Night Tremors??

My doctor called it night terrors. My son had it for several months around the same age as your son.. The crying would not stop-- he would actually seem to be still asleep -- it was like a screaming cry that would not end. We would take turns walking around the house rocking him. I would sit on my bed & rock back & forth. I worked full-time and would be up hours each night. You have to just try soothing him -- while standing-try holding him --where his head is on your shoulder and rocking.. I didn't think it was night terrors--- I still to this day believe it was some type of pain in his ears.. I did have his ears checked several times---and the doctors never did find anything wrong-- but as a mother you sometimes just know.

When I read your post I wondered if maybe it could be teething. I remember my daughter waking up screaming for days in a row, I was worried and took her to the doctor. He said that usually when I child wakes up from a sound sleep screaming, it is usually teeth. I'm thinking that maybe the milk or motion of sucking from the bottle massages his gums and he can fall back to sleep.

My son went through a period like this. He would wake up screaming, totally inconsolable. It would take a few minutes, but eventually he would "snap out of it". We learned to flick on the lights and then he would sort of get it. It is most likely not night terrors, but just a phase. At least that is what my doctor shared with us. Night terrors tend to happen in 3 year olds and older. Hopefully it is just a phase and your son will stop soon. I would continue to do what you are doing in comforting him, but try to not give him the bottle, so that he doesn't start waking for the bottle once he stops waking up because of the screaming. He might also be getting his molars, if he doesn't have them and they hurt. Just went through it with my 16 month old daughter. Hope this helps. Check out webmd or google night terrors for further info.

Hi C., my daughter started around 15/16 months doing the same thing. I thought it was terrors too until I had her sleeping with me to try and wake her before they got too bad and that was when I heard her snore and how she breathed while sleeping. I had the doctor check her tonsills and they were enlarged. She had them out and we have not had one episode of her waking up in the middle of the night screaming. I read somewhere that when they are enlarged it causes difficulties sleeping.
Best of luck.
J.