Shrill screaming

[KEvLA]

Please, please, please help me.

My 16m old has decided to literally scream all night - when I say screaming, I mean screaming. Its like a really high pitched shrill screaming!! Like a shrill scream.

She won't stop - during night time sleeping, during naptime. I literally have no respite from this. My husband works shifts, my mother world's full time. If I could nap on the day that would be fine - I could function during the night/day if I could sleep a little bit. I try shushing, in bed with me (bad habit I know but anything to sleep), pick up (a hug), some water thinking she's thirsty, cry it out.

I'm in tears through sleep deprivation.

I'm struggling at night, then struggling during the day too. Its dictating my whole day as it means I'm so deprived of sleep I'm not able to function: cooking tea for the family, I can't go to get my medication but cant coherently speak or drive.
I only go out for necessities. Im, also understandably ridiculously ratty through the day.

Its killing me. Please help me. I'm on the edge of walking away from everything. Its he weekend tomorrow and I have no idea how I'll cope with this and a 4yrnold on top! Help me. Please!!

Have you taken him to the doctor?

Hi,

This sounds really hard OP, sleep deprivation is an absolute killer.

Is she getting any sleep at all? Does anything work?

Please don’t feel that bringing her into bed with you is a bad habit, you aren’t doing anything wrong. I have a 15mo old who has always needed lots of support for sleep and when you are sleep deprived, you have to prioritise the whole family getting maximum rest, very often that is co-sleeping.

Are you putting her to bed? And for naps? How many naps does she have a day? Have you tried just letting her stay up until she falls asleep easily? I know this is ideal but might give you some respite from the screaming and allow you to have a bit of a reset.

Her sleep needs might be reducing so it might be worth looking at how much sleep she is getting in a 24hr period.

Also as PP said, it could be an idea to check nothing is going on medically.

My 12 month DD always has a few days of EXTREMELY shrill screaming when she's cutting a tooth, we're on tooth number 9 and it's been the same for every one ... could it be that?