Toddler waking at night

So, DS has always been (knock wood) a PHENOMENAL sleeper.

I'm a firm believer/advocate of CIO and it's been successful for me the few times we've used it (initally and a couple of redo's when he was sick/vacation etc).

So I'm in unfamiliar territory. The past couple of nights he has been waking at 130AM (pretty much on the nose) and screaming/crying for me. It's a scared cry, almost like he had a nightmare. It's not night terrors, because when I go in there he's fully awake and practically vaulting himself out of the crib into my arms.

I pick him up to sooth him and he's like a muncheechee on me. I can literally not even hold him and he won't move - he's got himself clinging to me so tight.
He also stops crying instantly. It's not like he's inconsolable. But the second I try to put him back into his crib, he goes ape$hit.

So, what do I do? I bring him into bed with me . . .huge mistake I know, but at 130 AM, I feel like I can't let him CIO, because it's not a normal cry. He sounds scared. And quite frankly, I have to be up at 530A for work. So I need to sleep too.
For added fun, Dottie my dog is getting up at 2AM and decides she needs to go outside.

Is it the full moon? Is he having nightmares? Should I get a nightlight?

Has anyone else had experience with this?

Sorry I'm rambling, I'm getting no sleep.

Re: Toddler waking at night

sorry to bump

Any advice? Should I try CIO?

Re: Toddler waking at night

i would try the night light.

maybe get one w/ those soothing shapes/lights that roam around the room~ maybe the light will be soothing and the shapes will distract him back to sleep. if he falls asleep easily maybe just turn that on when YOU go to bed.

as for dottie - she can hold it!

good luck! this situation sounds exhausting.

Re: Toddler waking at night

How old is DS? Mine is 21 months and has done this on a few occasions. He's shaking in my arms like he had a bad dream. If he is shaking like that, I bring him to bed with me. But this is very rare, maybe once a month.

I did notice that DS just got two eye teeth, so that could explain why he was waking up during the night on me. If he did this, I would let him CIO.

Re: Toddler waking at night

we have a nightlight for the Lootch.

but he has never slept through the night anyway.

he could just be scared. it's a big big world out there and some things he saw during the day may come back a little scarier in his dreams.

Re: Toddler waking at night

Re: Toddler waking at night

Posted by chikita315

I guess I just want someone to tell me, last night was the last night he'll do this!

Re: Toddler waking at night

My youngest son just turned two this month too and is doing the same thing. I'm a walking zombie. I am so exhausted. He goes through spurts of sleeping just fine and then for a few days he'll wake up (usually b/w 1-4am) screaming and he clings to me too. Last night, I actually waited about 10-15 mins before even going in. I have a video monitor so I could see that he was okay. But he didn't stop and the crying was getting worse.
Like you I have done CIO with him and it has worked well for us. However, i know that if i try to CIO after I've gone in there to make sure he's okay all hell will break loose and no one will sleep. So when he wakes and does not quiet done within 10-15 mis, I usually bring him into bed with us. I know it's not good but I need sleep.

ETA: I have a nightlight in his room and that hasn't helped.

Message edited 7/28/2010 12:39:25 PM.

Re: Toddler waking at night

Posted by pnm1654

My youngest son just turned two this month too and is doing the same thing. I'm a walking zombie. I am so exhausted. He goes through spurts of sleeping just fine and then for a few days he'll wake up (usually b/w 1-4am) screaming and he clings to me too. Last night, I actually waited about 10-15 mins before even going in. I have a video monitor so I could see that he was okay. But he didn't stop and the crying was getting worse.
Like you I have done CIO with him and it has worked well for us. However, i know that if i try to CIO after I've gone in there to make sure he's okay all hell will break loose and no one will sleep. So when he wakes and does not quiet done within 10-15 mis, I usually bring him into bed with us. I know it's not good but I need sleep.

ETA: I have a nightlight in his room and that hasn't helped.

Re: Toddler waking at night

Good Luck tonight! I hope tonight is better for both us!

Re: Toddler waking at night

Re: Toddler waking at night

DS did this also right around 2, I think a lot of kids have sleep problems at this age. Before that he had been a great sleeper also.

For about a week I slept on his floor--it's not for everyone, but it was the easiest way for us to both go to sleep. He was fine with me in the room with him. Then I stopped, and we started using a night light which helped a lot. He still wakes up in the middle of the night about once or twice a week now, not sure why, but I think he is either afraid or having dreams. A doll might help too, though DS had one at this point and it didn't help.

I agree though, if your DC is scared, CIO isn't the way to go.

Message edited 7/28/2010 3:30:15 PM.

Re: Toddler waking at night

I am going through the same exact thing except for my DD it is happening around 3-4am. We have also been bringing her in our room. I really do not want this to become a habit but I also have a newborn so between both of them sometimes I am getting up every other hour! Last night was the first night in 2 weeks she didn't wake up. Before she went to bed I tried talking to her about her "bad dreams" and she said she was scared that it was dark. She's never had a nightlight (I know, I am a bad mom) so I took one out of my other DD's room and put it in hers and it worked. Hopefully it works going forward.

Re: Toddler waking at night

DD did that for a while.

For about 2 weeks, she would wake up at abotu 2 am and wouldn't go back to sleep until almost 4. Same thing, would stop crying when I went to get her. But didn't want to go back to bed.

We got desperate adn took her to the Ped. to see if she had an ear infection. But she was fine.

She stopped it one day and hasn't done it since. She did it when she was about 18 months old.