Toddler inconsolable

[DidYouSeeTheKey]

Our toddler DD is 2 in the summer, she’s started to have a full on meltdown during the night if she wakes up, almost inconsolable for a good ten minutes. She doesn’t want to be held, touched etc. she can get more pissed off if we try! After a while we can calm her and she’ll go back to sleep. I get she’s pissed off she’s being woken but any good tips or methods that can help us soothe her quicker?! She’s so upset which is horrible to see. In the day she’s a totally different child! She’s our second, our first DD wasn’t a good sleeper so we’re not entirely rookies haha

I've found distraction can work well. We walk downstairs together to get a drink and then come back up and check on all the cuddlies in DC's bed.

Dd used to do this. I used to turn the lights on, give her some water, and get her out of bed for a few minutes, sometimes it was a nightmare waking her and she couldn’t communicate that. I found getting her properly awake before going back to sleep helped a lot.

Sounds like night terrors - so a waking nightmare. DS had them and they're horrible for the parents. He never remembers them though so that's something.

Definitely try to wake - lights on, cold drink, have a wee.

Failing that I sometimes tried to 'enter' the dream "I'm here DS, I'll help you, show me how to help" but that was when he was older.

DS has grown out of them now (11) but they used to be worse if he was ill or coming down with something

Mine does the same. Agree with the above, say their name and who you are, lights on and distraction - look at a favourite picture on the wall etc. Can take a few mins but brings her back.

Thank you so much for your replies! That is a method we tried a few times and always try that when it’s just me home, DH thought keeping her in the dark was better but waking her up seems to be the tried and tested approach here and it makes sense she may have had a night terror from her reaction!