waking up screaming.....why???

[lourobert]

My ds is 2 and has been on melatonin for about 8 months as he had poor sleep routines. It worked like a dream at first it then wore off slightly and he was waking a few time throughout the night but this was managable as it was always easily settled.

Just recently we is waking and screaming and screaming and screaming. It is so diffuclt to calm him and last night took 2 hours!!! This used to happen now and then but is now becoming alot more frequent and its very distressing both for him and us to be helpless.

Is it pain? Is it night terrors?? Have anyone had experience of anything like this before. I guess it could just be night terrors but with him having sn i alwaus wonderr if its something more sn related.

Seeing neuro on thrus so will will mention then and emailed paed- who suggested we keep a sleep diary!

Any suggestions welcomed

[yurt1]

ds1 went through some phases of this althougb often sobbing/howling rather than screaming. I wondered about pain.

[lourobert]

Its just so difficult isnt it. I think its more night terror type bad dreams but I give pain relief incase its that!?

Is it just a phase? what do I do except keep a sodding sleep diary which doesnt help with this occuring in the short term. Maybe neuro will be able to suggest something???? I hoping!

[Homsa]

Could it be growing pains?

My DS is autistic and started waking up howling in the night when he was around your DS's age. He couldn't communicate at the time, so we had no idea. I used to think it was some weird neurological state. It's only now he can talk that we've realised that he gets terrible growing pains in his feet every once in a while, usually at night.

[deeeja]

I agree with Homsa.
My 18 year old ds1 has aspergers, and told me he had terrible growing pains in his legs at night.
My ds3 has asd is 35 months, and has always had sleeping problems. When he does sleep, I can hear him moaning in his sleep. He possibly has them too.
It is awful.
Poor you and ds.

[lourobert]

ah that is a thought that I hadnt considered....!!! or maybe cramp or similar?? I guess he hasnt got the range of movement that most children have in his legs.

I so wish he could give me some idea.

[Joggeroo]

My DS had a phase of awake &screaming for a couple of hours every night at around 2.5yrs. he had a nasty hernia at the time but we could never work our whether it was pain from that, leg cramps or night terrors...wondered whether it was night terrors as it used to occur at around the same time every night. Pain relief didn't seem to make any difference. It was dreadful and nothing seemed to touch it until he came out of it. It was a ohase that seemed to fade away and now, 3 years later it it only occasionally that we have short similar phase but his communication is the same an we're none the wiser about what causes it.
Sorry, no suggestions, just to say we have been there, it's awful not being able to work out what is causing it and put it right- not to mention noisy and exhausting. The only thing is it did pass...so I hope for you it is a phase and one that soon passes.

[lottiejenkins]

From what i can remember of night terrors when my ds had them when he was small, you are trying to comfort your child, you think they are awake becuase their eyes are open they are actually asleep and they think you are the thing to be scared of. Its very difficult situation becuase somehow comforting your child isnt helping them...........
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_terror

[lourobert]

last night was the first time ni about a week that he didnt wake screaming and we all had a good nights sleep. I actually feel alot more tired today than I do when he wakes????!!! Saw doc today who offered to put up melatonin dose but we want to ride it out a bit longer as dont want to put that up without good reason