my 1 yr old girl wakes up 2 or 3 times in the middle of the night?

Question

my 1yr old girl wakes up 2 or 3 times in the middle of the night screaming bloody murder like if she i having nightmares I go into her room, calm her down and hold her until she falls asleep if you even think about putting her back in her crib she starts to cry so we though maybe she scared of the crib but no matter where we try to put her she screams, can she realy be having nightmares or could thier be somthing wrong, what should we do?



we love sleep.........

Answer 1

boy oh boy do I hear ya!

I am currently in the same position with my 10 month old and it is something that has just started--previously, she had been sleeping through the night (oh bliss!)

I know that my baby is teething and has swollen areas on her gums where her molars will emerge, this, coupled with her ear-pulling (no ear infection though) makes me think that she wakes because of pain and then cannot soothe herself back to sleep. Might this be the case with your child?

I recently read (in Dr. Karp's "Happiest Toddler on the Block") that molars can be very painful when they come in and that the throbbing is intensified when they lay flat in the crib.

When this waking and crying happens, I usually go to her and attempt to get her to fall back asleep, rub her back, or rock her. Sometimes I try a dose of infants tylenol and/or orajel and often she calms down a bit after this--but even if she falls back to sleep, I encounter the same screaming when I try to put her back in the crib (ugh). It's as though she's got a crib sensor, lol.

The past couple of nights, I have slept on a futon in her room (after the waking episode) and when she wakes subsequent times, I take her onto the futon with me and prop her up a little bit on a couple of pillows. This, coupled with my presence, seems to help her, and though interrupted sleep isn't the best, it's better than none at all. Still, this is not the way to handle the problem long term, I know!

I think teething is a real possibility in your case, but why not give your doctor's office a call and run it by a nurse or doctor? They could certainly examine your child to make sure there is not a medical reason why this is happening, and if they think it is a behavioral issue, perhaps they can offer suggestions (or further reading) on how to address that. I've got a stack of books myself!

Best of luck and many restful nights to you and baby!

Answer 2

My daughter is 13 months old and she most of the time, not all of the time but most wakes up screaming, not crying, but screaming! She's been doing this for a couple of weeks now. It's very scrary to hear your child do that. I believe that the problem for her is gas. I know it's not her teeth because her molars have already come in. I sometimes wonder though if it's bad nightmare. If that's the case, that breaks my heart that my little one has to experience something like that. Why??? I wonder can a small baby have nightmares. I pick her up and walk around with her and sometimes take her outside for some fresh air. That usually does the trick. I lay her back down in her crib and she always falls back to sleep. I still think it's better to be safe than sorry so I'll be calling her doctor tomorrow to find out what's going on with her. I would suggest the same. If your childs teeth aren't all in then there is a good possibility that she is teething. I wish you and your husband the best of luck!

Answer 3

We've got our 2 1/2 year old son sleeping in the same room as his 10 month old sister. I guess it all comes down to a routine. In the first couple of days, tire the kids out - go to the park, shopping centre, play groups, relatives etc. You'll find that they'll adjust better once they settle into a routine early. Have a bedtime routine - milk, nappy changes, brushing teeth, bedtime story and good night kisses. It's taken us about 2 weeks and even some nights both kids decide that they're not going to sleep. Just keep at it - good luck !

Answer 4

We have a 5 disc CD player in our son's room and hit the Random button on the remote so it plays soothing music all night long. He rarely wakes up now. It could be that she might be teething again. Try some orajel to see if that helps calm her down.

Answer 5

My son wakes up crying sometimes, but he goes back to sleep without us in a minute or two. I don't let him cry longer than that. This is the time when they start to dream and remember. I'd talk to the doc to be sure, but I'd also look at how close to bedtime she is eating. When I was small, a bite to eat before bed always gave me nightmares.

Answer 6

I would consult with your pediatrician. Has this just started happening? Will she sleep through the night if you sleep with her? As the previous poster said, she may be having night terrors. But she may just be startling herself awake and then becoming anxious that she is alone in a dark room. Maybe try sleeping in her room with her one night or have her sleep with you, and see if it still happens.

Answer 7

My boys go to sleep listening to music. If they wake up in the night, I check on them and hit the cd player on the way out. I think it helps.

Answer 8

ask her what movies she has seen. then ask her what she is scared of. my cousin is 3 years old and she was only scared of her lion in her room because she saw a show where the lions eat people. then my aunt toke the lion out of her room and hid it from her, now they sleep like a log.

Answer 9

it might be night terrors my 16 month old has them but i would go to your doctor

Answer 10

play a quran casset for her and she will fall a sleep as soon as you play the casset.