17 mo. old wakes screeching and screaming

[LeesMom]

About a month ago, DD starting waking from naps hysterical, screaming and screeching (horrible sounding!) and took a good 10-15 minutes to calm down. I thought it could be that she was still tired, but I think we have pretty much resolved the overtiredness issue and it's still happening. She generally sleeps 11.5 - 12 hour nights and 1.5 hour naps. Now, she wakes EVERY morning doing this, and this morning it went on for 45 minutes before she calmed down. DH and I tried everything we could think of to calm her, but nothing worked. She is teething (eye teeth) and they have been giving her lots of problems, but this was happening prior to the teething issues. Funny thing is, she doesn't do it when my parents are visiting  (they visit frequently). It really sounds like she's just having a tantrum, but I don't know why this would be happening only upon waking.

[mari]

She could be just playing you up but I doubt it for some reason. 
Could you post her routine and does she still wake like this for naps or just mornings.  How long has this been happening for and does she wake at all during the night now?

[LeesMom]

She does still wake from naps like this about 75% of the time and also every morning. This started about a month ago or so. She rarely wakes at night now (maybe twice in the last month), and goes right back to sleep if I go in and resettle her (I also give her medicine then as I know her teeth have been bothering her). Her current routine is:

Wake: 7:00 - 7:30
Breakfast: 8:00
Lunch: 11:30
Nap: 12:30 - 1:00 (depending on morning wake-up time); Usually 1.5 hrs.
Snack: 2:30
Dinner: 5:00
Bottle and Bedtime routine: 7:00
Asleep between 7:30 and 8:00, depending on wake-up time from nap

(I try to do 5.5 hours awake times before nap and before bedtime). She goes to sleep on her own very easily both for naps and at bedtime.

Thanks Mari 

[mari]

I wonder if an earlier nap of 12pm might help her to sleep longer and an earlier bedtime of no more than 5.5 hours after waking from nap.  You might have to do a little WIWO as she could be used to falling asllep alone as she is overtired, but this is where I think the problem lies.

[LeesMom]

Thanks Mari. I will try that. Sometimes it's a bit hard to get her down for her nap by 12:00 due to other things we have scheduled in the morning (music class, etc.) but I will do my best to give it a shot. Over the past couple of months, it seems that no matter what time I put her down for her nap or bedtime (after 5 hrs., 5.5 hrs., or 6 hrs. --- we've tried various things!) she will only sleep a total of 13 hours max. between nighttime and naps. Not sure if this is just her, but the 2 hour naps have been very rare for her (just a handful of times!). I'm sure grateful for the 11.5 hr. nights though!  I'm willing to give putting her down earlier a try though... I would definitely like to resolve this screaming/screeching thing --- VERY STRESSFUL!!!     

Thanks