Good morning ladies,

I need your opinions, please. Over the last few months, Rebekah has been "waking up" at night with increasing frequency. Over the last week, I can count on her "waking" every other night now. She "wakes" up crying. When I go into her room, she "startles" a little but doesn't wake up. She'll stay in her cute lil' sleeping position with her butt in the air. I'll rub her back for a few minutes which still doesn't wake her up. When I stop and try to walk out, she starts crying again. I've tried going back in and repeating the exact same process, but it only ends up with the exact same results. So, this past week, I've done the process once and let her cry the second time. Within a couple of minutes, she has quieted doen. This typically only happens once per night. Do these "episodes" sound like night terrors to y'all? If so, I can refer back to the recent thread on this topic for advice. At this point, I'm just not sure what I'm dealing with. TIA!

Megan

03/06/98 - Married DH
10/10/08 - Welcomed Rebekah Faith

To me, it sounds like gas pain or teething pain. Typically, one so young wouldn't get "night terrors", but gas is a common pain for them. Especially if she's asleep and its getting *stuck* in her. If going in kind of wakes her to make her cry more, maybe try leaving her alone? She might just need to cry that once or twice and squirm, get the gas to release and then fall asleep on her own? I dunno. Eliya does that one or twice in the night. She'll cry in her sleep, then she's quiet and back to sleep.

Night terrors are a ton of screaming and they are totally inconsolable when they happen. Settling down a bit when getting her back rub tells me it isn't that. She could be having some dreams. Never will know for sure on that one though.

However, it does sound a lot like gas or teething to me.

Our youngest will whimper in her sleep a bit sometimes, but a lot of it is that she insists on trying to sleep across her crib the short way and when she stretches out in her sleep, she conks her head or gets her feet stuck or something. If she would just learn to sleep the long way in there... Though, after Christmas, and all the goings on with it and traveling, we plan on converting her crib into a toddler bed so that should hopefully eliminate that one, while opening a new can of worms.

Keep tabs on what she is eating and see if it is gas inducing. Each kid is way different as to what will cause it.

I totally ditto both above responses....with a night terror...it's like they look awake, but they don't really respond, they're still out of it and they will sob and scream and be totally inconsolable for an hour or so at times....they eventually wear themselves out and fall back into a deeper sleep than the lighter sleep state they were in throwing the fit.....doesn't matter WHAT you do, you can't console them. When it's done, you just look at each other like, 'What was that?!" Oh my!.....Common between 2-3 years when dreams become a bigger issue. Both my boys went through it a couple to three times each...than they never happened again...

Thanks for the advice!

Based upon what y'all said, she's definitely not having night terrors. She doesn't eat much at all. She almost always eats her breakfast. Then, I can get her to eat 1 more decent meal and a handful of small "snacks". She's fairly picky at this point, so she usually eats the same stuff (I try to introduce at least a bite of something new each time, but if I want her to eat, I've got to go back to the "usual" foods). Gas hasn't been an issue. Now teething is another story. She's currently working on at least her fifth tooth (top left). She has had a red nose, red cheeks, and red bottom which are some of her teething symptoms. I can see a bit of the tooth ready to pop on through. I suppose it could be that. Or it could just be dreams.

Well, since DH usually doesn't hear her (I don't know how!), I may try just letting her cry. Jen, when I go in and rub her back, she stops her original crying. When I stop rubbing, she just resumes the crying. In the end, it doesn't appear it does any good.

At any rate, I really appreciate your help. Even though it has been 14 long months, I still feel like such a newbie!

Megan

03/06/98 - Married DH
10/10/08 - Welcomed Rebekah Faith

It seems like just when we 'get' them they change! I know with every.single.tooth Payton had ALL the symptoms, it was like he got a cold with every one of them, he has been a horrible teether. :(

I know it can be frustrating at times not knowing but this too will pass!

yep I agree. night terrors are SCARY for the parent because you just don't know what to do or what is going on. Plus NOTHING you do helps them "get over it" you feel utterly helpless and lasts for at least a half hour of pure screaming