Is it Nightmares/ Night terrors or something else?

My ds is 10mths old, and earlier this week has gotten over a terrible case of the flu. Two nights ago(so not inc tonight) he woke up around midnight crying, just a little different. He wouldn't settle. I tried to b/f him, but the moment I tilted him to do this, it turned into a scream. His eyes were awake but he was in his own world. I took him into our room, just to change the feel of the room - no change. After 5 mins the screaming stopped and he looked at me like he was confused, but wouldn't go back to sleep. I ended up I rocked him to sleep, but he was in a sitting up against my chest postion. He was alseep almost right away, but to move from my body to the cot made him tense up and start crying. It took 45 mins. He's been sleeping thru, so this was a shock. Woke again around 4, but fed and wanted to play.

Last night was the same. 1030 it started - the same thing! Eyes are open... He can do things, but not like you'd expect. Kept putting his head down like he was tired and stopping, but then starting back up again (did this the night before too - before he looked at me confused). Calmed him back to sleep in our bed, and he slept there last night.

I wonder, is it a night terror, nightmare? Does he wake and freak out that its dark in his room? Is he doing what I do? I have a thing where I can be asleep, but do things - like hold conversation, go down the hallway or see things that aren't there that seem so real (I freaked my dh out one night by sitting up in bed and screaming "theres a fire at the end of the bed!!" lying back down and back to sleep - he was not impressed)... Kinda like sleepwalking I guess. Most times I don't know I've done it, but other times, I vaguely remember.

It's quite frightening to watch him do this and I just don't have the energy.

IMO Talk to your GP and get a referral to a sleep specialist ASAP. Just for your peace of mind if nothing else.

My DD recently did something very similar - woke screaming and couldn't be settled in any of the usual ways. I tried BF (which is usually the instant calmer), bringing her into my bed, turning on lights, going out and turning on the telly - nothing stopped the screaming and I even took her pjs off to check inside for bities! It went on for about 5-10mins before she finally fell asleep in my arms. When I laid her down on my bed, she rolled over, woke up and blinked and looked at me with a huge smile like 'oh here I am in your bed mummy, how fun!' and started playing!
I put it down to a night terror as she really didn't seem to know what had happened. She has only done it once (touch wood) and she was sick with a cold at the time. If it was happening every night, I probably would try to get some answers from a professional, though I have read that saturating them in love during the day has helped some people so maybe some over the top cuddles and kisses and lots of mummy time could settle things down. Good luck.