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View Full Version : Nightmares! Poor Stephen



Erin K
10-13-2006, 09:00 AM
I read that babies and todlers don't have nightmares at this age because they don't have enough imagination, well it's not true, for the past few nights Stephen has been having them. I went in and he was hunched up alseep and screaming! I calmed him down, but hours later it happened again, I ended up sleeping with him from about 5am till 7am when the cats woke us up for good. And everyone knows I'm not a morning person! Poor Stephen though, he was ok after I was in there. :(

mydogstinks2
10-13-2006, 09:08 AM
My Great Nephew had this. He would be asleep but just start screeming. Some times he would wake-up and go get in bed with someone else.His Mom took him to the DR and they said that it was night terrors. He did finally grow out of it. He is 6 now, they started when he was about Stephens age too.

Erin K
10-13-2006, 09:16 AM
that's what he has too. Poor guy. At least once I wake him up he seems ok. I mean he doen't seem like he remembers being scared.


now he's all fussy because he didn't get enough sleep. I'm fussy too.

lbakerc42
10-13-2006, 10:34 AM
My son, at seven, still has occassional nightmares. I think it scares me more than it does him. If I wake him up it takes a few minutes for him to get oriented. I am glad to hear that they out grow the nightmares.

Linda

MidwestStamper
10-13-2006, 01:12 PM
My younger son did this when he was about this age. I heard it called "night terrors" at that time. He would be sitting up, facing the wall and crying. But he wasn't really awake. It usually happening just before a tooth popped through.
--Lidia

kulakid
10-13-2006, 01:37 PM
hope tonight is nightmare free!!!

Erin K
10-13-2006, 02:58 PM
Sounds like these night terrors are just what he has, he will be even sitting up, but he's not really awake, and it's not a teary cry, he's screaming, it sounds like someone is hurting him. I can sometimes calm him without waking him up.

I'm horrible I guess, but sometimes I've let him stop on his own, if it's just a few seconds, because then he seems to go back to sleep better. He never went all the way back this morning. Does that make me a jerk that I let him do it on his own? If it lasts more than a few minutes I go to him...

What did you do when your kids went through this?

MidwestStamper
10-13-2006, 03:49 PM
Don't feel bad Erin! I think that I remember that it was better to not wake them up, as long as it didn't go on too long for them. Just like sleep walking (which also has happened a couple times when they were older) if you just gently soothe or redirect them, it's better than waking them up.
--Lidia

so-muchlove
10-13-2006, 04:42 PM
don't feel bad. You gotta do what's best for you and for Stephen!! If it works best that you don't wake him up, then I would just continue doing what you're doing!! ;)

Hugs to you and Stephen and hope he sleeps better tonight!!

~ Lisa

Whoopsie Daisy!
10-13-2006, 05:47 PM
offer cuddles and soothing words... sometimes it helps and other times, it seems to make it worse. It's so hard for them when they can't communicate what happened or know why they feel so badly.

I was told that it's not always necessary to wake them... to let them cry it out and work it out on their own. Now, Ken usually calls out to me if he needs me to come in. He's 3.5 yrs old and he can tell me what scared him. What's really interesting is that last night's episode wasn't really scary. He had dreamed about his soccer lesson. He said that he was kicking the ball around and tried to kick it into the net but Coach Dennis wouldn't let him and when he made a goal, it was not a good thing. After I explained to him that it was a good thing to kick the ball into the net, he smiled and went right back to sleep... no recollection of it in the morning.

Hang in there, Erin.

hugs,
Jane

teabear
10-13-2006, 07:42 PM
I'm so sorry to hear you are going through this. Maybe it will pass quickly. Self-soothing is a great thing, and if Stephen can do that in a short time, it's good for all of you. Don't feel bad about doing what you know is the right thing. Mom knows what is best. Don't doubt your instincts, they are good :)
Tami

benandnatesmom
10-14-2006, 09:44 AM
Erin....I was in Walgreens the other day on the shelf where the infant motrinwas was some kind of homeoathic med for child night terrors....I dont know if it works---but it is out there!!

lost luggage
10-14-2006, 11:21 AM
(Renee...LOVE that orange!)

I don't know if we're having the same problem...but yours truely was up at midnight last night. I think her teeth might be coming in...I hope it's not a replay tonight. Good to know about the night terror stuff...I might check it out if we're up again tonight. :)

Erin K
10-14-2006, 05:23 PM
Erin....I was in Walgreens the other day on the shelf where the infant motrinwas was some kind of homeoathic med for child night terrors....I dont know if it works---but it is out there!!


Thanks, I use some homeopathic stuff for teething pain and colds and it really works great so I will give this a try too. Last night was terror free!!!

cindi
10-14-2006, 09:49 PM
at least when we have nightmares we know what they are! Poor little guy.
Cindi :)

stampcrazyjulie
10-15-2006, 05:18 PM
Jack has these every once in awhile too. The Dr. said that it is just a normal Kid thing, but if it happens too much to let them know. My Kids all sleep with their eyes half open...howz' that for scary:eek:

Erin K
10-15-2006, 06:50 PM
So last night and the night before he slept fine, no nightmares, it's funny, he never gets them at nap time! So here's to it being over!