18 month old screams at bedtime?

Question

My daughter screams and screams and cries at bedtime, until she cries herself to sleep. This can go on for a good hour or so. She used to go to sleep on her own, peacefully, but as she becomes a toddler it has become a struggle. I don't think she is ready for the toddler bed yet. I need some good advice from MOMS who have conquered this battle please!!

p.s. my husband works the graveyard shift, so the screaming really needs to stop. help! thanks

Answer 1

you should try to sleep with her, and hug her while shes sleeping so she knos her mom is always with her. try that for a couple of weeks then she will be fine on her own

Answer 2

i'm not a mom, but have you tried a pacifier?

Answer 3

This is totally normal.

My older brother screamed for multiple hours before he finally went to sleep (i know this from my mom) and he's perfectly healthy.

Answer 4

May sure she gets plenty of play time...She will be tired and ready for bed. You can also let her enjoy bedtime stories on tapes and  music.

Answer 5

maybe you can try laying with her until she falls asleep pretending you are sleep as well.  otherwise, ignore the screaming and fussing, it sounds like a tantrum.

Answer 6

Figure out what has changed -

Is there something scary in the shadows?

Is she not ready for bed?

Is she TOO tired?

Does she need more Mommy time?

It could be anything though.

Do you have a bedtime routine? Try a new one:

For example, our old one:

- Bath

- watch a favorite TV show

- bed

It didn't work.

Then we took the TV out of the bedroom the changed it:

- 1 hour before bath: play outside or with cars in bedroom

- Bath

- Teeth

- Dress

- Books

- Singing

- Bed

Just find something that works. A little crying is fine, but SCREAMING is not.

- edit -

It is NOT normal for a child to scream every night for more than an hour. Something is going on. If the baby were 2 months old and had colic? Sure, but this is something else.

If I had to bet, I would bet that there's too much/little light and she's scared of SOMETHING that is giving a shadow. What scared our son when he was that age was a blinking lot on his monitor. Scared the dickens out of him.

Just go in there at night some time and look around. See what she sees.

Answer 7

She's at the age where kids get curious about what fun they could possibly be missing when they have to go to sleep.  You need to keep consistent with your bedtime routine.  If you need to, go in her room to reassure her that you are there for her, but don't take her out of the crib.  Maybe she needs a night light or has a favorite toy/stuffed animal she would like to take to bed to comfort her.  Try to be patient, this is a phase that most toddlers go through.

Answer 8

Not a MOM, but I have 3 kids. Be consistent. She will eventually get used to it - she is NOT too young. The key is to not give her attention when she screams or cries, because if you do, she'll know how to get you in there and will do it every night.

Down the road, she will only scream or cry when something is really wrong.

If you need an immediate solution for your husband, have him wear foam earplugs when he needs to sleep - they do wonders.

Answer 9

Oh geez I know it's extremely frazzling, but i went through the exact same thing with my 3rd child, the doctor said it was just over stimulation, normally 30 minutes prior to bed i'd settle the little ones to calm them, only she was just an overstimulated little one so nite time didn't work the same for her. I would try lavender baby soap, warm bath, it's calming, and maybe 45 minutes before bed have her just relax, read to her or give her a massage......I feel for ya and best of luck, hopefully it will be a short lived phase.

Answer 10

i don't like to put mine in a toddler bed that early either- the later the better (just to get their sleeping patterns established).  unfortunately you're gonna have to just let her cry it out- or you'll start habits that you'll hate later (staying up watching a movie, sleeping with you, etc)

Answer 11

I am not a mother but she could have a colic

Answer 12

Try putting her on the couch Excpt turn it around so she won't fall. That's what my paent's did

Answer 13

The screaming is just an outlet for extra energy she has stored during the day.  Now that she is a toddler there are all sorts of things that are explored and learned during the day and the toddler's brain has to process it all...all of this information comes in the form of enegery waves through the brain and sometimes it is just too much so kids either scream or cry or some have "night terrors".  Whether she gets a toddler bed or not is not the issue...the issues is let her have her "downloading time" it is a phase and will go away when she grows more.

Answer 14

Try sleep sense program. http://www.sleepsense.net/

I used this program to teach my kid how to sleep and it works.  Toddlers go through a lot of developmental changes  and that disturb their sleep sometimes.  And if they don't learn how to sooth themselves then they'll wake up crying at night.  So be firm and be consistent with their sleep routine and make it relaxing for everyone so they don't get anxious about night time.  They will cry a bit (an hour is not unusual) for a few days, but they'll learn to sleep well within a week.  My kid learned in about 4 days and she loves sleeping and hanging out in her crib.  I also believe that the 18mo old should still sleep in a crib.  Good luck.

Answer 15

Kids go through various phases. Sometimes their new developments in understanding bring about behavior that looks like regression. There are books about toddler development that cover this age and what happens developmentally that causes the nighttime screaming. It may be separation anxiety, but I really don't remember.