Crying in his sleep at night

hi,

DS has been crying in his sleep for the last 2 mths.
I dont know why. he's been on solids now and has his dinner and milk then goes to bed, so he's not hungry.
i pat him and that soothes him, and when i stop he starts again. sometimes he just goes back to sleep.
i used to pick him up and feed him, then just pick him up. both calm him and then he goes back to sleep but then he cries again in a couple of hours.
dr. said to use controlled crying but it breaks my heart to see him cry in his sleep and tears rolling down.

I dont know if it's wanting attention, development phase or teething...
he's 6 and half mths.
he's good during the day....

please help.. he's gone from sleeping from 10pm to 7am to hardly sleeping at all. i dont understand why he's crying in his sleep.

I really don't have any advice, prama, as I am going through the same sort of thing with my little man waking more often through the night than he has been. You sound like you are doing all the right things, cuddles and comfort. I really don't think you need to go down the road of CC, it will only make him distressed and harder to get to sleep and break your heart. I think its is just something that babies go through sometimes and we just have to remember that they are babies for such a short time and "this too shall pass". I have been getting really tired and stressed but am just trying to keep positive and hopefully he will start to sleep longer again soon, I hope your little one does too.

ETA: At your little mans age he could be teething, maybe try a little teething gel and/or panadol and see if that helps things a bit. It relly won't hurt just to try.

thanks marlene...
it's hard isn't it.
he just cries in his sleep, and tears roll down. he doesnt even wake up.
i hoep things sort out for the both of us, and our bubs sleep.

Awww Prama, hunn you're not alone, Alexander does it too sometimes. I associate his with teething, but that mihght be because a new tooth cut today and he's been doing it for a week. It's so sad because they're so miserable :(

I find trying to soothe makes him worse and wakes him up more, so I tend to try and leave him now... its not CC because he's not awake? I don't know, it's so painful to hear and watch but even he doesn't know what's going on.

Oh my goodness me the new picture of Lakshman is absolutely gorgeous!

Prama, my DS has been doing this too. He sobs and sobs and doesn't even wake up. The first time he did it, it scared the cr*p out of me. I thought he was having trouble breathing so I picked him which woke him up completely. Now I just let him be and keep an eye on him and stroke him. It's awful to see him cry.

I don't have advice for you, but I do have some reassurance...

All the bubs from my Mums group have started to do the same thing.

My own DS started to sleep poorly around 4/5 months - but he is coming out the other side of it now (at 8 months) & is sleeping really well. I wonder if it's just a phase that they all go through?

My DS and now my DD do it also... My DD started after her 1st injections. But on a better note she also giggles in her sleep (as does my almost 4 y/o son) i thought it may be dreaming but now i know its more wide spread maybe it is a phase.

thanks girls for your replies...

ash - yeah dunno if cc works if he's crying in his sleep.

dunno if it's a phase or teething.. sigh

My DD does this.. I used to go in and pick her up but that seemed to upset her more.. She did it last night actually, I don't go in anymore.. I know she is ok and will settle faster if I just leave her be.. She too isn't awake but making the saddest sound in her sleep..

Jazz does this too.I will feed her once in the midde of the night now and the rest of the time I give her a dummy or if she's really bad then I do panadol. Apart from the one time when she gets a nappy change & bottle, I don't even pick her up. Usually as soon as the dummy is in her mouth she stops crying and settles back to a solid sleep. She doesn't wake up either when she's crying, but she seems to get a lot of comfort from the dummy.

hmmm.. Lakshman doesnt use a dummy, maybe i can try letting him suck on my finger and see if he settles himself.

nic - if i let him be, he cries louder and louder.. poor baby.

Prama - I was going to say this in our thread. Don't do the cc thing unless YOU want to. It will just get you more upset if it's not your decision.
Pick him up & cuddle him if thats what you want to do.

I never had problems at that age - hopefully I won't with DS either - But at about 16 months Jaz started having night terrors. She would wake during the night screaming, but wasn't awake properly. All I wanted to do was wrap her in my arms & cuddle her, but I couldn't touch her.
Touching & trying to soothe her made it worse. I just used to try stroking or having a hand on her or just talking to her quietly til she calmed down enough for me to cuddle her.
I hated watching that. Being their mum you just want to protect & reassure them, but I couldn't. It broke my heart.
Hopefully its just a phase & he will get past it soon. If cuddling/patting/stoking/sucking soothe him then do them. Which ever one works.

skye - thanks hun. yeah, i dont think CC is going to work for me. my maternal instincts say to soothe and cuddle him.. I'm disappointed with the paed's recommendation...
i hope it's a phase and he gets better soon. poor baby..

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nic - if i let him be, he cries louder and louder.. poor baby.

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If I find Olivia is getting upset I just rub her back.. Only cus the couple of times I picked her up it made it worse..

but if you are fiding picking him and cuddles are working then personally i would continue with that

Hey Prama,

i was going to post the same thing!

My DD 5mths does that at least once a week. I think she has very bad dreams. She cries and tears but isnt awake and the cry gets louder and louder.

The first few times, i actually picked her up and that woke her up and shocked her and made her cry more.

Wonder what they are dreaming about.

Summer is doing this too, once i put her in her cot she wakes anywhere from midnight onwards and then comes into bed with me and some nights she constantly wakes crying and just giving her a rub on the back makes her go back to sleep and i end up feeding her if she won't settle. Sorry not much help

gee, looks like they all are doing this.. i just hope it will settle soon... poor bubbas, they must be upset and they cant tell us :(