Early morning screaming.

[Addictedtocustardcreams]

So I know lots of toddlers wake up early but my DD has a new habit (last few months) of waking in the early hours and screaming inconsolably. She is now 16 months and sleep in general is not great, but I have no idea what is causing this latest phase. Between 4am and 6am she wakes up screaming. If either me or DH pickles her up she writes around & tries to get out of our arms. If we place her on the bed she rolls around arching her back and rolling from side to side screaming hysterically. The other morning we gave her some milk, she drank all of this and went back to sleep until 6:30. This morning I changed her nappy. She calmed down and went back to sleep again. I don't understand what is causing this and it is quite distressing as she won't be comforted at all. Any ideas??

Night terrors?? I did some research about them because my DS woke up hysterical almost every night for a fort night. So if it is that then she is not comforted by you because she is not fully awake infact she is still asleep it's like sleep walking and she wont remember anything once awake?
Is there anything "scary" in her room like a shadow or something?
DS stopped by himself I just cuddled the hell out of him but also he slept with DH and I for a while he is a bad sleeper and wakes 2 every night for feeds so after his first feed he came to my bed. Not ideal I know but it helped

www.babycentre.co.uk/a553861/night-terrors

Could be that, my gut feeling is that she is in pain or scared as she seems so very distressed. She tends to sleep in with us for second half of the night anyway and even when in our bed does the same.

There is nothing like mothers instinct! If your gut says she is in pain then do you have any idea what hurts? Teeth?
If it helped to offer her milk before why not give her milk again? It might be a nice comfort for her is she is scared?