I am 30yrs old and have a 2yr old daughter. I'm having so much trouble with putting her to sleep. I try to put her to bed at a decent time and she will start crying, kicking and just won't go to sleep until my husband and I turn the light off and go to bed. when she finally falls asleep she wakes up 2-3 times during the night screaming, like she's having nightmares. I have tried all kind of nightime lotions and nothing seems to help. if someone out there has had or is having this problem, please give me some advice. Thanks a million moms!
I want to thank evryon fpr your responses. I got my daughter a nightlight and I read a book every night before she gpes to bed. since I started this she has been sleeping throughout the night, however, she wakes up to ask for milk. It'ss much better i rather get up to feed her than to see her yelling and screaming. thanks again for your support and love, mothers. L.
I had a similar problem with my 2 year old son about a month ago. He was a great sleeper and then suddenly he started waking up several times a night crying. I got him a nightlight and let him listen to his nighttime music (I put it on repeat) and that seemed to really help. I think that now when he wakes up, he knows he is in a safe place so he goes back to sleep. Hope this helps.
I have a son who will be 3 in December. He went through the exact same thing. He would not go to bed unless I layed there forever and waited for him to fall asleep. Then if I got up, he would jump up. Then in the middle of the night he would wake up 2-3 times. I would go in there and try to put him back down and he would have a fit ! Just recently we started going to his room around 8pm. I read him a book or 2 then I sit in the rocking chair in his room. I made a big deal when we bought his nite light. I let him pick it out. After sitting in the chair for awhile, I go over and talk to him about how he is such a big boy. Lately he has been sleeping thru the night. Although, last night he did wake up and come into my room. He is getting better, but it was a trying time !! Keep trying, she will soon understand that you will be there even if your just in the other room. ! Good luck
I have a 20 month old daughter with similar problems. Although i never had a problem with her falling asleep it was the staying asleep. I heard about these pills called Calms Forte 4 kids. They seemed to stop the waking up a screaming part.But she seemed to still wake up and just calmly yell of me, so i then tried the sticker approach, if she would stay in her bed all night in the morning i would give her a sticker to put on a calander she hung on her wall by her cirb. If she went a whole week she could pick something out of a basket i kept put away.... I filled the basket with little things from the dollar store i have been doing this for about 3 months and she has gone from waking up 6 times a night to 1 maybe 2 . So it doesnt work right away but its the only things i have found that works. good luck
:-) nightterrors.org might be helpful-just a thought
good luck
Has she gotten all her molars yet? The last few are really rough. :(
Funny how sleep is so taken for granted until it's gone! hehe
I have delt with the night terrors and as strange as it seems, putting them to be 30 minutes earlier really helps.
Make sure you follow your night time routine, and good point about the teeth. Maybe a little tylenol for any teething pain relief that might be going on would be good as well.
Good Luck!
I WENT THREW THIS WITH OUR 6 YR OLD.. AFTER MY DAD PASSED AWAY A YR AGO. ON THANKSGIVING EVE LAST YR VANESSA BEGAN WAKING UP SCREAMING AND KICKING... SHE WOULD NOT SEE US AS WE WERE TALKING HER THREW THIS. FINALLY I HAD TO MOVE INTO HER ROOM CAUSE AT THAT TIME I WAS EXPECTING...
HERE SOMEONE MENTIONED POPPY WENT TO SLEEP AND SHE WAS AFRAID OF GOING TO BED AND NOT WAKING... WELL FINALY WE MOVED OUT.
SHE SHARES A ROOM WITH HER BABY BROTHER AND AS LONG AS WE DO NOT BOTTER HER WHILE SLEEPING SHE IS GOOD...
FROM WHAT I CAN ASK.. WHEN SHE WAKES IS SHE SEEING YOU? MEANING DOES SHE HAVE A BLANK LOOK ON HER FACE. AS IF SHE DOES NOT SEE YOU. DOES SHE LOOK SCARED TO DEATH?
IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS YOUR CHILD COULD BE SUFFERING FROM NIGHTTEARER...
THIS IS A DIFFICULT TIME FOR YOUR CHILD. MOST OCCUR 25 TO 45 MINUNTS OF SLEEP...
THEN BAM THEIR UP SCREAMING THEIR HEADS OFF...
NIGHT TERROR IS CAUSE FROM MANY THINGS. A FEW CAN BE
THINGS THEY DO NOT FINISH DURRING THE DAY
LOSS OF A CLOSE RELITIVE
THEY MAY NEED SOME FORM OF EYE EXAM...
I WILL LOOK AND SEE IF THERE IS A SITE YOU CAN VISIT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NIGHT TERROR HERE IS A SITE I CAME ACROSS
Night terrors are a sleep disorder involving abrupt awakening from sleep in a terrified state.
Alternative Names:
Pavor nocturnus; Sleep terror disorder
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
The normal sleep cycle involves distinct stages from light drowsiness to deep sleep. During REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, the eyes move rapidly and vivid dreaming is most common. Each night there are several cycles of non-REM and REM sleep.
Night terror (sleep terror) occurs during Stage 3 and Stage 4 sleep (deep sleep). The cause is unknown but night terrors are commonly associated with periods of emotional tension , stress , or conflict.
Night terror is similar to nightmares except that nightmares usually occur during REM sleep and include unpleasant or frightening dreams. Nightmares are most common in the early morning.
