17month old seems asleep but distressed

[RachelSolo]

I really hope someone can help us!

Our boy (17 months) keeps crying and moaning sounding distressed but he also seems to be asleep or at least trying to stay asleep. He doesn’t sit up, he just looks like he’s having a nightmare or is upset about something but doesn’t fully wake up. It goes on for ages then stops for a bit then starts again. Always after midnight or 1ish. It’s keeping all of us up all night at the moment and I don’t know what’s causing it or what we can do. We don’t want to fully wake him up by going in if he’s asleep or getting himself back to sleep but it was every 30mins last night at least 😵‍💫

at home his 1 nap is 1.5 - 2 hours long but he won’t nap longer than 50mins at nursery 4 days a week.

Anyone know what’s up or have any advice on how to help him? Should we go in to try and settle him even if he seems asleep?

He sounds like he's in a deep sleep and having night terrors - I would try and gently tap him and shoosh him (quite vocal so he can hear but not necessarily to wake him up fully, if that makes sense?). My DD would do something similar when she was little, but I have very vivid dreams and I think she is just like me in that respect.