dd 2.4 previously excellent sleeper and v good at settling/self-soothing has started screaming out in the middle of the night sometimes for ages help!

[minxofmancunia]

Has happened quite a bit recently and seems to be getting worse and worse, usually wake up, go in to her find her rabbit, pop her back on her pillow job done, but now this isn't working.

screamed out last night, dh went in she was sitting up shaking so thought might be a night terror, held and stroked her hand but everytime he came back she screamed out again, transpired after a while she was wide awake and wanted to chat (3.50 am !!)!

When he realised this he comforted her then came back to bed she then shouted and screamed on an off for an hour before finally falling back to sleep.

did we do the right thing? if this keeps happening, what's the approach to take? felt bad leaving her but once she was comforted from her night terror she was fine and just wanted company!

Also she's started screaming upon waking in the morning whereas age used to just chat to herself and play quietly, is this normal? Is it a phase?

Bumping for you.

bump anyone?

Think you did the right thing. We went through the same phase with our dd who is 2.4. It took about a week of ignoring her and then she just started to sleep through again. I would go in and just say,are you ill or cold and if the answer was no, then I would just cover her up, give her a kiss and tell her to go back to sleep, and leave her to it! She didn't take kindly to this and would shout and scream but eventually drop off. Like I said it took about a week but now the only time she calls for us or we have to go in is if she's ill, her covers have come off, or she's fallen out of bed!

This was me a couple of months ago for a couple of months with ds who is now 2.6 months. It was hideous. We did a couple of things:-

1. Cut down his day nap completely (phase it out) and then drop it - he suddenly then started sleeping much heavier and longer although it took a while as he was quite tired at bedtime (he goes at 7)...the night time waking went straight away, the early mornings took longer.

1. Didn't bring him into our bed when he woke early - I actually used the monitor to explain to him that it was still night time and we'd get him when it was time to get up (so I didn't have to get out of bed and also so that he knew we were there - physically going in seemed to make it worse). It took 3 difficult nights to get the message...

Otherwise I agree with Janjas - a lot of people have said that they regret getting into the cycle of "giving in" - my ds would go through the "want a drink" /"want a cuddle" / want to go in mummy's bed...blah blah - anything to get us in there. I've also gone down the sticker reward route which works too.