Blood curdling screams while sleeping

[Ajahd]

My boy is a bit of a grump and a crier, so I'm used to his crying and can tolerate it.

However, sometimes while he's sleeping, he let's out this piercing cry, it's like nothing I've ever heard before and it's truly horrific. It goes right through me and I worry so much about whatever it is that he's experiencing to make him cry like this.

He's 5 months, and this has happened every now and again (maybe 2-3 times a week an hour or two after bedtime) since he was around 3 months. It was only happening at night, but it happened during his lunch nap the other day.

Could this be night terrors? Everything I've read says he's too young. Would teething pain cause this? I can't say it matches up with days where he has bad teething pains.

He never actually wakes up. I hold him while he finishes crying, give him his dummy when he's ready to take it and he goes back to sleep.

Does anyone have any idea what this could be?

[NeedCoffeeToSurvive]

My son used to do this, always made me jump out of my skin. He was roughly the same age as your little one when it started, only really did it maybe once a fortnight and never woke up when it happened.

Our doctor said it was night terrors. He's now 2 and still occasionally screams in his sleep and it always makes me jump.

[Kintsuji]

I'd say night terrors too. Mr8 had them as a baby and toddler, they slowly went 3-4, years.

[Ajahd]

It's so horrible, I think I'll mention it to the DR/HV next time just to be sure.

Did you find the night terrors were linked to anything? Being over/under tired before bedtime? Anything you could do to lessen the chances?

It breaks my heart and its so eerie when it happens

[ElectricMistofelees]

Unfortunately no advice here, but it might help to know that my baby was exactly the same at that age. It made me jump out of my skin but she just grew out of it. I know that doesn’t help at the time but there didn’t seem to be any worrying side effects.

[kalidasa]

The timing is right for night terrors - typically about 90 mins after falling asleep.

[NeedCoffeeToSurvive]

@Ajahd

It's so horrible, I think I'll mention it to the DR/HV next time just to be sure.

Did you find the night terrors were linked to anything? Being over/under tired before bedtime? Anything you could do to lessen the chances?

It breaks my heart and its so eerie when it happens

Me personally I didn't notice any link, it didn't happen when he was overtired, at certain stages of development, different room temperatures or even because he was teething, it was just random.

We started using a white noise app, called Baby Sleep or something like that, it's free on the app store, just left a spare phone near him whilst he was sleeping with heartbeat sounds, rain and other general soothing noises and it did reduce how often it happened, might have just been a coincidence for us but other than that I can't offer any advice, sorry.

[MrsTophamHat]

My son had night terrors as well but i think/hope he has now grown out of them at 3 years old.

We didn't notice any link or cause but we did learn that trying to rouse or cuddle him made him worse, it seemed to enrage him and he didnt seem to be able to be comforted. While I couldn't bear to leave him to it completely, i found just sitting by his bed and waiting for it to pass naturally then tucking him back in was the best thing to do.

[Kintsuji]

DS were linked to being overtired or overheated. He slept very little for the first year and has a lot of night terrors. We couldn't pick him up because of the way he reacted either. Putting his music back on and patting his shoulder gently helped them subside. Also less blankets once we realised if he was a little less warm he had less night terrors. Coincidently or maybe some genetic link, I get bad nightmares when the house is hot overnight in summer.

[Wingingthis]

Reflux? X

[PurpleBiro21]

My DC also did this around 5 months.

Rarely cried, can probably count how many times we had full on baby crying in the first year, but had night terrors maybe 4/5 times between 5m-12m.

Just awful. Blood curdling screams but never seemed to be awake. Each time we stripped DC thinking something was wrong/hurting. Then would suddenly stop and go back to a deep sleep.

Never found a reason or pattern, but it hasn’t happened since 12m.

[SpaceDoubt]

My DS did this too, still does occasionally and he's nearly 2. It makes hims cry worse if we try to sooth him strangely! I think it's over tiredness/ teething or being too hot personally but I've never really narrowed it down properly as it's so random.

[Tubbytele]

Mine did this around 2 months old when going through silent reflux. Not sure if relevant to you OP.