12 week old baby - sudden distressed crying in sleep

[ManCubsMama]

My baby has just started suddenly screaming and crying in his sleep, almost like he is having a nightmare. He’ll be really quite upset until I console him with lots of cuddles and boobie for comfort (don’t think he is actually hungry as this happens sometimes only an hour or so after a feed, and once I put him back on to soothe him he only feeds for a few minutes)

Usually he is a very good sleeper and when he wakes he gently stirs for a while (2-3 mins), before gently crying to let me know he wants feeding.

I’m quite worried about this sudden change in behaviour.

Your baby isn't yet 3 months old, you can't talk about 'usually' in terms of sleep patterns. They change, a lot, including for the worse as well as better- just look at the sleep forum here for posts on the 4 month sleep regression.

It's also normal for a baby still in the 4th trimester to want to be close to you and or only be comforted with BF - it is not just food

It's also normal for a baby still in the 4th trimester to want to be close to you and or only be comforted with BF - it is not just food

I know, that’s why I said I boob him for comfort when this happens. I mentioned I don’t believe him to be hungry meaning I believe this to be the reason is waking.

To be clear, I’m not worried about his sleep patterns, this isn’t a moan about me being woken by him, it’s me having concerns that he seems to have periods of sudden distress.

I had this too and it passed, although it did happen the other night and my dad is 5 months. I believed it is because they start to take o much in and when their brain is processing at night time it could cause a nightmare. It's awful isn't it the sound of the scream...it freaked me out, but you are doing exactly the right things and it should pass x

I had this too with my daughter, probably around the same age. It was very upsetting as she seemed frantic and the only way to settle her was to put her on the breast - shushing and cuddling didn't help at all. I think it's probably a developmental thing to do with sleep, processing new things they are learning, etc. She's 6 months now and hasn't done this for at least a month, maybe longer. Amazing how quickly things change!

Yup. DD is 14 weeks and she's (hopefully) just passed through this stage after 2-3 weeks of it.

Comforting sometimes worked, but usually a boob for a quick comfort feed was needed to calm down. Your little boy will get past it. It's awful to see and hear, but it will stop eventually.

Sending lots of love.

Thanks everyone, reassuring to hear other people experiencing the same thing. Seems like as they’re absorbing so much more in the day it’s making their minds more imaginative when sleeping - so all part of the development 👍🏼

My 17 week old baby does this on and off too, he started around 12 weeks and it happens randomly but usually worse around jabs or if he's overtired. I think it's normal, he usually stops after a cuddle and some reassurance as you say but mostly he's still asleep and it wakes him up when I go to him! Strange

When mine does this it's usually associated with wind, as when I pick her up she'll sometimes do a little burp. I think she maybe gets pains in her tummy that wake her.

My baby starred about 8 weeks old. I comforted him and fed him etc which then woke him up. I realised he was still asleep and would calm down much pretty quickly if I left him to it rather than waking him. I found out when I was rushing to unclip my bra etc to feed and in the time I got it out he was smiling away again in his sleep

ignore the much! typing on handed whilst he is snoozing on my other