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Waking up terrified?
Okay, so I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but it seems like L is getting some serious nightmares. This has been going on and off for a few weeks, and it's getting more and more frequent. It started with him waking up in the middle of the night and screaming bloody murder. I'd go into his room and he'd be screaming in a panic pointing at something. Aat one point, it was a cross over his door; at other times it was the Mickey shawl over the glider. We took the shawl off and he was okay for a few nights, but then again he started waking up, screamin and pointing towards the chair area.
He's awake, fully aware of everything, and as soon as he sees me he recoils and desperately holds his arms up for me to pick him up. He doesn't relax until I take him out of the room. We have a night light and we've been trying to adjust it thinking that maybe it was too bright or too dark, but it's still happening. And his cry, it's so horrible. I feel so bad because it's this terrified, panicked scream. And he does it over and over until I go get him.
Any ideas? Is it just nightmares? What could be causing nightmares? I thought night terrors, but I was under the impression those happened in their sleep. Not sure what to think.... and it's seriously interfereing with out sleep! It's been 4 nights in a row now that he's woken up with those screams. 
Thanks!
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Re: Waking up terrified?
That's horrible =( I hope this ends soon for him!
I haven't had this with Riley-maybe just a handful of times where she woke up in the middle of the night screaming and I "think" it's because of nightmares. Has anything changed in his daily routine or any new foods? What happens if you take the night light away all together? I hope you guys can figure it out soon!
Wow! Pobresito! It seems like he's waking up and gets scared of the dark (the shadows) You can either take away the night light and see if it was the shadows and if it doesn't work then I guess he's afraid of the dark altogether, try buying a small lamp and maybe that will help???? Yikes!
:::HUGS::::
I don't have any experience with night terrors, but we don't use a nightlight, we use a 6 watt bulb in a regular lamp on Nicky's dresser at night. It is still very dim, but doesn't create shadows like a night light does.
Thanks guys! I hadn't thought about the shadows, but now that you guys mention it, I have seen him cry or recoil at his shadow in other circumstances. And Karen, it's funny you mention tv cartoons because my mom had said something like that but I dismissed it thinking it's cartoons! I mean, Diego? But you know, I hadn't thought about the animals. Hmmm, I have to think about all of it now.
He did sleep through last night and didn't wake up terrified. I did a few things differently. 1) we tried going back to his bedtime routine in his room after bathtime (so no tv in our room or falling asleep in our room) and it actually worked. We'd tried before after he got better and it didn't work, and we hadn't tried since. 2) we gave him tylenol in case he had some pain that was waking him up. And 3) I realized that a wooden Pincoccio that was half hidden behind the armoir was actually visible from his crib. He is scared of that Pinoccio. I don't know if he saw it or what, but I took it and put it away in his closet so he couldn't see it. So I don't know what of the above 3 actually worked lol.
Thanks again!