# Baby wakes up screaming two hours after going to sleep every single night - why?



## JessieBird (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi everyone - I don't know why I haven't asked this here sooner as this has been going on for at least 8 weeks, maybe even longer than that. My 8 1/2 month old son goes to sleep at night without any trouble. Our routine goes like this: bath, put on pj's while singing special song, nurse to sleep and transfer to crib in our room around 7 pm, transfer into our bed when we hit the sack around 10. He is an easy happy baby and all of this goes extremely well even when there are variations - except that every single night without exception for months now, he wakes up screaming bloody murder around 9 pm. Almost every night it is very easy to comfort him back to sleep within 10-15 mins, sometimes he needs to nurse back down, rarely he is wide awake and then stays up with us till we go to bed.

Because we can comfort him so easily and he is right back to his happy sleepy self, this is not a bother at all. But it breaks my heart to see him so upset. The crying is at the top of his lungs and it is a sad, frightened sound, not a pain cry. He doesn't do this after naps in the crib or family bed and all other wake ups (day and night) are perfectly pleasant and happy. I find it amazing that this happens like clockwork every day.

For what it's worth, he is EBF and starting BLW. What he eats or doesn't eat during the day seems to have no effect. Nor does it seem to coincide with a wet or dirty diaper or any other external factors that I can figure.

I've been told that babies don't dream but it really sounds like he is waking up from a nightmare. Could that be it? Do you have any other ideas? Any advice on how to prevent this would be much appreciated!

Thanks everyone and hope you're having a great day!


----------



## Mal85 (Sep 3, 2008)

I've had this same issue with my 5.5 month old daughter. She usually wakes about 30-45 minutes after we all go to bed. She nurses and is rocked to sleep between 9-9:30, but doesn't let me put her down to sleep. So, I hold her while she sleeps until we all go to bed around 10. She stays asleep for the whole thing. I'll lay her down on the bed, get changed, then crawl into bed with her and she never stirs. But, around 11 she wakes screaming.

Sometimes I'll give her some Tylenol, because her top teeth are setting in and I think that bothers her sometimes. Other times, when that doesn't work, all I can do is comfort her until she passes back out. I have noticed a lot of the time, she isn't actually awake. If I wake her up, she'll calm down and go back to sleep. Which seemed odd to me. So, I mentioned it to my SIL and she said if she isn't awake it could be night terrors. Apparently, a few of my nieces have had night terrors... starting as babies and through toddlerhood.

For us, it doesn't happen every night, but on average maybe every other night or every couple of nights. It doesn't last long, but like you, it breaks my heart because she gets so upset and nothing I do seems to work. She just gets it out and is back sleeping peacefully within 15 minutes or so.


----------



## ~Charlie's~Angel~ (Mar 17, 2008)

Who on earth said babies dont dream? Why, then, do newborns smile in their sleep before they smile when they are awake? Gas?

It sounds like night terrors to me. Just never heard of it in a babe so young.


----------



## ommom (May 14, 2008)

could it be just normal? that he has completed a sleep cycle (7pm-9pm) and gets into lite sleep & is hungry & wants to nurse &/or senses you aren't there (since u go in at 10pm?) and so is simply signalling for company or food/drink?

our DD is 7 mo. and is quite loud/vocal from sleep when she wants me/food in the time btw. her bedtime and ours. she, like your child, also nurses back to sleep easily & quickly. it's 'dramatic' sounding - her cries- but serve a purpose in that i come quickly, baby monitor or not!

the wakings the rest of the nite are quieter 'cuz i am there rite away.

during daytime naps (this differs from you) they can be as dramatic.

maybe they are nightmares though...?


----------



## twinsplusone1 (Feb 4, 2009)

my opinion is its either now a habit his body is used to or since he's become mobile he turns in his sleep and wakes himself up. We have gone through the same thing with all three of our kids and I either go in pat backs without talking or give them a few minutes to settle back down on thier own and it just subsides within afew days unless I go get them which really wakes themup then it reinforces the habit and is a wake up cue for them and they wake every night


----------

