Crying spells and an 18mo. old?!?!?!?

Question

ok so for the past 2 nights now my daughter is waking up between 1-3 and crys/screams on the top of her lungs for hours non stop. no tears produced, but nothing seems to be comforting. can anyone please help me understand?

Answer 1

Well now that her mind is developing more, she may be experiencing nightmares, or having dreams that she is scared of, so it wakes her up slightly and she is in a state of being half a sleep. I know because my daughter did the same exact thing and still sometimes does it. The best advice I can give is to completely wake your daughter up and I know this may not sounds like fun, but try and distract her and get her thinking and awake and than talk to her and ask if she had a dream, and see what she will do. Than maybe rock her or read her a book and put her back to bed. I had to do this with my daughter and it worked and like I said she still does it but once in a blue moon kindof thing. I hope that this helped. Good Luck!

Answer 2

Lots of cuddling. I also agree with waking her up all the way.She could be having severe nightmares. A friend of mine did this when she was little and said she'd wake up and be terrified for hours they were so bad. Of course she didn't remember them that young but it continued to happen (rarely) as she got older and her mom remembered her doing this as a toddler. Has anything very stressful been going on lately? Moving? Tension? New daycare? That might contribute to it.

Answer 3

she might be having a bad dream or something when you go to try and comfort her ask her whats wrong tell her its ok mommy is here and it should help i know when my 8 month old does that i just try to comfort him as much as possible

Answer 4

Reasons why your baby may cry

All babies cry quite a bit - some more so than others. While new mums, particularly first-time mums, often find their baby's cries upsetting and worrying, crying is practically the only way babies can communicate and it is normal that they should cry when they want something or are uncomfortable.

Some of the reasons young babies cry include:

• Hunger. In the first few weeks of life babies need to be fed on demand and unless you have just fed your baby you should investigate hunger as the first reason for your baby's cries.

• Wet or dirty nappy. Some babies cry almost as soon as they dirty a nappy while others are not that bothered by it. Regardless of whether your baby normally minds it or not, try changing his nappy if he will not settle. Dirty nappies should be changed quickly anyway to avoid nappy rash.

• Too hot or too cold. Very young babies are not very good at regulating their own body temperature. If your baby is too cold his hands and feet will feel cold and he may look pale. If he is too hot, he will look flushed, feel hot to touch and may feel sweaty at the back of his neck. Remove/add some layers of blankets or clothing to moderate his temperature to see if this settles him.

• Tiredness. Your new baby may find it difficult to sleep if he is being over-stimulated or there is too much noise and distraction. If he is not hungry, has a clean nappy and is comfortable but still continues to cry, try settling him by taking him to a quiet room and rocking or stroking him.

• Boredom. Yes, even newborn babies can become bored if they are awake for a long time and they may cry to get your attention. Simply talking to your baby, cuddling him and letting him wonder at your face may help him to settle.

Very young babies also cry when they are disturbed, when they are being handled, such as at bath times, or when they get a shock such as from a loud noise or a bright light. If your baby is crying continually and refuses to settle, you should always investigate the possibility that he may be in pain or be suffering from illness, particularly if he also has a fever, diahorrea and/or vomiting and is off his food. If you suspect your baby may be ill contact your GP immediately.

As your baby grows older and his world becomes more complex the reasons behind his cries change. In an older baby the cause is nearly always some form of emotional disturbance, anxiety about being separated from his parents, fear of separation, fear of strangers, insecurity and anxiety.

Babies who won't stop crying

Most babies have spells of crying, usually in the late afternoon or early evening, when they may cry for up to an hour. If your baby suffers from colic, evening crying spells can last up to 2 hours or longer, which can be distressing for both baby and parents. Unfortunately, once your child establishes a pattern of crying spells, they may continue for several weeks. Understandably, most parents find this difficult to cope with, especially if the crying spells occur at night-time.

Try not to get frustrated if your baby does not respond to your attempts to soothe him. Although upsetting for you, try to remember that it is not down to anything you are doing or not doing - it is simply your baby's way of adapting to a different world than that experienced inside the uterus and he will grow out of it in time. It is useful to know that the more sensitively you respond to your baby, the more acclimatised he will become to his new lifestyle. And the sooner you can accommodate his likes and dislikes the sooner the crying spells will stop

Answer 5

Maybe she's ill? I would take her to the doctor and find out what's wrong. She might not be ill, but it's better to be safe than sorry. If you've tried everything, like her nappy, etc, it can't be that.