Night terrors

numb3rMel · December 2012

Its late so I'm using you ladies as Google.

Some nights, per last night, H goes into a panic, shrieking at the top of her lungs. She'll eat but its in a hurry and she doesn't calm down. After the bottle is down, she'll go back to screaming her head off. Last night she managed to wrap both hands in my hair and pull as hard as she could. She ripped out some hair. I thought maybe she had a gas bubble but after all the tricks, she didn't burp. It took about 30 to 45 mins to calm her. This isn't the first episode.

So I was talking to a coworker about it and she thought maybe H had night terrors. My brother had them when he was really little but I just don't know if a baby can have them.

Can babies have night terrors?

elgmr0226 · December 2012

I hope not! My little brother had night terrors too but he was about 4 when they started. They were terrible. Sometimes though I've noticed T will make a sad face with the lower lip out and everything ready to cry in his sleep. Makes me wonder what he could possibly be dreaming about.

MeatballEsq · December 2012

Could it be reflux? Is she only doing it while she's eating?

numb3rMel · December 2012

tonir319:
Could it be reflux? Is she only doing it while she's eating?nbsp;

nope, she's doing it before, during, and after. Its always earlier than her typical feed time.

numb3rMel · December 2012

yea, I didn't think so but she had me second guessing.

H is famous for her freakouts. She really is quite dramatic. Maybe that just means she'll grow up to a famous actress and make lots of money. eh?!

km3 · December 2012

elgmr0226:
Sometimes though I've noticed T will make a sad face with the lower lip out and everything ready to cry in his sleep. Makes me wonder what he could possibly be dreaming about.

P does this sometimes too. He'll be completely asleep, start with sad face, and build up to crying. Once he wakes up he stops and it's like nothing happened. It's so sad! I figured he was dreaming about wanting to be held or fed.

VineyardMel · December 2012

E has moments when she's sound asleep and cries out suddenly [shrieks], whimpers a few times and then goes back to sleeping soundly, sometimes even smiling a minute later. I hate it and hope she's not having something akin to a bad dream.

numb3rMel · December 2012

Steph+J:
As far as night terrors, though, I have no clue. Hopefully you can figure it out soon or she grows out of it. Do you think she's in pain? Lo will wake up freaking out sometimes, and it's almost always a huge burp to calm her down.

I'd venture to say no. When she's in pain, I can calm her down by switching positions, rocking, bath water, whatever and she'll slow her cries to like a wimper. This is inconsolable cries for what I consider an extended period of time. She never burps during. Sometimes she'll fight the bottle away and its just like she wants to out a good scream/cry fest. I don't know how else to describe it. I pull out the aresonal of methods I can to make her comfortable as possible.

ifwisheswerefishes · December 2012

Steph+J:
numb3rMel:
yea, I didn't think so but she had me second guessing.

H is famous for her freakouts. She really is quite dramatic. Maybe that just means she'll grow up to a famous actress and make lots of money. eh?!
I'm sorry! Lo is a very content baby in general, but when she's pissed? SHE"S PISSED. She has had some epic meltdowns before. Maybe they can be actresses together.

Add Marian to this list. So content and happy...except when she's not. The meltdowns are epic and dramatic.

MarisaKathleen · December 2012

My good friend's daughter is 10mo old and has been getting night terrors since she was around 3 mo old. They did a sleep study on her and everything at Children's Hospital in Milwaukee to rule out everything else. We've been having issues with N where she starts shrieking in the middle of the night, but when I run into her room, she's still sound asleep. Our pedi said it's completely normal for them to start dreaming at this age and that it could freak them out.

Unfortunately it doesn't sound like there's anything that can be done about it.

numb3rMel · December 2012

MarisaKathleen:

My good friend's daughter is 10mo old and has been getting night terrors since she was around 3 mo old. They did a sleep study on her and everything at Children's Hospital in Milwaukee to rule out everything else. We've been having issues with N where she starts shrieking in the middle of the night, but when I run into her room, she's still sound asleep. Our pedi said it's completely normal for them to start dreaming at this age and that it could freak them out.

Unfortunately it doesn't sound like there's anything that can be done about it.

That's what I remember from my brother. Its terrible to hear her shrieking. Her eyes are closed when we first respond to her but we pick her up and after a little while, she opens her eyes. I don't know if she's still sleeping or closing her eyes to scream because that's her tendancy.

Do you pick Nancy up?

MarisaKathleen · December 2012

numb3rMel:
MarisaKathleen:

My good friend's daughter is 10mo old and has been getting night terrors since she was around 3 mo old. They did a sleep study on her and everything at Children's Hospital in Milwaukee to rule out everything else. We've been having issues with N where she starts shrieking in the middle of the night, but when I run into her room, she's still sound asleep. Our pedi said it's completely normal for them to start dreaming at this age and that it could freak them out.

Unfortunately it doesn't sound like there's anything that can be done about it.

That's what I remember from my brother. Its terrible to hear her shrieking. Her eyes are closed when we first respond to her but we pick her up and after a little while, she opens her eyes. I don't know if she's still sleeping or closing her eyes to scream because that's her tendancy.

Do you pick Nancy up?

It depends. If I go in there and do the shhing noises, usually that calms her down. If she wakes herself up when I go in there, then I'll pick her up. It's weird though. When she wakes herself up and I'm in there she's really smiley like she doesn't even remember that she was just screaming.

Have you tried just waiting it out before touching her or anything to see if you can calm her down by speaking softly or shhing? I know with adults that if you wake them up it can scare them and wonder if the same thing will happen with a baby?

numb3rMel · December 2012

MarisaKathleen:
numb3rMel:
MarisaKathleen:

My good friend's daughter is 10mo old and has been getting night terrors since she was around 3 mo old. They did a sleep study on her and everything at Children's Hospital in Milwaukee to rule out everything else. We've been having issues with N where she starts shrieking in the middle of the night, but when I run into her room, she's still sound asleep. Our pedi said it's completely normal for them to start dreaming at this age and that it could freak them out.

Unfortunately it doesn't sound like there's anything that can be done about it.

That's what I remember from my brother. Its terrible to hear her shrieking. Her eyes are closed when we first respond to her but we pick her up and after a little while, she opens her eyes. I don't know if she's still sleeping or closing her eyes to scream because that's her tendancy.

Do you pick Nancy up?

It depends. If I go in there and do the shhing noises, usually that calms her down. If she wakes herself up when I go in there, then I'll pick her up. It's weird though. When she wakes herself up and I'm in there she's really smiley like she doesn't even remember that she was just screaming.

Have you tried just waiting it out before touching her or anything to see if you can calm her down by speaking softly or shhing? I know with adults that if you wake them up it can scare them and wonder if the same thing will happen with a baby?

The other night's episode, MH was trying to console her with a paci first. When I could hear that that wasn't working, I went in to help. I picked her up but I guess I could try shushing next. We do have white noise on all night. So I'm not sure me shushing will do anything else but I can try! Thanks!

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