by 15 minutes every night until it caused him to wake up too early. For instance, he started out with an 8pm bedtime. And, he ALWAYS is up at 7am. So, the first night, we put him to bed at 7:45pm. Then next night was 7:30pm. We kept going until with a 6:30pm bedtime, he was waking up at 6:30am. So, we gradually moved him back the other direction for a couple nights until he was back to waking at 7am. We are now on a 7pm to 7am schedule. The night terrors disappeared within a few days. If we get off schedule for an extended amount of time, they sometimes come back. When that happens, we do a 6:30pm bedtime for a night or two to make up some lost sleep. I know these times may sound early, but it works really well for us and for him. I would also recommend reading "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." I love this book and it addresses all sorts of sleep problems from infancy to adult. Good luck!
He's just the right age to start night terrors. Keep doing what you're doing, but make sure you direct him to his own bed! Also, a homeopathic remedy called Calms Forte 4 Kids has really helped a couple of our kids. If he's been having trouble, then give him 2 tablets (they dissolve in the mouth quickly) before bed. If he wakes up with a problem, give him 2 more. Good luck!
Hi C.. My son started doing the same thing. We discovered that he just wants some company. We recently put him in a twin bed and now he does not wake up as much. But, when he does, he comes to our room to snuggle with us for a little bit. Good luck!
A.
Hi C.,
My 15 month old is doing the same thing! He was an awesome sleeper 12-13 hours never a peep! Now he goes down at 7 and wakes up around 9:30. Not like him at all. I figure it is teeth or a phase. He has started to recognize strangers and cries when we leave the room, etc. I think he is going through a seperation anxiety phase...maybe yours is too?? I know as kids reach different milestones it can effect their sleep. Pax has started trying to go from 2 naps a day to 1 long nap. I think maybe his body sometimes still thinks it is just his "second" nap.
I hope you got some sleep soon ...me too :)
Good Luck this phase will pass. Your mommy intuition will tell you if there is "something else" wrong.
J.
I'm a Grandmother, & I am finding out with my own granddaughter, & even with my own kids when they were small, that ALL kids go thru this in growing up. Some parents have to do as you are doing. Other's have to lay down with the kids, & of course they fall asleep & get up in middle of night to return to their bed. I wouldn't worry about this, as he gets older he will outgrow this.
Faye, from Dandridge
Keep giving the reassurance and love that you are already doing. Is there perhaps a chance that he accidentally saw an advertisement for a scary movie or perhaps had something happen recently that might have scared him. Are there any shadows being cast in his room that might startle him. Has he been witness to any quarrels or arguments lately? Is there tension in the home right now? He's 15 months old so it's possible also that he could be dreaming about anything really. And, small children pick up on the tiniest inklings of stress or tension that are around the home. Then again, sometimes the questions are never answered.
Just keep loving him, reassuring him, give him a hug or cuddle. Does he have a favorite blanket or stuffed animal that he can sleep with?
I wish you luck and much patience. It's not abnormal for a sleep pattern to change. Hang in there... and remember ... this too shall pass.
My daughter did similar stuff around that same age. I could lay her down, walk out, and not hear from her for 12 hrs later! Now the little toot has to sleep w/us every night. She's 22 months now, so don't wanna scare you, hopefully yours won't last that long. She naps like she always has, but come bedtime it's a diff story. I am just taking the easy way out, but as long as we're all getting rest she will continue to sleep w/ us until I get the patience to try something else. I stay at home w/ her so by the end of the day I'll do anything for rest. Good luck!!
It could be nightmares, but it could also be night terrors. This is when a child gets up, looks and acts fully awake, but they are sound asleep. They act extremely agitated and frightened. My daughter had those frequently for a while, and now has them only randomly.
They are very common (it doesn't mean he has been abused or anything bad!) and can tend to run in families. My SIL was a sleepwalker, and my cousin had night terrors, so I guess my DD got a predisposition toward it.
Does he respond to you, or does he look right through you? When you try to comfort him, does it just wind him up more? Those are 2 major signs of night terrors. They also don't remember anything that happened that next morning (while you are still freaking out)!
Next time, try hanging back and not interacting -- this is HARD to do, since our first instinct is to rush in and comfort our children! Just watch and make sure that he doesn't hurt himself, and if he's out of bed you can guide him gently back at some point. If dealing with things this way tends to help, then you're most likely dealing with the night terrors.
Once you realize what the best way is to deal with him, and you are confident in how to deal, it will get better, I promise!!
Hi C.,
My daughter is almost 20 months and we have been through similiar patterns in her sleep. I think coping with it is a bit like "rolling with the punches". They are processing so many new things: images, voices, language, new teeth -- which means learning to deal with pain that is not life threatening but none-the-less scary for a tiny little person. My husband and I have found that keeping a steady schedule and being there for reassurance when they cry but encouraging them to go back to sleep (sometimes in her own bed and every now and then with us) works. I think children crave structure, it gives them something to depend on in an ever changing world.
I like the advice that someone else gave you about listening to your "mommy intuition", I think she is right. You know your baby better than anyone else ever could. Sometimes we all need reassurance, so we are all here telling you: "you are not alone, these things happen, hang in there".
It does sound like you are on the right track, hang in there and remember: you are a great Mom, you care enough to ask the questions you need to and you are there for your child. It makes a huge difference, even if you can't always answer their questions, just for them to know that you care is sometimes all they need.
Take care! L.
Look at the daily habits earlier in the evening. Does he eat at the same time? Has there been any new foods? Or a bedtime snack? My oldest had issues with milk that caused stomach issues.
Or nightmares could be possible but the same time each night doesn't make sense. Good luck!
My youngest did something similar to that but last a while and we sought the advice of doctors and the said it was night terrors because she was acting really strange and told me she would grow out of it. Well, she did not and we finally got pray for her and she just stopped. and has not done it since.
