Toddler sleep patterns

[KDENISE977]

Okay, so for the record, my spider monkey sleeps in his bed every night. Doesn't wake up, sleeps all night long till we wake him for school/daycare.

HOWEVER, last night, about 11:30, we hear a noise from his bedroom (via monitor) and look and he lost his pacifyer (his last vice), so in an effort to keep him asleep, husband goes into the room to try and find it for him and kid wakes up screaming and crying. Screaming and crying so loudly and it was like he couldn't stop. Wide awake now I run in and try and see WTH is the matter and he won't stop, continues to cry and scream like something bit him, checked everywhere, nothing is hurt or on fire like he's acting. Nothing works to calm him down. Still crying and screaming we take him down to the living room and turn on the TV to Barney (yeah, I know), he watches Barney and when we ask if he's okay, he shakes his head yes...but he's shaking... like quivering shaking, his arms intermittanly, then his legs... this continues off and on for about 15 minutes to the point I'm freaking out...WTH? It's not stopping, we were assuming he had a bad dream or something but the shaking wouldn't stop. Eventually after about another 10 minutes it stopped and he fell back asleep. Anyone know about this???

 

[JeJeTe]

Okay, so for the record, my spider monkey sleeps in his bed every night. Doesn't wake up, sleeps all night long till we wake him for school/daycare.

HOWEVER, last night, about 11:30, we hear a noise from his bedroom (via monitor) and look and he lost his pacifyer (his last vice), so in an effort to keep him asleep, husband goes into the room to try and find it for him and kid wakes up screaming and crying. Screaming and crying so loudly and it was like he couldn't stop. Wide awake now I run in and try and see WTH is the matter and he won't stop, continues to cry and scream like something bit him, checked everywhere, nothing is hurt or on fire like he's acting. Nothing works to calm him down. Still crying and screaming we take him down to the living room and turn on the TV to Barney (yeah, I know), he watches Barney and when we ask if he's okay, he shakes his head yes...but he's shaking... like quivering shaking, his arms intermittanly, then his legs... this continues off and on for about 15 minutes to the point I'm freaking out...WTH? It's not stopping, we were assuming he had a bad dream or something but the shaking wouldn't stop. Eventually after about another 10 minutes it stopped and he fell back asleep. Anyone know about this???

Sounds like he had a bad dream or a night terror. :shrug: Poor thing....

 

[ZARA]

Okay, so for the record, my spider monkey sleeps in his bed every night. Doesn't wake up, sleeps all night long till we wake him for school/daycare.

HOWEVER, last night, about 11:30, we hear a noise from his bedroom (via monitor) and look and he lost his pacifyer (his last vice), so in an effort to keep him asleep, husband goes into the room to try and find it for him and kid wakes up screaming and crying. Screaming and crying so loudly and it was like he couldn't stop. Wide awake now I run in and try and see WTH is the matter and he won't stop, continues to cry and scream like something bit him, checked everywhere, nothing is hurt or on fire like he's acting. Nothing works to calm him down. Still crying and screaming we take him down to the living room and turn on the TV to Barney (yeah, I know), he watches Barney and when we ask if he's okay, he shakes his head yes...but he's shaking... like quivering shaking, his arms intermittanly, then his legs... this continues off and on for about 15 minutes to the point I'm freaking out...WTH? It's not stopping, we were assuming he had a bad dream or something but the shaking wouldn't stop. Eventually after about another 10 minutes it stopped and he fell back asleep. Anyone know about this???

Nightmare. Or night terrors. I had night terrors when I was little and long into my adulthood. Soft sweet music might help. A person can incorporate sounds from their surroundings into their dreams and soft sweet music may help in preventing nightmares....if that is what the problem was.

 

[lucky_bee]

Sounds like he had a bad dream or a night terror. :shrug: Poor thing....

