We have had 2 nights of WO/WI with DS who is almost 18 mos. Before that he was going to sleep on his own but with me in the room. To my surprise this has so far turned out to be just WO as DS has not cried and has fallen asleep without me in the room! However, both nights he has been crying/screaming at about 5 hrs after falling asleep (I don't really know exactly when he falls asleep since I'm not in the room, but I am outside the door). Could this be nightmares? Before the WO he was sleeping through although he has been sick with a cold twice in the past month (I waited a couple of days since he's been better to start WO/WI). Bedtime is around 7 and he usually falls asleep around 7:30 or so.
The first night I thought that DH woke him up since he woke me up using his electric razor in the bathroom with the door wide open. At about 12:30 am DS called out a few times then started crying, when I got there he was crying lying down, I put my hand on his back and he sat up for about 30 sec then laid down again and I left the room. He was quiet after that, cried out once at 3:30 (I didn't have to go in) and woke for the day at 6:30 am.
Last night around 12:40 am DS started screaming out of nowhere. When I got to his room he was standing up, he grabbed me and would not let go for about a minute. Finally I told him it was time to sleep and laid him down, when I went to leave the room he started howling so I went back, laid him down again, and sat down on the daybed in his room. I guess I should I have just walked out again but I wasn't really "with it" at that point and I hadn't heard him scream like that in a long time. It took DS a while (10-20 min??) to fall back asleep during which time I noticed he was also pretty gassy. He then woke at 5:30 am but tried to go back to sleep or dozed off and on until about 6:20 am.
I'm planning to stick with the WO/WI but if he is having nightmares should I stay with him longer or just walk out? I thought I read somewhere that someone else's LO had nightmares about 5 hrs after going to bed??? Can you do WTS or something else for that? Do you think it is connected with the WO/WI or just coincidence? In addition to his recent illnesses there is a lot of activity in the house as we have been setting up for the new baby's arrival, but DS doesn't seem out of sorts during the day.
Sorry for all of the questions, this is just very different from what I anticipated and has thrown me for a loop.
DS's usual routine:
6/6:30 wake
12ish nap for ~2.5 hrs
7ish bedtime
Both times when he was sick and a couple days afterwards he'd occasionally take a long time to fall asleep (8/8:30) and/or wake early 5/5:30, then take a 3-3.5 hr nap.
Any thoughts/advice would be very much appreciated.
