Is this a normal 16 month/toddler thing?

[ohthegoats]

Waking up at some point during the night - not every night - and REALLY howling/screaming. It's as if she's furious rather than in pain though, so we deal with it by distracting her (lights on, books, sometimes downstairs for the telly if it comes to it)... it usually means she has a really restless night afterwards though.

What's this being caused by? Nightmares?

My 16 mo old keeps waking up screaming but to me it sounds terrified

I do the opposite to you, keep everything dark and quiet and lots of quiet cuddles to resettle and he goes back down.

I've been wondering if it's night terrors? It's really unsettling for me!

Dont know what causes it but DD did this. After a couple of times we left her to it as we realised there was nothing actually wrong, if she's sick she goes off a second time (in which cae we go in) and she stopped randomly doing it when we stopped reacting to it - so I think she was just doing it for attention!
16 months could be molars coming through though?

I do the same as cunting. Mine is a bit younger but seems to be a teeth thing. Though I'd swear nightmares sometimes.

Hmmm randomly DD did this last night and didn't resettle. DH went in and reassured her but she went off again, so I went in, laid her back down in her cot and I then lay down in the room by the cot and dozed next to her so she wasn't on her own - she resettled.
I probably should add we used to get her out the cot and cuddle her back to sleep but our success rate at getting her back into her cot still asleep was low and getting lower (and she screams if she wakes when we put her down/sneak out).
Personally I'd avoid things with too much stimulation at night at all though.
Im wondering if she was cold last night, but I don't really know why she does this.

Turns out that it's caused by molars coming through... so, she's been in my bed over the weekend, and we've alternated one good night (only three wakings for Teetha, or other drugs, or Bonjela) with one awful night (every 40 minutes howling in her sleep), and there's only actually one tooth broken through the gum.

I'm guessing I'm in for a week more of it at least. Nice.

My 16 month old is doing the same, although I've resorted to feeding her again during the night so she is waking for s feed but then not settling afterwards. Last night she screamed for more than 90mins and that was with 2 feeds!

The only teeth she doesn't have are her back molars, thought they wouldn't come in till she was nearer 2 but maybe they are on their way

Same here - 1 tooth through so far. At least 1 more I reckon

Yes! Exactly same here, middle of night screaming/howling, not every night. Inconsolable unless brought into my bed then instantly settles. Sure it's not teeth here though. I wondered whether she's ready to drop one of her two naps (finally) and this was one of the signs?

Keen not to get into co sleeping again though, we worked so hard using gradual retreat to sleep train aged 10 months.