Night terrors occur usually in the first half of the night heralded by a scream. The child does not usually remember the details of the scare. Nightmares are normal on occasion, especially after frightening movies/TV shows or emotional situations.
Night terror occurs most often in preadolescent boys, although it can occur in girls and in adults. It is fairly common in children 3 to 5 years old, and much less common after that. Night terror may run in families. It can occur in adults, especially with emotional tension and/or the use of alcohol.
Review Date: 7/28/2005
Reviewed By: Kevin Sheth, M.D., Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
Symptoms:
sudden awakening from sleep
persistent fear or terror that occurs at night
screaming
sweating
confusion
rapid heart rate
unable to explain what happened
no recall of "bad dreams" or nightmares
may have a vague sense of frightening images
unable to fully arouse
difficult to comfort
no memory of the event on awakening the next day
Note: Episodes are most common in the first third of the night. They may last 10 to 20 minutes, then normal sleep returns.
Signs and tests:
In many cases, no further examination or testing is necessary. If night terror is severe or prolonged, psychologic evaluation may be appropriate.
Review Date: 7/28/2005
Reviewed By: Kevin Sheth, M.D., Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
Treatment:
In many cases, comfort and reassurance are the only treatment required. Psychotherapy or counseling may be appropriate in some cases. Benzodiazepine medications (such as diazepam) used at bedtime will often reduce night terrors; however, medication is not usually recommended to treat this disorder. A safe over-the-counter drug, Benadryl elixir (diphenhydramine), given 1 hour before bedtime may reduce the incidence of night terror.
Expectations (prognosis):
Most children outgrow night terrors. There is usually no recall of the event. Stress reduction and/or psychotherapy may be helpful for night terror in adults.
Complications:
insomnia (unusual)
Calling your health care provider:
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if night terror is persistent or frequent, and/or occurs often enough to regularly disrupt sleep.
Also call if other symptoms accompany night terror; or if the night terror causes, or almost causes, injuries.
Review Date: 7/28/2005
Reviewed By: Kevin Sheth, M.D., Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
Prevention:
Minimizing stress or using coping mechanisms may reduce night terrors. The number of episodes usually decreases after age 10.
Review Date: 7/28/2005
Reviewed By: Kevin Sheth, M.D., Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
The normal sleep cycle involves distinct stages from light drowsiness to deep sleep. During REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, the eyes move rapidly and vivid dreaming is most common. Each night there are several cycles of non-REM and REM sleep.
Night terror (sleep terror) occurs during Stage 3 and Stage 4 sleep (deep sleep). The cause is unknown but night terrors are commonly associated with periods of emotional tension , stress , or conflict.
Night terror is similar to nightmares except that nightmares usually occur during REM sleep and include unpleasant or frightening dreams. Nightmares are most common in the early morning.
Night terrors occur usually in the first half of the night heralded by a scream. The child does not usually remember the details of the scare. Nightmares are normal on occasion, especially after frightening movies/TV shows or emotional situations.
Night terror occurs most often in preadolescent boys, although it can occur in girls and in adults. It is fairly common in children 3 to 5 years old, and much less common after that. Night terror may run in families. It can occur in adults, especially with emotional tension and/or the use of alcohol.
Review Date: 7/28/2005
Reviewed By: Kevin Sheth, M.D., Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
Both of my kids did the same thing untill, thanks to the advice of many moms on here, I put my foot down. My son Cole always said he was having nightmares (he was a c-section baby and I'm told that c-section babies are more prone to night terrors, don't know if that's true, but just a thought). Well starting this Sunday I put them both into the bathtub around 8, let then play and get nice and warm. Then I put them into their bed at 8:30. I don't stay with them, I tell them what will happen if they get out and start to play. I've explained to them what to do if they have a nightmare, they can come and get me, and I'll come back to their room untill they feel better. Last night they were asleep by 9:30 and slept the whole night through. Cole is 5 and Caden is 3, and this is the first good nights sleep I have had in 5 years. So maybe try the bath and the routine.....don't give in......it worked for me and maybe it will for you also!
Is this a new behavior or one that has just popped up? I can't tell from your post.
I would ask what your procedures for putting her to bed are. I would also ask of anything else has changed in your life. Someone have a new job? A new friend around? Sometimes change can affect sleep patterns.
Our son has always been difficult to get down for various reasons and it took a year of measured attention to get it to be simple. We established a routine when he was 1 and have followed it faithfully. I can't let him cry it out but we do give him 10 minutes at a time to see if he will settle in after our bedtime routines. Sleep routines are different for every family and some people feel strongly about them, so it's hard sometimes to have a conversation about it without running up against what people say you "should" do. Really, the most important things are consistency and love. It sounds like you have that down, so I would just ask what has changed the routine, if this is a new behavior.
H.
is she still napping during the day?If so you might want to shorten that.
In response to your son not sleeping, my son who just turned 22 months just began sleeping through the night about 2 months ago. I used to rock him to sleep, or hold him while pacing his room. My back would be in knots, but it worked for the time. My husband and I switched him into a big boy bed, and he loved it. I would go and check on him and he would be all over the bed. Luckily we remembered the bed rails:)If he wouldn't fall asleep right away I would lay in his bed, and when I woke up he would be asleep. Most importantly, I think that children feed off of your frustration, or anxiety. So find the best way to relax through the process, and before you know it everyone will be resting. I only took my son almost 2 years...:)
