Nightmares in 1 year old - or something else?

[SeaChelles]

Hi all, have also posted this in Sleep and Chat as not sure where I will get the best response.

DS is now 1 year old and has always been very 50/50 with sleep. We had a period form 6-9 months where he slept 7-7 every night, however since then it has been very hit and miss. We don't mind and accept he is still a baby, but am concerned about the state he gets in when he wakes.

We have just had 4 nights sleep through from 7pm - 7am. He was even taking his bottle on waking and then going back to sleep for another hour or two! However, last night he woke at 11pm absolutely screaming. (This is not the first time this has happened - maybe once/twice every week for the last few months and it can be at any point in the night) The screaming isn't distinguishable between pain/fear/temper - it could be any of the three.

He is absolutely inconsolable. He asks to be picked up, then won't let you hold him, he screams if you let him on the floor, same if you leave him to cry it out or put him back in his cot and sit next to him. Sometimes a bottle will calm him down and send him back off, other times he won't let me put anything near his mouth and refuses point blank to even open his mouth for Nurofen.

It could be a phase, nightmares, pain - I'm just concerned that I literally can't do anything for him or to console him.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Has anything (even if it seems tiny) changed recently?. My DD has gone through a few phases like this, where you cannot comfort her at all!
When I changed her to a new room, started work etc. But within a couple of weeks she has calmed down and been okay again.
Funny thing is, she gives no clue that things upset her in the day, its when night time comes she gets anxous.

Hiya,

How soon after the crying starts do you go in to him? Our DD is 18 months and sometimes she wakes up absolutely screaming in the middle of the night but after going in to her and experiencing an inconsolable child like you, the next time I left her and after less than a minute or two she stopped. Sometimes I wonder if going in makes it worse... She went through a phase of doing this about 3/4 times a week but that phase seems to have passed only for it to be once a week roughly so hopefully it will get better on its own.

I do think they have a lot to process during the day so maybe the crying is down to bad dreams..?

Hiya,

Thanks for the replies - no nothing has changed tinkerbelle - I've been back at work for a while and he loves the CM. Only thing different is that he had ulcers on his tonsils last week but actually slept better then! And it started way before that anyhow.

Meeshamie - it doesn't seem to make any difference going in at the first hint of a cry or leaving him for 5/10/15 mins before going in.....is very

Glad to know its not just my DS though!

It is just very difficult. I really hope it passes, am sure it will, it's just at the time you can't imagine it how/when it will end.

Passing on positive thoughts :)

Could he still have throat problems? The ulcers might have hurt before appearing, settled down then flared up again. Do get his mouth checked. The fact he won't open his mouth could indicate something is up.