12 month old having nightmares?

[LittleCircus]

Can anyone offer any advice or experience? My 12 month old DS has been a great sleeper till now. 12 hours at night and 2x 45 minute naps in day, but now he keeps waking all of a sudden and crying. He even whimpers in his sleep. When I go in to see him he is often pointing at random things in the room, such as the curtains or items on the open shelves we have. He can be consoled but sometimes after 5 minutes or so. How does everyone else's LO's wake up? I've heard of night terrors but I thought these came when baby is around 3 years or so. Has anyone any ideas?

My dd has always been a great sleeper too, but starting waking up screaming just at night at around 12 months..as if waking from a nightmare. This carried on and off for a couple of months.

We were quite worried about her at the time & tried allsorts to calm her down as she was sometimes pretty hysterical (stroked her hair & sung to her, one of us slept with her in the room etc).

She's 2 now & always has a nightlight on, the window open when she's going to sleep (hates being too hot) and an hour of stories in her room and she very rarely wakes like that now..jinxed it now haven't I!! Cue bad night for me tonight!

Hope it gets better for you soon

Thanks Capitaltrixie, it is hard seeing your LO distressed at anytime, but knowing something could be scaring them at night really tugs at the heart strings! Good to know hopefully it's just a phase of sorts and will pass :)

Hello there - I've had exactly the same from my DD - she's 12 months too. She had started rolling over and getting into all sorts of odd positions at night, and also crying in her sleep, stopping just as we were about to go in etc. It seems to be settling now, she has also just had a set of jabs and has had an ear infection so I thought it might be that and/or nightmares... she is fine during the day.

I also think it's a bit of separation anxiety when they come into light sleep - so we go in, tuck her back up, stay with her a while until she is calm again. She shares a room with her big brother (2.10yrs) and he's normally in the background saying "I think she wants a rice cake, mummy!"

Thanks Lozario, bless your LO saying she wants a rice cake! I'm pregnant again so shall look forward to those little interactions between siblings! My DS had his jabs recently too, plus I agree with you on the separation anxiety. He is always hanging onto my leg nowadays!

Hi, my DD is now 3.4 and has always had bad dreams, from being just a few weeks old. They've now become sleep terrors, poor love. I want to reassure you that, although the nightmares are awful to witness, especially if you can't seem to rouse them or soothe them in any way, my DD does not remember them the next day and they are not affecting her usual happy and often toddler stroppy 'daytime' personality. I take comfort from the fact that they bother me far more than they do her

might be something to do with you being preg LittleCircus?! (congrats btw!) my dd not only had nightmares but HUGE tantrums when I was pregnant, especially towards the end & a lot of friends have said the same, I dont know how they sense somethings up!!. All stopped after dd2 was born hard to keep up with all the phases

Thanks everyone, I do hope he doesn't have full on night terrors, but understand that even if he does then it's not damaging as such - just hard to look into such a tearstained face without getting upset!

Interesting you say my pregnancy might have something to do with it Capitaltrixie, I just assumed he was too young to understand mummy's growing tummy but perhaps they do have a sixth sense about it.