Yea toddlers are very prone to "nightmares" around this age. It feels concerning to see your child scream in terror like that when there's nothing physically wrong with them. My brothers both used to get horrible nightmares and my roommate's toddler went through a short phase of it as well. You feel like you have to do something but the best thing to do is calm them back down without waking them up 100%. The kid was usually fine after holding her for 3-5 mins and was quickly back to sleep.

 

[KDENISE977]

Sounds like he had a bad dream or a night terror. :shrug: Poor thing....

While I was on the couch with him I googled it with my phone and that's what it came up with...night terrors. Because it was caused by nothing and he was just crying and crying. We were 15 minutes into our drive to the hospital when I noticed he had stopped the shaking and we turned around.

 

[KDENISE977]

Nightmare. Or night terrors. I had night terrors when I was little and long into my adulthood. Soft sweet music might help. A person can incorporate sounds from their surroundings into their dreams and soft sweet music may help in preventing nightmares....if that is what the problem was.

But the shaking or quivering of his hands and legs...is that normal??

 

[ZARA]

But the shaking or quivering of his hands and legs...is that normal??

Oh yea. When you are having a night terror your BP is through the roof and your whole body shakes because your are mentally and emotionally terrified. Not scared, not afraid, terrified and it takes a while for your body to catch up to your brain and realize everything is ok.

Ever been really close to having a car accident, and it scared you so bad you were shaking? Multiply that times a thousand.

 

[KDENISE977]

Oh yea. When you are having a night terror your BP is through the roof and your whole body shakes because your are mentally and emotionally terrified. Not scared, not afraid, terrified and it takes a while for your body to catch up to your brain and realize everything is ok.

Ever been really close to having a car accident, and it scared you so bad you were shaking? Multiply that times a thousand.

OMG... that's horrible. How awful.

 

[ZARA]

It's not fun. Here is a some reading for it:


Night Terrors

Sleep terrors (night terrors) - MayoClinic.com

Night terror: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

 

[KDENISE977]

Oh yea. When you are having a night terror your BP is through the roof and your whole body shakes because your are mentally and emotionally terrified. Not scared, not afraid, terrified and it takes a while for your body to catch up to your brain and realize everything is ok.

Ever been really close to having a car accident, and it scared you so bad you were shaking? Multiply that times a thousand.

Is this diagnosed by a doctor or what? Should I make an appt w/ his doctor? Maybe I should wait and see if it happens again... maybe I need some

 

[somdfunguy]

It's just life, we all went thru it and most don't remember it.

 

[KDENISE977]

It's just life, we all went thru it and most don't remember it.

Hey THANKS, good input !

 

[SoMDGirl42]

last night something woke me up from a sleep. I jumped a foot. I was so startled that my heart started pounding, and I immediately had a huge adrenaline rush that left me shaky and feeling very flushed. Not a comfortable feeling at all.

Don't know what woke me either

 

[ZARA]

Is this diagnosed by a doctor or what? Should I make an appt w/ his doctor? Maybe I should wait and see if it happens again... maybe I need some

Yes, it can be diagnosed by a doctor after tests are ran. I would wait. It could be a rare occurrence. In the mean time, read all you can about it and learn all the ways you can possibly prevent it from happening. Anything and nothing can trigger it. Mine were stress related, which is why I had them into adulthood.

Most kids grow out of them. And honestly, there isn't anything you can do about it except wait it out. There isn't any medication than can stop it and if there was, I would advise against it anyways because it could cause more harm than good in his growing body.

The best thing to do it start keeping a log. Every evening write down what time he began getting ready for bed, aprox what time he fell asleep, what time the night terror happens, how he responded, how long it took to calm him and how long it took for him to fall back asleep.

Medication can also cause night terrors...so that should also be documented.

If it becomes a regularity, then invest in some soft sweet relaxing music and have it play on repeat all night.

If it happens again, crawl in bed with him and soothe him until he calms down. Talking softly or singing and rubbing his back should do the trick. 90% of the time he isn't actually awake and waking him can cause his reaction to become more severe because now his brain is trying to register consciousness and it conflicts with being in deep sleep. Almost like being awoken suddenly and you feel startled.. I don't know how else to explain that..I'm sorry.

