Basically I just want to know if this is normal or not.... If what Spock is experiencing are night terrors? Just really vivid dreams? Normal nearly 2 yo behaviour? Or if it is something I should get checked out...
She will wake in the middle of the night uncontrollable sobbing, like Shea not completely awake, but all she needs is a cuddle and rock and song and after 5 or so minutes she calms down and is more than happy to lay back down and go back to sleep...
Those are the good episodes...
At least once a week, sometimes twice, she wakes up having a full on tantrum. Screaming, throwing her self around, and NOTHING. Soothes her or calms her, she has no hope of going back to sleep. And I've tried soothing her, cuddling, rocking singing, I've tried distraction/redirection, I've tried just letting her get it all out, but nothing has any success, and either myself or dh end up sitting up in the lounge room with a really tired worked up cranky girl...
If she is requesting something, eg milk, or hungry. Or her drink, she repeats over and over and over and we give it to her, but even with the boob in her mouth, or with her drink in her hand she still howls for it...
I don't know, I'm sure there's nothing you can really do, but just wanted to know I'm not alone, and she is just processing all her emotions etc.... But just need to talk it out with people, and make sure she is ok
We dealt with night tantrums like that for a couple of years. Sometimes 2 or 3 times a night. They came in waves, so he would do it heaps for 6 or 8 weeks, then a couple of months clear and then they would be back again. Never worked out why, never figured out how to stop it. Basically once he started we just had to wait until it he calmed down on his own accord (an hour or so later...).
It was very frustrating. I hope that you manage to find a reason and it doesn't go on for too long xx
Night terrors are when the child isn't awake and while can hold a convo has no recollection later. Some kids can't even be touched during one - it just escalates for hours (and hours and hours ) Waking them prolongs the terror. Because they are in their fight or flight mode and it's scary and confusing when their brain becomes conscious.
Usually at the same time every time. With DD1 they were between 11.30 and 1am every time, DS about an hour and a half after going to sleep and DD2 is only one sleep cycle after going to sleep.
Will come in waves. So, seemingly random and working up to more and more frequently. At a bad stage with DS they were several times a night. Then they work down to fewer and fewer until it all starts all over again.
It's their brain not able to switch sleep cycles.
My 4 year old has night terrors, about 90 mins after going to sleep he will start screaming. Nothing calms him down. You can't touch him, if he asks for something he'll scream louder when you try to give it to him, he cries and cries until he just falls asleep. He has no memory of it. It's heartbreaking!
Dd1 had night terrors for a few months at about 17 months. I couldn't touch her at all. They usually only lasted 20 or 30 minutes though I think.
I read years ago that it's to do with being between sleep cycles. It said that if you could time them & wake the child just before it would normally happen, you should be able to avoid them.
I don't think you need to completely wake them up, just enough to maybe get them to roll over.
I didn't get the chance to try it. Dd was past them by then & none of the others have had them.
When she is just crying she is still asleep. But these Tantrums she is awake for...im sure of it... although it sounds like them in terms of screaming and asking for something but becoming worse when you try to give it. But im sure she is awake, ig not at first she is after not too long
I was also sure that DS was awake when he had them - he used to come into our room and stand by the bed and ask for help to go back to sleep but as soon as I said anything to him he would start screaming. It may well have been night terrors. Whatever it was it was really unpleasant.
They look awake, but it's part of the brain that is still asleep, and part is awake. google 'confused arousal'. it's common and will pass. With DS1 I try not to touch him too much or say too much. it always makes it worse. I offer him milk and lay him down and just wait for him to go quiet again. It's usually triggered by difficulty moving between sleep cycles. hugs!
Are these night terrors?
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) Waking them prolongs the terror. Because they are in their fight or flight mode and it's scary and confusing when their brain becomes conscious.
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