Getting Back to Sleep After Nighmare

Are you sure it is a nightmare? Let me explain... My daughter has a similar problem (22 months old), but much more frequently; she will wake up in the middle of the night and not want to go back to sleep in her own bed. As long as I hold her she is fine, lay her down, and screaming. Sleeping with us has not worked either for several reasons, I don't want her in my bed every night and she is restless and doesn't sleep well or let us sleep. To make a long story short, this has been going on for MONTHS!!! Finally I had the idea to convert her to a twin sized bed so I could lay next to her until she fell asleep, then I could go back to bed. It was only when I started sleeping next to her in her own bed and space that I noticed how bad her snore was. She sounds like a 90 year old when she snores. I recored a minute of her snore on my phone and took it to the ear, nose and throat doc, and we are now scheduled to have her tonsils out. Needless to say, her sleep apnea is pretty bad, and I felt bad for ignoring her sleeping issues for the better part of 7 months!

S.

Hi J.!
Wow, some good sound advice here from mama's! The only thing I could add is this is a great time to talk about God and how much he is loved by God, and that God tells us in His book to not be afraid. I also have a doctor that told me that this is normal and most children have these dreams that keep them from opening a door and walking away from home when Ma & Pa are sleeping. God bless,
M.

What is his sleep schedule? It could be night terrors, is he hard to arouse after these episodes? My daughter has night terrors and was a horrible sleeper until a few weeks ago when we realized that is what was happening and quit trying to console her and stuff and now she will scream and sometimes stomp and whatever in her crib for a few minutes to sometimes 15 or 20 and then just goes to sleep like nothing ever happened.

My 2 year old daughter is a non-sleeper too. I never thought about it being a bad dream. Does your baby go to sleep by himself? If not, it could be that he's waking up expecting the same conditions he fell asleep with when he wakes a little and is disorentiented or scared when they are not (why isn't mom laying next to me now?).

Our problem is that when she did wake up, she would not go back to sleep - sometimes for hours. This started when she was a month old. When she wakes up and I spend between 30 minutes and 2 hours getting her back to sleep. It used to happen 3 or 4 nights a week. It has gotten better - now she is up at night once every few weeks. One day she will sleep through the night consistently!

Just know you are not alone, and this too shall pass.

Good luck to you!

How can you be sure it is a bad dream and not teething? At that age I would think it is more a teething issue. I would give him something to relieve the pain which is more prevelant at night, teething tablets or tylenol and see if he will settle down. Don't pick him up, lay him back down and rub his back talking to him softly. Try a music box or something soothing. If you are sure it is a bad dream then I am not sure as I didn't have this at this age with my kids.

Been there. (and I had a newborn too). I took mine out on the porch, it was winter and I wrapped her tight in a blanket. We talked about the sky, stars, sound of the wind. Of course, language is limited at that age, but eventually, she would tlk back or just listen. i think the cold and quiet helped. then i would ask, are you ready to go back in.... Also, during the nap time or other calmer time, try to have your child practice visual thought with you. Have them close their eyes (or look towards a plain wall if too young for that) and rub their back, Discribe someing you know they like. We used butterflies dancing and leaves floating on a breeze. discribe everything in major detail with a quiet soft voice. then use this when ou go outside or hold your child to put down. then say, it is time for everyone to go to sleep in their own beds now. Mommy and Daddy are right her for you if you need us. You are safe and loved. Walk out slowly if you need to with a lullaby you sign at bed time.

I agree w/ Deb K it could be teething or even ears, my 20 month old was having a hard time for 3 days, I new he was teething he kept pointing to his mouth but on the 3rd day of a night of almost all crying I finally went in to the DR it just seemed a little over the top, even for teeth, turned out he had a double ear infection, poor little guy!

But know he has a new one that doesn't happen regularly but very hard on the nights it does, and I believe they are night terrors and yours does fit into that category, but he will wake up hysterical and throw a major fit and if I try to sooth him where he is it's gets worse, him and I sleep in the living room ( I snore really bad) my on the couch and him on the floor, he prefers it to his bed all my kids have been that way, anyway's he makes me get up go in the kitchen and hold him in front of the sink/stove I have no clue as to why he has picked that spot but my friends say he is going to be the kind of man who needs a homemaker for a wife :). Once I have him calmed down I just bring him to bed with me for the rest of the night, since it isn't an everyday occurrence it doesn't interfere w/ the rest of the nights, there has even been a few nights in a row. This may be what you need to do until he grows out of the phase and it is a phase, all of mine have gone throw it, and all at different ages. I don't know if this is possible for you but it is a thought.