I think my baby boy has nightmares!

[KitFaerie]

DS is 16 1/2 weeks and for the last week he's been crying around 4am, but not waking up, his usual wake up time is 6 am and because he is still asleep I just give him the dummy and pat him back to sleep, but he cries every 1/2 hour or so til 6am when he wakes up properly (he starts chatting to us when he's awake properly). So heartbreaking. He's cried and laughed in his sleep before, usually when he's been fed to sleep and kept on my lap, but this is so consistent! As soon as I give him the dummy he stops crying, but then it starts again 1/2 hour later. And it's just a sad little cry! If we wake him up he looks really shocked and then shouts at us (his usual ''I'm not cool with this'' noise).

Could it be nightmares? Is this a stage?

The only other thing I can think of is his developmental stage, he figured out how to roll from his tummy to his back on sunday, then his back to his tummy on tuesday (both of which he uses to flip himself all around the living room), and he's been trying to sit up as well (using his abs to sit up straight when he's leaning against something). Is his brain just going ''fzzzt'' from all the new stuff he's learning?

I'm starting to dread 4 am

[RhiChiChi]

Sounds like a development stage & what you said, his brain is trying to process it all. Don't wake him anymore. My DD used to have night terrors & waking her or trying to wake her would make it worse & prolong the night terrors.

[KitFaerie]

Thanks Rhichichi, at what age did your DD start having night terrors? I'm worried that my DS could get them later on...

[MrsFabuloso]

A fellow BB member posted this on FB yesterday, it sounds very similar to what you're describing. I'm not sure if babies start so young in having terrors, though I don't see why not, since it is a neurological thing, not necessarily developmental.

Night Terrors

(Hope it's ok to post that link?)

[KitFaerie]

Awesome, thanks Kel xo

[buliej]

Could it be that he's cold? I think that's the coldest part of the night and maybe he's waking because he's cold...I'm going to read about the night terrors now

[RhiChiChi]

Thanks Rhichichi, at what age did your DD start having night terrors? I'm worried that my DS could get them later on...

From memory about age 2.5 yo. She was in a toddler bed when they started. I also changed her diet slightly to avoid certain preservatives. I stopped giving her bbq flavoured sakatas. Her nightterrors tended to coincide with eating coloured/preservative added foods.....

[Jennie13]

My DD was doing a similar thing at that ages (tho about 11pm) It was really horrible and I too thought it must be bad dreams. It passed within afew weeks, but it certainly wasnt a very nice time

I hope your little man gets past it soon

[KitFaerie]

Thanks so much for all your replies, I really appreciate it! The crying is starting to ease off now, it only happened once last night instead of 4 or 5 times, and when I started patting him he made cute ''num num num'' noises, lol.