Hearing child screaming in the night. Was I hallucinating?

[Lu5332]

I have PTSD, OCD and general anxiety so find it hard to trust my judgement at the best of times. I'm 30 weeks pregnant so the hormones are exasperating all of the above at the minute and often question whether I'm losing the plot

The other night I was woken at 3.15am by OH's daughter, who was spending the night here, frantically screaming "Mummy! Mummy!"

I shot up and went to check on her to find her sleeping soundly

Nobody else heard her, not even DS who was in the same room!

I can't stop wondering whether I'm having bloody hallucinations.

She does have form for waking in the night, not so much screaming out whilst asleep, and she was definitely not awake.

Am I losing the plot?!

You probably dreamed it. Sounds like a nightmare, the kind that wakes you up. I have woken up thinking the smoke alarm was going off and house was on fire, and it wasn’t.

It could have also been a neighbour’s child
If the windows were open. It’s amazing how much farther sound carries at night.

Thanks ladies, perfectly plausible explanations!

It's crap over thinking everything.

My latest OCD worry is that I'm going to end up with postpartum psychosis so you can see how something like this would linger.

Perhaps it's time for me to look into AD's.

I have woken in the night after hearing someone call out something on a loud hailer - shot up in bed, heart racing - looked around outside, nothing. Fell back asleep and heard it again.
Can't have been real because we have a very active neighbourhood Whatsapp and they would be on it like a car bonnet.

I've also woken up hearing someone whisper in my ear when there was no-one there.

I don't think it's anything to worry about but it's frightening when it happens.

@JaninesEyePatch

I have woken in the night after hearing someone call out something on a loud hailer - shot up in bed, heart racing - looked around outside, nothing. Fell back asleep and heard it again. Can't have been real because we have a very active neighbourhood Whatsapp and they would be on it like a car bonnet.

I've also woken up hearing someone whisper in my ear when there was no-one there.

I don't think it's anything to worry about but it's frightening when it happens.

Thank you for this. It's reassuring to read that others have experienced similar.

At the time I had no doubt in my mind it was DSD as she's known to wake so i put it down to a night terror, I only started to question it the next day when DS and OH said they didn't hear a thing (and DS likely would have if it were real)

I went through a period when I would jolt awake every night convinced that the phone had rung. I'd check for missed calls and there wouldn't be any.

It was a stressful time- multiple family members in declining health and this stress turned into phone calls in my dreams. They were so bloody real though and the adrenaline would be pumping when I woke up. I would swear that this time the phone had actually rung- got up and nothing. Eventually they tailed off.

Hope that helps reassure you!

@Bobbobbobbing

I went through a period when I would jolt awake every night convinced that the phone had rung. I'd check for missed calls and there wouldn't be any.

It was a stressful time- multiple family members in declining health and this stress turned into phone calls in my dreams. They were so bloody real though and the adrenaline would be pumping when I woke up. I would swear that this time the phone had actually rung- got up and nothing. Eventually they tailed off.

Hope that helps reassure you!

It certainly does, thank you

It makes sense that it would happen at points of high stress. Pregnancy aside I do have a fair bit on my plate at the moment and my sleep isn't fantastic as it is.

I thought similar happened again last night, with the first incident fresh in my mind, except instead of a child screaming it was breaking glass, when I got up this morning the letterbox flap had fallen off onto the floor (DS kindly ripped it off last week and it's holding on by tape!) so I could reason with myself that this particular noise was accounted for, just not the screaming.

I bet I sound bonkers don't I

Nope, not bonkers. It's a sign that you have a lot on your plate and care about what's going on. Treat yourself kindly- think of it as a reminder that as well as looking after everyone else, you need to look after yourself as well.

My youngest will sometimes shout out in his sleep and you walk in there and he’s stopped and is sleeping peacefully, and it hasn’t disturbed his brother in the bunk above, so it could have happened.

Well I’d say there were two plausible options.

1. It was a dream, vivid dreams are common in pregnancy
2. Your SD had a dream and cried out in her sleep.

Try not to dwell on it!

I sometimes wake up having ‘heard’ a noise, but there was nothing - I think it’s called an auditory hallucination, and like so many things probably are more common when stressed. Scary though!
You said you are nervous about your mental health worsening following the birth - is there a perinatal mental health team in your area? My sister is pregnant, and because she has had previous struggles with depression and anxiety her midwife referred her to the perinatal MH team. She has weekly group sessions and regular phone calls with a nurse who checks in on her. She is fine and has been for a while, but this is a preventative thing. I was really impressed when she told me about it. Might be worth enquiring with your GP or midwife? Take care x

Hopefully its just down to pregnancy and stress. You're nearly at the end of the pregnancy now so it will be difficult. You wont be feeling yourself. I wouldnt worry about it. I remember in all 3 of my pregnancies not feeling like myself. Id put it down to that. Im you'll get better once the baby is born x

Look up exploding head syndrome. It's a real thing I promise! I get it when I'm stressed and anxious. It's usually a loud noise like a bang but I've also woken up hearing my DC calling for me but they are fast asleep (and I heard them calling me Mummy whereas they don't call me Mummy any more). Most recently it sounded like a bird had flown into the window and I woke up hearing a massively loud bang against the window and it even felt like the house was shaking from the force of it. But nothing had flown into the window and no one else heard anything. I've got used to it now. My 12-year old DC sometimes gets it too.

It doesn't much make sense that you'd hear words but have you considered that your brain misinterpreted the horiffic sounds of foxes in the night and combined it with a dream?

It might not be total hallucination but if it is you seem to have a handle on your sanity so I wouldn't worry much.

My son screamed mummy on Friday night I was in bed but not asleep I got up went to him and he was fast asleep and his sister who was in the next room didn't hear. It does happen

Hi @Lu5332 try not to stress on it. My dd has suffered night terrors since she was about 8 weeks old. Will scream blue murder but when you look at her she looks peacefully asleep. I suffer anxiety and was utterly convinced I 2as going barmy til she did it in the moses basket when a friend was round.

There are 2 scenarios...your dreamt it because your mind and body are preparing for the arrival of baby or your partners daughter had a night terror. Neither are situations you need to worry about honestly.

Thank you all so much, I feel much less worried about it now. I'm sufficiently reassured I'm not losing my marbles yet