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18 month old wakes up and becomes hysterical in the night

8 replies

Zone2mum · 09/11/2010 14:38

DS has recently started waking in the night and instead of settling himself as he used to, begins crying and screaming, becoming utterly hysterical if we try to put him back to bed after going in to see him. He is fine if we cuddle him, but then cries "no! no! no!" and physically resists being lowered back into his cot, and screams and cries hysterically until we pick him up again.
We have put him in our bed where he becomes chatty and playful, or sometimes dozes off but we are all suffering from lack of sleep now. Has been going on all week.
Don't think it's night terrors as he is awake. Leaving a light on or playing music or singing to console him doesn't help, nor does lying in his room alongside the cot. He just doesn't want to be in his cot if he wakes up - yet has no problem going to bed in the evenings (and has always slept well at night as a baby, apart from when ill)
We tried leaving him to settle himself, waiting a few minutes before coming in and picking him up but he really gets beside himself.
Any tips to help him settle back in his own bed are gratefully received.

OP posts:
MillyMollyMardy · 09/11/2010 20:36

Do you know why he's woken up? My ds started to have pretty vivid dreams at this age.
From our experiences we tried to keep him in his room, and I used to pick him up, cuddle him, tell him once he had calmed down that I was going to put him back to bed and it was time to sleep. If he said no to this I would read a story but firmly tell him I would put him back to bed afterwards. This worked for us.
Hopefully someone else will offer some more gems. Good luck.

Zone2mum · 10/11/2010 10:09

Thanks - I also posted in sleep (I was v tired and desperate!) and got some help too! So good to know I am not alone in this!

I don't know if it's a vivid dream and then fear - he can't tell me and there's no obvious reason why he was waking. I am now wondering if it is the aftermath of staying up too late and being overexcited by Halloween and the fireworks display he saw on Friday (which he loved) but perhaps the sleep disturbance then caused him to go off-kilter, plus the previous week's time change? And then perhaps overactive imagination once he's woken?

Last night was ok, thankfully, but if it happens again will try your suggestion. Had tried story reading and firmly saying bed afterwards but was met with hysteria so caved in... If it happens again, will try to persever (though am hoping cycle may have broken now...)

Thanks again

OP posts:
MillyMollyMardy · 10/11/2010 21:00

I hope tonight is better as well. i always make sure I warn my ds that he will be going back to bed before a story/cuddle etc..
To make you feel better I was woken at 3am last night by ds (3) creeping into my bed as his was "too cold" he now has a 10.5 tog duvet.

Loosingmymind · 10/11/2010 21:13

If it helps my dd (19mo) did this for about 5 weeks until a couple of nights ago! We just picked her up and gave her cuddles, she screamed everytime we lowered her into cot until we sang to her until she was nearly asleep then she went back happily.

My mum tried to convince me it was night terrors and to take the bars off her cotbed.

Im so glad we didnt do this as i think she would have been worse, being able to follow us out room!

Hope this passes soon for you.

Zone2mum · 11/11/2010 03:42

Thanks all. He is up and hysterical again. Have cuddled, patted, waited at 5 minute intervals, givencalpol, sang, read a story, left light on, checked and changed nappy. But has been going on for an hour... Am about to crack, ts just too awful to see him that upset without knowing why. Although there are slight gaps developing between howls so perhaps he will agree to lie down soon...

OP posts:
MillyMollyMardy · 11/11/2010 17:02

I hope he settled after your post. Don't cave, keep him in his room. He will sleep eventually it's just exhausting getting there. Looks like you ruled out pretty much everything else. I think most children who previously were good sleepers go through bad patches they settle down again.

Zone2mum · 12/11/2010 18:09

Thanks. He did sleep in the end and was ok last night. Will see what happens this evening...

OP posts:
gemhandley · 13/11/2010 12:16

my ds started doing this 3 nights ago, hes 18 months also. I just dont know what to do!Its so horrible seeing him get this upset and not knowing why. Im actually 7and half months pregnant so lake of sleep for me is hard too so my dp has been brill. Last night he go in with us and kept pointing to the end of the bed and screaming like he thought something was there. Its starting to really worry us now as hes developed a cold too now from lack of sleep. Other thing is though he is perfectly fine in the day!!! like you you wouldnt know he had had any problems in the night. Just dont know what to do now

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