URGENT HELP 18 mo old awake a screaming!!

[melrose]

My 18 mo DS has taken to waking up in the night, trouble is my DH struggles to settle him, the second I go in he calms down. He woke up 5 mins ago and is screaming hysterically for me while DH tries to calm him down. I know if I go in he will be quiet but need DH to feel he can settle him, especially as I am away overnight for work tomorrow (the first time in ages) DH settles him to sleep each night without any trouble. His screaming is getting to me though and just want to go in a settle him, help!!!

Dont give in - they will settle for others if they realise that the screaming will not work. ds2 is a real mummy's boy but once dh makes it clear that I am not here or asleep - chance would be a fine thing!! - he does settle.

GOOD luck - it is always hard to listen to them distressed but it is for the best in the long run.

Harden your heart and plug your ears! Poor you!

what happens if you go in first? does he still settle straight away?

i only ask because sometimes if they are very upset it;'s hard for anyone to settle them, but a change of face or scenery can do wonders! lol

tonight though... i agree with hughsie... it may ttake a while but he WILL settle eventually.

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Thanks. He settles instantly if I go in. DH gave in and gave him a bottle of milk which did the trick and then stayed with him till he went to sleep. Any tips for nbreaking the habit of waking up?? Used to sleep through all the time but has become a nightmare in the past few weeks

Could be a couple of things, bad dreams, or just surfacing out a dream and struggling to orientate themself and getting upset - try a night light for a couple of nights and see if that helps?

We had this with DS and it does pass. Also sometimes he wasn't really awake properly so we had to do everything possible to wake him up and then he'd just got back to bed fine and fall asleep again.

H x

Melrose. I think 18 mths is a little too young to be having real nightmares. Hate to say it's probably just "one of those phases"

When either of my two did this I'm afraid I just let them cry themselves to sleep. It's really hard to do, I admit, but unless he's ill or cold or wet I don't think there is much else you can do. Also, now I've got 2 kids I can see it's part of the pre-tantrum phase (imo), wanting to control their environment but being unable to do so

Best of luck

its the opposite for us here, ds, 17 months now, will settle like a charm for dh. for me, he will carry on more.

good luck to your DH.. your son will learn to settle for him too...

nothing, is more nerve rattling, mind shattering than your own child SCREAMING or crying for you.

hang in there