Night terror, nightmare or something else?

[trimbler]

Hi,
Just wondering if anyone else has seen this before (I'm sure one of you has!) and what this might have been? My 16mo hasn't quite been himself lately, but I'm sure that's due to teething, a slight stomach upset and 2-1 disruption. However none of this seems to quite explain his behaviour last night. He got to sleep well in the evening - straight to sleep, which was a welcome change as he's been struggling to get to sleep at BT a bit recently. Then at around 3am, he suddenly started screaming/screeching/crying. Since he usually settles himself quite quickly if he wakes at night, without intervention from us, I waited a few moments before getting out of bed to go in to him. However, by the time I'd got my slippers and dressing gown on (I know, selfish mum - but it is REALLY cold in our room, we do heat DS's room more!), he was completely quiet again. So I waited... and got back into bed. 3:20am and he was screaming again, it was just really strange screeching and I went straight in this time as I thought something must be up. But on entering his room, the crying stopped and he was just completely still and really deeply asleep - calm, regular breathing, body relaxed, didn't make the slightest response to my hand resting on him. So I thought he was fine again and went back to my room - but he then immediately started screaming again! As if he was aware of whether or not I was in the room, even though he was so deeply asleep? So I then went back in and sat in the chair for 10-20mins (?) until he came out of his deep sleep, and then I left. During that time, he was again completely quiet and still. Any ideas? Should I have tried to wake him?? Having read the descriptions of nightmares and night terrors, this doesn't really seem to fit either of them, and it's so uncharacteristic of him - is this normal? TIA!

[*Becky*]

it sounds like discomfort to me. my son was always like that with his teeth, restless and would cry out every so often. Have you tried meds?

[<Catherine>]

My DS suffers badly with night terrors and sometimes they can be just how you describe (although they are *usually* one long bout of screaming, with a sleep cycle or 2 before the next), however night terrors generally occur in the early hours of sleep, so not usually as late into the night as you have experienced (although, again, my DS has been known to have night terrors that run into 2/3am some nights). They are also often caused by OT, which it sounds like your DS is too.

So, yes, may well be night terrors, but as Becky says I think I would be medicating to rule out teeth/discomfort first.

[trimbler]

Ok thanks, I've been giving Calpol at bedtime for his teeth (tummy's been back to normal for a couple of days now so don't think it was that), but didn't want to wake him from his deep sleep to give him anything then! Maybe it was one of those later night terrors, I agree probably OT - he got to sleep around 7:45pm so it would have been just over 5h... Not a peep from him last night though

[*Becky*]

good news

FWIW Calpol only really lasts 4-5 hours but nurofen I found MUCH better for teeth and it lasts more like 7 hours. xx

[trimbler]

That's interesting, I hadn't realised that - maybe I should get some nurofen!