6 month old wakes up screaming

positivenote

hi, our little lad used to be great as hed sleep right through from 8-6.30 with only the odd stir... but in the last week we put him down at 9ish and he will wake up screaming at least 3 times a night. it takes about a half hr to settle him as he starts againg as soon as we put him back in to his cot. Hes been in his own room since 12 weeks old... we are getting really frustrated as my wife is now back to work. Any advice as we are reasching the end of our tether.... we have tried to get him into a routine of going to sleep himself but this is not working as he cries constantly when we have tried this. I have heard of leaving the child and just reasuring them you are there rather than picking them up but this goes on for well over an hour and he just screams crying...

please help with any advice.
Thanks a million

January

Usuals are either teething, cold, hunger or just general routine displacement ( is he in a childminder creche now?)...

It's a minefield out there, try one thing at a time, if you think he's cold, extra blanket or a boost of heat when he'd normally wake, hunger, try dream feed, or if on solids tea time before bed... Teething, nelsons teetha sachets, or nurofen/calpol before bed...

Routine displacement... only gentle reassurement or controlled crying will help that...

positivenote

thanks,
the last two nights we have resorted to bringing him into our bed and hes asleep in a matter of mins. We have tried the reassurence of stroking his face and rubing him whilst gentley talking to him, and we have also tried leaving him crying, but he was crying last night for close to 50mins with only the occasional 2 or 3 min break. He has started in a creche today but it will only be for mon and fridays. As i said previously please post any sugestions
Thanks a million

bulmersgal

sounds like my little one when her teeth are sore. She's been like this the last week but a tooth is cutting through the gums. If she wakes i've been just giving her some more bonjela or teetha and i will give some nurofen if its really bad.

I understand that bringing to bed is the handiest option but your going to have to break that habit before they get use to it, otherwise its going to be harder in a few weeks when u want your bed back

Ballyman

We had the exact same problem. He used to go mental when he woke up in the middle of the night when he got to about 6 months. We tried everything we could think of but it wouldn't stop and he ended up in the bed with us every night so we could get some sleep. Then one day we noticed a tooth had come through the gum and he was fine again after that.
He still has the occasional mental episode in the middle of the night but he's pretty much back to normal again now. Until the next tooth arrives I suppose!!

positivenote

Ballyman wrote: »

We had the exact same problem. He used to go mental when he woke up in the middle of the night when he got to about 6 months. We tried everything we could think of but it wouldn't stop and he ended up in the bed with us every night so we could get some sleep. Then one day we noticed a tooth had come through the gum and he was fine again after that.
He still has the occasional mental episode in the middle of the night but he's pretty much back to normal again now. Until the next tooth arrives I suppose!!

was he aggitated during the day? as our little fella doesnt seem to be too bothered during day time.... and of course he goes straight asleep when he has been brought into our bed, so unless his teeth only irritate him whilst he's out of our bed

RachaelVO

Oh lord, ya poor things! There is nothing as bad!

The one thing I will say, is that by taking him into the bed with ya, you are creating a stick for your own back. It's gonna get nothing but harder if you do that. Not a criticism, honestly, cos god knows desperation for a good nights sleep will drive ya demented!

I've never had exactly what you're talking about, but I have had the sleepless nights alright, particularly with my son, who is now 2. During the day when he was calm and relaxed I used to stroke from his ear down to his chin, in slow even strokes with my finger. Then later when he did give us a few sleepless nights, all I did was do the same. It was almost like a button that calmed him down within a minute, he seemed to associate it with calmness. (can't a minute seem like a long time when baby is screeching?).

I know you're heard it all before now, but no lights, no loud talking, don't try to make is seem like he should be getting up (easier said than done I know). Even try sitting on the floor, with your head near his as his lies down in his cot, put your arm in and rub his face sushing all the time.

I don't know if they will work for you, but a variation of what everyone has said in this thread should help, it's just trying to be consistent through wanting to go insane that is the most difficult part.

I genuinely wish you both the very best of luck

bulmersgal

positivenote wrote: »

was he aggitated during the day? as our little fella doesnt seem to be too bothered during day time.... and of course he goes straight asleep when he has been brought into our bed, so unless his teeth only irritate him whilst he's out of our bed

No my little girl does be happy out during the day, gets a little cranky at nap times. Only in the middle of the night does her teeth hurt. Is ur lo toss and turning during night, my lo does be and occasionally lets out little cry every now and again then at middle of night its screaming time

boatbuilder

Sounds like teeth pain to me. Our wee fella used to wake up with a yelp and then cry like mad.
All I can say is..... calpol and bonjela and bring him into bed with you.

I wouldn't worry too much about taking him into bed with you when he cries.... so long as its only when he cries and is in pain.
Poor wee lad is in pain so why not bring him into bed if that's what comforts him?

But the good news is that eventually he will move on from this and you will get more decent sleep in a few months time!

Ballyman

positivenote wrote: »

was he aggitated during the day?

Not really. He seemed fine during the day in the main. The odd time he would be drooling a lot with red cheeks but didn't really cry.

Another thing I noticed was that we used to leave a small light on for him in his room when he went to bed. I turned this off a few weeks ago and left the hall light on instead. I'm not sure if this was related to him going mental when he woke as it happened around the same time as the teeth and I've since turned the light in his room back on when he goes to bed.

It's all guesswork really

Dades

The difficulty is here is determining when he's crying out of pain - and when he's crying because he knows he'll get brought into your bed.

They're smart little buggers and if they get the idea that they want to be in your bed they'll cry until they get their way. Also, at that age the whole "separation anxiety" thing might be kicking in which confounds the issue.

Our fella is stubborn about getting what he wants - but he's only the second most stubborn man in the house.

positivenote

the only thing about the 'getting what he wants' thing is how long is to long to leave them crying? last night for example he was crying... actually screaming for close to an hour only stoping if he was picked up to be 'burped' (of which he didnt at all)...

Dades

I think you have to rule out everything else. Screaming?

- Teeth? Baby Nurofen/Calpol/Whatever - CHECK
- Nappy? Change it - CHECK
- Hungry? Try a bottle - CHECK

If after that lot doesn't work - I have my suspicions he's playing us. Our PHN called us "suckers" after we'd taken him into our bed for a bit - so we had to go noisy cold turkey for a few days before he settled a bit.