What is going on with my DD3 at nighttime

[Wednesdaywobbles]

during the day my DD3.5 is lively, happy, chatty just a normal 3 year old. She goes to bed around 6.30 and by the time we've read a book & she's asleep it's about 6.45-7pm. Absolutely no problems with bedtime, never resists or refuses.

The night times are making us exhausted. At 9.30pm she started crying, writhing around. I went into her and she said that her ear was hurting. So we got calpol, by which time she was literally screaming the house down. Finally got the calpol into her after a massive struggle and literally 30 seconds later she's calmed down and is back asleep. Now I know Calpol obviously doesn't work that quickly.

Next its 12.30am and she's crying, writing, pulling her knees up literally moving over every corner of the bed. I go in and she seems to be asleep, so I just reposition her, cover her up and pray that's the final time.

But oh no it's 3.30am same again, crying, writhing etc but seems to be asleep.

Now it's 7am and she comes running into our bedroom laughing and saying morning it's wakey up time

We get the odd few nights in a row where she sleeps without doing this but this is most nights. Myself and DH are exhausted by it. The screaming about her ear last night was horrific but honestly I cannot believe that any pain that she thought she had would go so quickly. And then this morning it's as if nothing has happened.

Please tell me other parents have had this? Will it be something that she just grows out of?

Well first off I would see if your local surgery has a nurse or even pop to the chemist see if someone can look in her ears it's quick.
I know it seems daft but they could be hurting her more at night. I had problems with my ear and it was agony at night.
Could be night terrors and dreaming more. If you rule out genuine medical discomfort then I'm afraid it might be one of those phases that just has to pass.

Earache can be worse when lying down so worth checking.

Could it be night terrors? My DS started getting them around the same age, especially if he was overtired.

Worms can also cause sleep issues and writhing around in the night, I think.

Thanks for your replies, not wishing to drip feed but she did have grommets fitted 4 weeks ago but hasn't had any issues. During the day she is absolutely fine.

urgh worms, I'll take a look later for any signs

I've also thought of night terrors. She has a twin sister, who generally sleeps so soundly, but on the rare occasion she does wake she's had the most random dreams.

If it carries on I'll have to speak to her pediatrician about it.

Definitely sounds like night terrors. My daughter would have similar and be unconsolable at the time. But happy, with absolutely no recollection of it in the morning. She grew out of them after about 8 months.

They can be quite frightening.

My son had night terrors. Luckily he never remembered them the next day and was surprised when his older siblings remember hearing him screaming

If I have my boys any orange coloured food
Tomato soup, baked beans, squash, or food with colourings in it,

They would have a terrible sleep that night!

Ear infections with grommets seem quite different to infections without so I’d get it looked at.
Also smell her ear, if it smells wrong there might be something starting.
Also consider mastoiditis.
However, my child without the grommets has ear pain when he wants to be asleep but isn’t.
Something warm on the ear instead of calpol might be worth a try.