 

[somdfunguy]

Hey THANKS, good input !

but it is the truth. it is what helps you learn to cope and grow up. you did what you should do, but going to the dr at this point is a bit overboard.

 

[KDENISE977]

Yes, it can be diagnosed by a doctor after tests are ran. I would wait. It could be a rare occurrence. In the mean time, read all you can about it and learn all the ways you can possibly prevent it from happening. Anything and nothing can trigger it. Mine were stress related, which is why I had them into adulthood.

Most kids grow out of them. And honestly, there isn't anything you can do about it except wait it out. There isn't any medication than can stop it and if there was, I would advise against it anyways because it could cause more harm than good in his growing body.

The best thing to do it start keeping a log. Every evening write down what time he began getting ready for bed, aprox what time he fell asleep, what time the night terror happens, how he responded, how long it took to calm him and how long it took for him to fall back asleep.

Medication can also cause night terrors...so that should also be documented.

If it becomes a regularity, then invest in some soft sweet relaxing music and have it play on repeat all night.

If it happens again, crawl in bed with him and soothe him until he calms down. Talking softly or singing and rubbing his back should do the trick. 90% of the time he isn't actually awake and waking him can cause his reaction to become more severe because now his brain is trying to register consciousness and it conflicts with being in deep sleep. Almost like being awoken suddenly and you feel startled.. I don't know how else to explain that..I'm sorry.

THANK YOU ! I don't want to medicate him !!

 

[somdfunguy]

last night something woke me up from a sleep. I jumped a foot. I was so startled that my heart started pounding, and I immediately had a huge adrenaline rush that left me shaky and feeling very flushed. Not a comfortable feeling at all.

Don't know what woke me either

did you open the door and set of the alarm?

 

[libertytyranny]

Monster has had a few. screaming BLOODY MURDER. most of the time I can pat her back and she goes right back out..once or twice I pulled her into bed with me and she went right to sleep. This age is night terror city..unfortunately. And because they arent old enough to understand it makes it even scarier. Just firm reassurance everything is ok should be fine. TV might make it worse though I know..not helpful..but the moving images "awaken" the brain and can make it more prone to images in sleep.


There is no need for a doc. Its a perfectly normal, un savory part of being a toddler.

 

[KDENISE977]

Monster has had a few. screaming BLOODY MURDER. most of the time I can pat her back and she goes right back out..once or twice I pulled her into bed with me and she went right to sleep. This age is night terror city..unfortunately. And because they arent old enough to understand it makes it even scarier. Just firm reassurance everything is ok should be fine. TV might make it worse though I know..not helpful..but the moving images "awaken" the brain and can make it more prone to images in sleep.


There is no need for a doc. Its a perfectly normal, un savory part of being a toddler.

Thank you ! It was just a horrible helpless feeling, searching all over him and his bed to see if something bit him or WTH was wrong :shrug: and like I said, the crying wasn't what worried me as much as the shaking of his hands and legs afterwards.

 

[libertytyranny]

Thank you ! It was just a horrible helpless feeling, searching all over him and his bed to see if something bit him or WTH was wrong :shrug: and like I said, the crying wasn't what worried me as much as the shaking of his hands and legs afterwards.

yeah scared the heck out of me first time too..mostly because monster has slept through the night since she was a teeny infant and doesnt wake up for anything..so to not only hear her wake up..which isnt normal..but to her the terrified high pitched scream that was totally unlike anything ive heard before..it was very jarring. Even weirder is she kept pointing to her door like there was something there..kind of creepy but she was just terrified and as soon as she knew I was there and calmed down for a few minutes she went back out. Adrenalin pumps as soon as we are scared..causes a very normal nervous system, reaction that includes shaking. Its totally normal. Hopefully it wont last very long monster had a bout of several within a two or three week period..then they sort of stopped and it only happens every once in awhile now.