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RaspberrySwirl
09-08-2010, 19:49
I know this is usually full of issues with babies sleeping (or not), but I have a problem with my almost 3 year old DD and am wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

Every night lately she wakes up crying. I've had a read about night terrors and I really don't think that's what it is, but I can't be sure. She's not thrashing about, doesn't sit upright or scream, she just cries and cries. If we can't settle her quickly enough, she starts coughing and then throws up.
There's no real set time for this. It can be anytime during the night and at multiple times during the night. We have to snap her out of it to get her to stop and settle down. Once she has calmed down, she falls straight back to sleep, but it's only a matter of time before she starts crying again. I also don't think it's a nightmare, although at 5am this morning she called out to me and told me there was a bear in her bed and that she had to come back to bed with me. But she wasn't crying that time.

Has anyone else experienced this? I haven't asked her if she remembers the episodes, so I'm not sure of that. I just don't know what to do or how to handle this.

Can night terrors present like this? She just cries and cries, doesn't respond to soothing or shhhing, but appears to be aware of what is going on, as in, I can ask her if she is going to throw up and she will shake her head through her tears and coughing. If we then snap her out of it, unfortunately by a quick loud calling her name, she then stops crying enough for us to soothe her and encourage her to breathe slowly until she calms down.

The only real constant that I have noticed is that it is worse on the nights where she has become overtired before going to bed.

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

Beck13
09-08-2010, 19:56
Yes my 3.5yr old ds does the exact same thing when he is overtired and hasn't had a day sleep, which unfortunately has been a bit lately as he's fighting that day sleep. I have tried everything to calm him but he just doesn't respond, he's still asleep. Now I just get a warm face washer and wipe his face over and he generally snaps out of it enough for me to remind him to take deep breaths and calm him down. Then its straight back to sleep no probs - most times via a trip to the toilet, so I'm actually wondering if that is what is waking him initially. I'm now starting out night time routine half an hour earlier so he's in bed earlier and it seems to be helping. Apart from that I'm not sure there is alot you can do. Good luck!

flicker
09-08-2010, 20:02
:hugs:that must be so hard!

sorry I have no real advice from experience, but do you notice whether diet effects it? I notice that if ds has Jam ( i think it must be a preservative in it) he wakes up at about midnight and runs into our room like something is chasing him. I know it is not the same, but maybe look into her diet? It may even be worth a treating it as night terrors or going to see your gp?

:hugs:hope it is a quick lived phase.

UmmInayah
09-08-2010, 20:43
my dd used to do exactly the same thing. she would just scream and cry and wake everyone up.

i made sure her bedtime was as calm as possible, and like a pp had mentioned, i made sure she wasn't overtired. she did it more if she missed her nap, just like a pp said.