22-month suddenly waking and shouting at night - for hours!

[BeckyR]

DS, 22 months, has slept pretty well for the majority of his life but last week suddenly started to waking at 3am, shouting and crying, and refused to go back to sleep. This pattern has continued every night since. We have cut out daytime nap but this has done no good. We have also left him to cry but he will carry on for at least an hour, stop for a bit and then start again half an hour later.

What has happened? He is like a different baby...and we are all extremely tired! And ideas very gratefully received!

Have you tried a night light in his room?? Ds had one of those spinning ones which helped with his night time waking.

is he ill?
sound slike an ear infection to me

Beckyr - this sounds exactly like what is happening with our dd. She is 18 and a half months and was pretty good at sleeping until the last few days. In order for my dh to get some sleep before work, I have resorted to staying in her room. Not sure why it is happening, doctor has checked her out and she is fine. My mum thinks it might be teething or the fact she has a tongue ulcer. She has just started ine day at nursery so it could be sepatation anxiety! To be honest like you I am tired and at a loss to know what to do! Fingers crossed that tonight is different for both of us!

Don't know if this helps, but Ds who slept brilliantly until around that time started waking and it took hours to get him to settle, turns out the reason he was not settling was because DH had put up one of those massive toy nets that hold all the teddies and stuff. As soon as it was taken down he slept fine again. Have you done something in the room, changed anything around?