DD 3 waking up hysterical 2-3 times a night

[monkeyfacegrace]

I need a bit of advice please guys. My 3yr old DD, for the past few weeks, has been waking up between 2 & 3 times from 7pm-midnight hysterically crying.

She wont calm down for anything, tells us to go away, but seems to be still half asleep iykwim.

Her normal routine is dinner 4.30-5, bath 5-5.30, then milk and bed for 6. She still wears a nappy at night, and used to sleep through until 8am.

Last night was particularly bad. She had me up 4 times, and I ended up just getting into bed with her, but she still woke crying at 4.30am. Come 8am she woke me up right as rain, all cheery like nothing has happened!

Ive tried asking her why she was sad but she just looked at me blankly and asked for a banana!

The only change of routine lately is that she has started staying at her fathers for 2 nights every other weekend, other than that nothing has changed.

Please tell me why this is happening!

it sounds like night terrors. Its horrible and scary but harmless. The best thing you can do is just leave her to it, obviously making sure she can't hurt herself - gently let her know you are there, but don't try and cuddle or anything, she is probably still asleep. It is very common and mostly doesnt last long

do a search on night terrors on here.

our DS had night terrors from about age 2.5. He could be hysterical for 20 mins on some occasions - it seemed to be in his deepest phase of sleep ie during the first 4 hours of him going to sleep. It would happen 5 nights oout of 7 and then gradually started to reduce when he was about 6. He's 9 now and only has them about once every couple of months. He usually sleep walks when it happens now. We tried to prevent it happening by waking him before we went to bed and taking him to the loo, but looking back I think that it only created a sub conscious habit and I wouldn't do it again. He used to look at things that weren't there, absolutely terrified and didn't know who we were and would never remember anything in the morning. It broke my heart not knowing how to stop these terrible things scaring him. But it seems nothing could be done. But rest assured it hasn't scarred him! Could be that if she's weed in her nappy then that could set off the dream - with our DS it seemed that the needing a wee may have triggered the dream phase. Good luck