Do 15 Month Olds Have Nightmares?

My daughter is about the same age and we occasssionally have those set backs and I have also wondered about nightmares. I am not sure, but I know some of the crying seems so horrible, I feel like a heal if I don't do something, then feel like I've been 'had' when I realize a pattern is forming. Yes, I think they can learn to manipulate at that age (who can blame them, right?). My recent tactic has been setting in the rocking chair in her room, usually listening to my ipod so she knows I am there, but I am not reinforcing that midnight cries get you a big reward.

I feel your pain, momma!!! Hang in there.

It could really go either way. You know your daughter. Use your mommy instincts :)

It is possible she is having some sort of nightmare. Does she have a night light?
You could try, when these things happen, pick her up & comfort her.
Tell her it's ok, she is safe, she is in her bed in her room and that mommy is here.
After a min or so put her back in her bed. But make sure you tell her ""mommy is putting you back in your bed, it's time to sleep now. you are safe, everything is ok"
Rub her back or her head or whatever then tell her good night and leave.

My son had nightmares about that age, perhaps younger. They weren't like you describe, in which he ended up screaming for me, but he did wake up in the middle of the night crying, after he had gone for months sleeping through the night. Finally I realized that there was a pattern to him waking up -- if he was in the same room when my husband was watching some "scary" movie (i.e., dramatic music, tense/scared faces or voices -- usually an action flick, a war movie, not necessarily what adults might consider scary), then that night he would cry in his sleep, or wake up crying.

Prior to that realization, I had wondered if maybe he shouldn't be in the same room, but dismissed my concern by saying he was "too young" to be affected, or that the movie "wasn't really scary", and he didn't seem to be watching it, really. Afterwards, I made sure that my husband pause the movie and get him into another room before resuming it. Sure enough, he stopped his night-waking. So, yes, your daughter is old enough to have nightmares.

yes they absolutely can.
My daughter started having night terrors before she was a year old.

I think you should go in and comfort her.
It's worse to err on the side of caution and going in to her if she really is scared is the best thing.

For sure! My son has had terrors and nightmares since a very young age. He is now two and I have noticed this happens when is over tired and sleeps restlessly, is teething, or is sick. He co-sleeps, so it's easy enough to just hold him tight when he cries like that and tell him it's okay. I never wake him up! I just softly tell him it's okay, Mommy is here, and stroke his head until he settles.

It's very scary to hear someone so small in that kind of fear/pain. But I think it's completely natural too, particularly at times of physical or emotional stress-just like us big people.

I heard kids can start "fears" at 15-20 mos of age with the average being around 18 mos...like fear of the dark. My son is a bit over 2 years old and has started having nightmares -- actual nightmares, not night terrors. I go in and he tells me he had a bad dream and something scared him. On those nights he ends up in our bed after a half hour or so of crying. In contrast, when he is ill - if I give him Motrin, rock him 15 minutes and a few sips of water...he settles right back down and goes to sleep. It is tough to know what to do....you can only do what you think is best for your little one. My nieces had night terrors but they would settle down after my SIL would go in and calm them for a few minutes but they were never really "awake" during them....I have never had a child with those. My kids are always awake and responsive after their bad dreams.