12mo suddenly waking screaming in the night

[fionnthedog]

DS is just 12mo and has slept through since we night weaned at 8mo which I know makes us v lucky.

About two weeks ago he woke up around 10:30pm (having gone to bed as normal at 7pm) screaming and agitated. It took about 30 mins to calm him down and then my dh had to hold his hand as he fell back to sleep. We thought it seemed like a nightmare / night terror.

However, since then he has woken every 2-3 days screaming at different times of the night wanting his hand held as he goes back to sleep (c. Half an hour). Unlike the first time all these other waking he's been fine as soon as me or dh has gone into his room so doesn't seem as obviously nightmare / night terror.

Does anyone have any experience of this? I obviously don't want him to be scared at night and am happy to calm / reassure / be there for him, but equally I don't want to create a bad habit

If it's a new thing that has started suddenly, it may well end just as suddenly and I wouldn't worry.

Is there something that could be physically disturbing his sleep - teething for example, or being poorly in some way? Maybe he is waking up being too hot or too cold?

At 2 weeks of this I wouldn't be worrying about it yet. But if it's still happening after 2 months, say, then deal with it as a habit. But more likely that he will be through whatever was causing the wake ups by then.

You are likely to go through short phases of disturbed nights for many years yet. Not all of the time, you may go months not being disturbed at night. But right through until 5 or 6 years old you may have phases of a few weeks where reassurance is needed in the night, then things go back to normal.

I cannot imagine that at 12 months old it is being scared. It is more likely to be something causing physical discomfort waking him.