20 Month Old Son Crying at Night

Hi Joyce!
-You got great answers. Maybe you could move his bed to a different spot.
-You could play very quiet calm music
-When my daughter had lots of stress and stressful nights I went to her room just after she start sleeping and touched very gently her back saying positive affirmations.(ideas from Joseph Murphy and Norman V.Peale books-"Power of positive thinking" and more).
-I used also "Bad Dream Sprinkles" natural herbal remedy for small kids
from http://www.zoneofnaturalremedies.com/content-product_info...

I don't believe he senses anything. Children go through stages and well, boys are just a handful when they are young. They NEED lots of attention and when sleep patterns are interupted by (who knows what this time) separation anxiety, ect. they want attention. I am sorry but it won't get any better. It will always be something. I am more sensing that you are ambivilent over having another child. If we had any idea just how many changes and difficulties we could experience with kids, we all would have had ambivilent feelings about it! I am not kidding you and don't kid yourself on how difficult it will be with a crying infant and a terrible 2 and a daughter on the verge of puberty. If this is bothering you now...

Also consider..is he cold at night? I know my house is a lot colder now. Could his throat be hurting? I run humidifiers in both of my kids rooms at night now....

I'm still reading your advise, but my dd turned 2 in late July and she's had the same problem ever since.

He's at the age where night terrors start... make sure he's awake before you pick him up, and maybe stay in his room with him to go back to sleep - instead of bringing him in yours.

If you are going to bring him in your room, I'd make him a pallet on the floor, since clearly you're not wanting to start the family bed.

S.

Hi J.-
Just wanted to tell you that I totally feel your pain! I have two boys, the younger of whom is almost 22 months. At about 19 months or so, the once model sleeper turned into a night screamer. We tried crying it out, I would sit up with him until he fell back asleep, and then my hubby started getting up with him and just telling him it was "night-night" time and he needed to go back to sleep. Believe it or not, it worked. Now, when we hear him at night, he is sometimes screaming "no... no way." I think he is dreaming. I believe babies start dreaming around 15 or 16 months. The bottom line is, we never really know what's going on in their precious little heads. Just know he will (and you will, too) get through this. Our prayers are with you as you try to grow your family!

J.-

My son went through the same thing a couple of months ago he is mow 22 months and at first we thought he was having nightmares but it ended up being that he was teething. I would check to see if he is cutting any molars and this might be the problem. I would give my son some tylenol right before he went to bed to help with the pain. Good Luck on Baby # 3.

My son is going through the random waking up right now too, he is 19 1/2 months. We usually let him fuss his way through it and he goes back to sleep. The other night, he cried for longer than what we like so my husband went in his room, put his blanket back on him and he went right back to sleep. I think he was cold, but who really knows. If you can let him work it out himself, you would all be better off. But big sister has to understand this as well. We let our son work it out alone unless he goes into a full, loud, screaming kind of cry.

Good luck (with your son and getting pregnant)!

I doubt that is his problem. It could be anything. My son does that sometimes. He goes through phases of different sleep patterns. One thing we discovered is that he sometimes seems cold. At that age, your son probably isn't keeping a blanket over him, right? Try getting some warm fleece footed PJs. That helps us at least sometimes. It could also be teething. And remember, even if he has a good reason in the beginning, a habit liek snuggling with mommy or even big sister can be hard to break. Best of luck!

Although I am not going to completely discount his "sixth sense", I do believe that at 20 months, it is far more likely that he is having bad dreams that wake him, and then he feels scared and alone in his room. Try saying as you go to him, "Did you have a bad dream?, It's ok, they go away when you wake up , I'm here". Soon, he will understand what is happening. Nurture him now when he needs it, and he will let you nurture your baby more when it comes because he will feel more secure. Your daughter is so sweet and nurturing!! You are obviously doing a great job.

I don't think your son is sensing anything, unless you are preoccupied with the thought during the day, and he's feeling the stress. Children just go through stages of getting good sleep, and then waking during the night for a while.

Well has this only been reciently, the crying at night? It could be medical related? With the change of the season or the introduction to cow's milk ( which didn'g go well with my daughter at first), it could be inner ear pressure, not necessarily infection caused by sinuses. That is the impression that I am getting, you might want to go to your pediatrician and maybe just do a routein check... just in case. I hope this helps!

J.

As a mom to 3 boys it sound more to me like he is cutting his 2 year molars and needs some tylenol before bed... THat ususlaly does the trick! he may also have gas give him gas drops or mylanta. They also go thru growth spurts and can have pains from that and I find that when kids approach a milestone like a birthday they tend to have unrest or be unsetteled for a few weeks then they are better....

Dont make too much of a fuss trying to figure out what is wrong that will give him more unrest just give the tylenol before bed and see if that helps. he will get through this. :o)

HTH
A. J

My 19month old daughter has been doing the same thing. I wonder now (after reading your question) if this is normal behavior at their age? I had been thinking maybe it is because my husband and I are getting a divorce.

It could be a number of things. The part about your daughter putting her little brother in bed with her made me smile. Children are so kind and helpful and aren't afraid to show how much they love someone. I think if a child cries, then you should go to them, hold and comfort them. They don't cry for no reason and your daughter is already sensitive enough toward her brother to know that. You're blessed to have such a caring child. Good luck with number three!!!