Crying in the night - but not awake!

[BarcodeZebra]

Last night I had the worst nights sleep since having children.

DD1 (3.5) started crying at about midnight. I went through to see her but she wouldn't wake up - just kept on crying. DW went in and found the same thing. We tried picking her up and cuddling her; talking to her; stroking her hair; reading her stories; giving her a drink. Nothing seemed to bring her round or stop her crying. We managed to settle her about five times but she would start crying again within a few minutes. Nothing hysterical just persistent soft sobbing. Eventually, she sort of woke up and said she had a sore tummy but I think she cottoned onto that idea because we'd asked her.

We'd just come back from a weekend away at Granny's and Grampa's so she'd had an exciting time and a long car journey. We got back at 3.00pm and she didn't go down until nearly 8.00pm. so I'm not convinced it's anything to do with it.

Anyway. I ended up sleeping on the floor of her room and I got about 4 hours sleep in total.

Been feeling drunk (but not in a good way) all day. Does anyone know what was going on or how to deal with it if it should happen again?

My ds has episodes like this and usually more so when he is tired. It could just have been a night terror.Since turning 4 he does sometimes say that his feet hurt him, but it can take upto half an hour to soothe him back to sleep.

Did she get really hysterical? DS1 used to do that but be sitting bolt upright with his eyes open and then if we tried to comfort him would get into what looked like a tantrum. After a bit of research we discovered it was night terrors and it went on for about 8 months. Not every night but at it's worst at least a couple of times a week and each episode lasted about 20 minutes. There is nothing you can do except sit by them to make sure they don't come to any harm and if you touch them it just makes matters worse. DS1 would just stop as quickly as he started, lie down and go back to sleep. Started around 2.5 years old and usually happened when he got over-tired.

No. not hysterical at all. Just quiet sobbing. Very unlike her. It went on for about 3 or 4 hours.

Doesn't sound like a night terror but could be a nightmare. Perhaps she didn't fully wake up each time and kept replaying the nightmare? Hopefully a one off.

Was it very hot at all when you were away?
I remember by db doing this when he was a similar age, and he had sunstroke.
Hope she's all better now.

DD went through a phase of something similar at about 3. She would be crying and when you went in to her she would be sitting up in bed but still apparently asleep, and violently shaking. We just used to hold her and cuddle her until she calmed down and eventually ssettled. It hasn't happened for about a year now.