s/o night terrors

redshoegirl

When Will was a very young baby (starting at just 2 weeks old), he would routinely start screaming - and I do mean screaming - in his sleep. Eventually he seemed to grow out of it, but the last few nights he's started up again.

The only thing I could think of was that it might be night terrors, but a friend told me that kids this young don't dream. Is that true? Or a load of crap?

Has anyone else's LO had what seem like bad dreams at a young age?

MrsZiz

Well you read my post about Bella below and I have NO idea what's going on with her! I wish I was a mind reader so I could fix it all! 

 I think at 2 weeks old it wasn't nightmares but likely gas or some sharp/weird pain. I don't think they dream at 2weeks old... but then again what the heck do I know?! 

 I would say at his age now, he would likely dream and could have terrors, but then again, I'm not sure how you fix them. Bella's bunny seems to help a bit and me singing but it still seems like she's not all there when I go in to get her... if that makes sense.  

redshoegirl

MrsZiz:

 I think at 2 weeks old it wasn't nightmares but likely gas or some sharp/weird pain. I don't think they dream at 2weeks old... but then again what the heck do I know?! 

Well this is the weird thing...we're nearly positive it wasn't gas. He only ever did it when he was asleep. I guess it could have been a weird pain somewhere else, but it's so strange that it only happened during naps?

mrs.winter

Ashton went though a period of screaming for 15 mins at a time 4-5 times a night. There was nothing I could do to get him to stop crying/screaming. I went to the Dr. and he said night terrors don't really start until around 18 months but there was a slight possibility that Ashton was having them. He asked me if Ashton's eyes were closed when he was crying/screaming and that was a true sign. I hope that helps.

Off to read Sara's post below

redshoegirl

mrs.winter:

Ashton went though a period of screaming for 15 mins at a time 4-5 times a night. There was nothing I could do to get him to stop crying/screaming. I went to the Dr. and he said night terrors don't really start until around 18 months but there was a slight possibility that Ashton was having them. He asked me if Ashton's eyes were closed when he was crying/screaming and that was a true sign. I hope that helps.

Off to read Sara's post below

Yup, eyes are always closed.

It seriously gives you a heart attack when you hear those screams in the middle of the night, doesn't it? 

mrs.winter

redshoegirl:

mrs.winter:

Ashton went though a period of screaming for 15 mins at a time 4-5 times a night. There was nothing I could do to get him to stop crying/screaming. I went to the Dr. and he said night terrors don't really start until around 18 months but there was a slight possibility that Ashton was having them. He asked me if Ashton's eyes were closed when he was crying/screaming and that was a true sign. I hope that helps.

Off to read Sara's post below

Yup, eyes are always closed.

It seriously gives you a heart attack when you hear those screams in the middle of the night, doesn't it? 

Yes, it's awful!  Hopefully they won't have to go though it too much. I can't imagine what it is they are dreaming about...they are too young to 'think' of anything bad. kwim?

redshoegirl

mrs.winter:

Yes, it's awful!  Hopefully they won't have to go though it too much. I can't imagine what it is they are dreaming about...they are too young to 'think' of anything bad. kwim?

Ben and I joke that Will is having a nightmare that the world ran out of milk lol.

inamra

redshoegirl:

mrs.winter:

Yes, it's awful!  Hopefully they won't have to go though it too much. I can't imagine what it is they are dreaming about...they are too young to 'think' of anything bad. kwim?

Ben and I joke that Will is having a nightmare that the world ran out of milk lol.

LOL! hahaha I guess that's what it would have to be if anything!

But I actually asked MH the same question--what could babies possibly have night terrors about that that age? He suggested that maybe it's just waking up to a emotional state of having one rather than actually dreaming about something concrete...I dunno, that could be a possibility?

redshoegirl

inamra:

redshoegirl:

mrs.winter:

Yes, it's awful!  Hopefully they won't have to go though it too much. I can't imagine what it is they are dreaming about...they are too young to 'think' of anything bad. kwim?

Ben and I joke that Will is having a nightmare that the world ran out of milk lol.

LOL! hahaha I guess that's what it would have to be if anything!

But I actually asked MH the same question--what could babies possibly have night terrors about that that age? He suggested that maybe it's just waking up to a emotional state of having one rather than actually dreaming about something concrete...I dunno, that could be a possibility?

That's an interesting idea! 

I mentioned the sleep screaming to their doctor when they were still quite young, and she just shrugged. She said that some babies do it, and her theory is that it's some kind of fallback to caveman days, and the sleep screams are a way to test that parents are still around. *shrug*

SanHawaii08

Eric totally did the scream-in-his-sleep thing regularly a while back, but he hasn't done it lately...  His eyes were always closed, and some shushing and patting would generally settle him.  ...the caveman idea is interesting!