Why has DS started waking in the night?

[Farfromtheusual]

Ok so DS is 14 months old. We have been very lucky that he has aways been a good sleeper (unless unwell or teething). Never been through any sleep regression. Sleeps 7.30-19.30 and only has his dummy for sleep time. Naps once a day, usually about 2 hours at around 11am. Has a 9oz bottle before bed (but will occasionally projectile it up everywhere - had reflux as a baby which has improved massively but it does still comes up every now and then)

For the past couple of weeks (maybe longer - I can't really remember) he has started waking in the night for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Like literally bolt upright and screaming the place down, and will not be put back to bed for anywhere from 1 to 4 hours. Usually happens between midnight and 5am. It's driving me and DP to despair 😩! We literally don't know what to do. He's not too hot, not too cold, has about 6 dummy's in his cot, not teething, not hungry, not thirsty, won't come into our bed and is very very tired but for whatever reason just will not go back to sleep. We are cuddling him for a bit and keep trying to put him back in his cot, but he just stands up, chucks his dummy and then screams and screams and screams 😭. It's thankfully not happening every night. But I'd say every couple of night, or once a week if we're lucky.

Any ideas what it could be? Or how we could help him get back off to sleep peacefully without the screaming and crying? Could he be having nightmares or is he too young for that?

He was up at 5am for an hour this morning, which isn't too bad and he went back to sleep until 9am but on Wednesday he was us at midnight and didn't go back to sleep until half 3 and we both had work the next day!

Is something outside waking him up?

No I don't think so, he will usually sleep through anything! Our burglar alarm went off randomly in the middle of be night once and he didn't even stir at all!

Anyone else?

What are his gross motor skills like? Has he recently learnt to pull to standing?

Could he be ill or in pain? Let's of winter colds and sore throats doing the rounds.

What happens to get him from awake to asleep at bedtime?

He's been walking since he was 9 months old, he's very advanced physically. Can't think that he's learnt anything new recently, he has just started talking more than normal.

I don't think he's ill or in pain, he's seemed fine during the day, I do give him calpol before bed and if he wakes if I think he might be teething a bit. He was ill not so long ago with a nasty cough and if I come to think of it, could have been the start of all of this.

We watch in the night garden then go upstairs, every other day he will have a bath, jammies and sleeping bag on, bottle and a chat/cuddle and then I put him down. Sometimes he will be so tired that he falls asleep on me and others he's just lying on me awake so I put him down and he goes to sleep by himself. This hasn't changed either, apart from he used to have a bath every night but we stopped about 5 months ago cos i got fed up of it lol

Night terrors/nightmares? I vaguely remember something about this age with super distressed screaming and taking a long time to calm!

We watch in the night garden then go upstairs, every other day he will have a bath, jammies and sleeping bag on, bottle and a chat/cuddle and then I put him down.

I would swap this around to separate milk and bed. I'd also drop the cuddle/chat horse more structured activity (and have your cuddle and chat before bedtime starts).

So for example:

• watch night garden while having milk and cuddle on sofa
• bath or just a wash and teeth brush
• one bedtime story (or substitute for one done, if that's your thing)
• kiss and straight in your bed without any stalling.

You want if short and structured.

Song*

Agree with the above - night terrors? My little brother had them and they used to wake up the entire household!

If he seems happy and well during the day and his reflux in under control now I couldn’t only imagine it would be trapped wind as this can cause distress but usually at 14mo they’re able to understand it a bit more ans it’s less upsetting but maybe keep a goodnight diary see if it happens on days he has the same food? Or night terrors, have you got a night light or anything on? I’m sorry to hear what you’re all going through :/ after the first few weeks of no sleep it’s easy to fall into a false sense of security when they start sleeping through and then the nights they decide it’s not the plan literally floor you. I know the feeling. Hope it all gets better for you all.

• food

No advice sadly but I’m in a similar situation with my almost 16 month DD. She’s been awake since 3 and shows no sign of settling. I’ve just heard DH get in a taxi to the airport, he won’t be back till Thursday night. I’ve got to get up at 6 for work. I could cry. I might be, I’m too tired to know. This has been going on for almost a fortnight, last night it was 9.30-2am and she just would not settle. she’s up for hours each night. Normally sleeps through about 80% of the time, and settles quickly the rest of the time. I’m so exhausted.

My DS had night terrors the advise at the time ( along time ago) was to put him to bed as normal and once properly asleep gently wake him slightly up then let them fall back asleep I don’t know what this does but it worked

Thanks FATE I'll give it a go and see what happens!

Notsoorigional that's an idea, I suppose it could be trapped wind. He normally farts and burps like a trooper though 😂 will start keeping and eye on what he's eating on the days it happens and see if there's any consistency. He doesn't have a nightlight but I remember when we used he calpol vapour plug in with the blue light on he didn't really like it so I had to cover it. I know, if he was always like this I could just accept it and get on with it but like you say the security of sleeping through for so long has thrown me. Thank you, I'm hoping it gets better too, he slept through last night so I'm feeling more rested for work today!

Katniss and tralaaa what were the night terrors like? I've read that they're usually bolt upright screaming but actually still asleep where as DS is fully awake so that's what made me think perhaps not night terrors.

Feel for you miss - is awful functioning on no sleep and having to go to work isn't it

Both my children starting doing this around this age. Currently up with my 20 month old. No advice apart from to ride it through. DS has been sleeping through again the last few weeks until last night and tonight. I’m also up at 6 for work and wondering how I’ll get through the day.

What time does he normally wake at night?
If a certain time , say for example always after midnight, slightly wake him at 11.30. Just enough for him to stir and move.
This is said to break the cycle

Hope it works

It can be anywhere from 12am to 5am London and it's never the same time and not every night. Knowing my luck i'd do it on a night he wouldn't normally wake and fuck it up and end up with him wide awake and it'd be my own fault 😂

He was ok last night but on Monday night he woke up at half 11 but managed to get him back to sleep by midnight so that wasn't too bad! Small victories