Hi All,
I am at my witts end. We are going on 3 weeks now that my son goes to bed some nights without a problem and others crying. Thats not the bad part. the bad part is usually 3 hours in to his sleep he will wake up and I hear him but if I dont answer right away he starts this awful blood curdling scream. We have been bringin him to bed with us however now we are going on 3 weeks and I cant sleep with him. He kicks and thrashes. The other night we tried talking him down offering water, letting him cry and this went on where he would scream for 1/2 hr (while checking on him) he would fall back to sleep and wake up a couple hours later and do it again. A little back story we moved back in May and things were fine before that. I changed from his crib (where he started this) to a mattress on the floor (because I was afraid he would fall out). When he wake he just stays on the bed screaming doesnt try to leave. Any thoughts on how to get my son back to sleeping the 12 hrs uninterupted a night that he used to?
Thanks all!
I read the link about night terror and it doesnt seem like that is the case. He is often calmed if we go in or offered to sleep with us. Which is kinda what I am thinking he is after..... Thanks everyone for your responses!
Maybe he's learned that screaming gets him into bed with mom and dad......
Sounds like you are describing Night Terrors.
Check this out: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000809.htm
Even after reading your So What Happened, I'm still inclined towards night terrors. My son is almost 5 and has them probably 2-3 times per week now, but it used to be more frequently.
If you don't believe that's what it is, you may have to recondition him in regards to the "screaming to get what he wants" behavior (if that's what it turns out to be). However, your words sound so similar to my son, especially the staying on the bed screaming, not trying to leave. He's not always aware of you, and many times, all I have to do is lay my son back down, and he goes instantly back to sleep. It's very scary, but try just laying him back down, rearranging his blanket, then quietly walk out.
It sounds like it could be night terrors, although I don't think those typically recur all night. I also think that putting him in a toddler bed is worth a try, but not because he doesn't have depth perception (that is true of young infants not toddlers). But maybe there is something about the switch to matteress on the bed that is not right with him. Does he do it if you let him fall asleep in your bed to begin with? I would try that (put pillows around to prevent him from rolling off) and if he still wakes screaming, it's more likely to be night terrors than problem with bed. Good luck!
Okay this may sound crazy but then most things I come up with do. Have you tried putting the mattress in a toddler bed or at minimum getting some of those bed rail things. Okay here is what I think is happening and you have to understand a bit of child psychology to get it, he doesn't see the end of his bed. In his mind he falls off that thing he is just gone to the world. I wish I could remember the psychologist who did the study so you could read it but I don't.
Small children don't perceive space, depth, things like that as we do.
Just get one bed rail and put the other side against the wall. It isn't an expensive fix and if it works, well worth it.
Not night terrors, my son had them. A child having a night terror cannot be calmed, they are not awake. You could pick them up and take them into your bed and they will still be screaming. This is not a night terror.
Please look up online and read about "Night Terrors."
It is developmental based and can occur in kids from 1 years old and up.
My kids had it when they were younger than 2 years old but it also occurs in older kids.
Sounds like he is having night terrors. You can research more on the internet. The are NOT nightmares, the child is actually still in a state of sleep even though they may seem awake. They say the best thing to do is make sure they are safe and don't try to move or talk to them. They can easily last 30 min. They typically start a few hours after bedtime and don't usually happen much past 2AM.
My daughter had them on and off for at least at year till she was just over 2. They suck - they are hard to watch and very frustrating. She would kick her legs like crazy. It is probably stemming from the recent changes, and can also be related to diet. They also often come right before a child gets sick. It does get better usually - hopefully yours is a short phase.
