Does anyone's elses child scream/cry everytime they go to bed? Update with another question

DD is 15 months and no matter how tired she still screams bloody murder before going down for a nap or nighttime.

Today I know she's exhausted b/c she's been up since 5 which is very unusual for her and she jsut feel asleep in the car for like 2 seconds before getting home. SHe's in there right now, after I rocked her practically to sleep and she's screaming like I am beating her

Any suggestions on how to get the crying to stop?

Her new thing within a day or 2 is to the moment she wakes up she's screaming. This morning at 5 am, she was crying, loudly. This afternoon after her nap, she was just screaming, screeching at the top of her lungs.

Any advice on that? We NEVER went in there the moment we heard her. DH thinks we taught her to scream/cry to get out. She would always jsut talk and play until we got her.

Message edited 9/9/2011 1:54:26 PM.

Re: Does anyone's elses child scream/cry everytime they go to bed?

DS started doing that around 13 months. before that he was a model child. thats when i started CIO and it was the best thing i did.

Re: Does anyone's elses child scream/cry everytime they go to bed?

DS is 23 months and has been doing this for the past 2 months. Screams like he is being tortured for 5 minutes and then is out like a light. I dont get it and have no advice.

Re: Does anyone's elses child scream/cry everytime they go to bed?

You won't be happy to hear that my older daughter still does this, at almost 3. My younger one does not at all. But my older one really hates going to bed. Some nights I can work my magic, but there is a lot of talking and persuasion to get her to stop crying when I leave the room. It takes a lot of patience, and sometimes despite my best efforts, there is nothing I can do and she just has to cry. And I don't mean light whining for 2 minutes. I mean full on sobbing and screaming for anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. Most often, she screams and cries at the door for me (after I have already spent anywhere from 10-30 minutes trying to get her to sleep or relax in bed. singing lullabies, talking softly, counting stars on the ceiling from her projector, telling stories, rubbing her back, etc) I have to let her scream for at least 10 minutes, and then I can usually go back and say it's really time for bed now, wipe her tears, rub her back some more, sing one more song,and then she will calm down. but sometimes, she starts right back up when i leave.

i pretty much gave up on naps unless we are in the car.

ETA--the screaming and sobbing has been going on since she was moved out of her bassinet into her crib at 6 months. so, over 2 years of crying every night at bedtime now. I get serious anxiety every night at 8:30. my little one was a terrible sleeper in the beginning--well, she only co-slept for the first 4 mths, but did fine co-sleeping. then she would go to sleep fine, but not stay asleep and woke up so many times during the night until she was about 1. since then, she goes to sleep so easily, and 99% of the time sleeps through the night. (only wakes up for what i think are bad dreams, or if her room is too cold/too hot)

Message edited 9/9/2011 12:56:56 PM.

Re: Does anyone's elses child scream/cry everytime they go to bed?

Thank you!

I just don't know what to do. She has always cried but not like she was doing today and her other new thing is waking up screaming.

I am at a total loss.

Re: Does anyone's elses child scream/cry everytime they go to bed? Update with another question

Posted by cheryl28

Thank you!

I just don't know what to do. She has always cried but not like she was doing today and her other new thing is waking up screaming.

I am at a total loss.

Re: Does anyone's elses child scream/cry everytime they go to bed? Update with another question

Posted by Aries14

Posted by cheryl28

its also around the time they start really noticing they are dreaming and they can get scared.

I actually use dreaming to my advantage. She doesn't want me to leave, so I tell her I will met her in dreamland. I say we both have to go to sleep so we can meet in dreamland. we make plans for dreamland every night. i'll ask if she wants to go to the park, the beach, the movies...I'll ask who else she wants in dreamland that night. she seems to really like it. when her little sister was going to bed, she kissed her and said good night, mommy and i will meet you in dreamland.

Re: Does anyone's elses child scream/cry everytime they go to bed? Update with another question

DS is 20 1/2 months and just started doing this the last couple of weeks as well.

He starts screaming NO NIGHT NIGHT and it's miserable to carry him in his room.

I calm him a little before I put him in his crib by bouncing him lightly (since he's usually so worked up I'm afraid he'll puke).

He wakes up yelling in the middle of the night too - usually he's fine if we go in and pat him on the back a couple of times.

Re: Does anyone's elses child scream/cry everytime they go to bed? Update with another question

DS has been doing this for the past month or two. He used to be so good about bedtime: He'd go upstairs, go in his room and either put his hands up for the crib or recently, get into the toddler bed once we switched him. It was a no fuss ordeal.

THEN I took away his binkie and all he1l broke loose! I thought it had to do with that, but after a few weeks, it clearly was something else.

We couldn't leave the room, we had to give him everything and anything he asked for (according to him, not us) and he just cried on and on. He'd wake in the MOTN crying, early in the a.m. crying. It's been terrible.

So, I changed the routine and got this toddler clock to help. He now knows the difference between night and morning and it's helped a LOT! He doesn't cry at night anymore, and if we wakes in the MOTN, it's a short cry (less than a minute) before going back to sleep. We're still working on the mornings....

We also changed his bedtime routine and read him books while he's in bed, rather than in a chair. He puts his head on his pillow, cuddles his bear, and I read the same 3 books in the same order each night. (I used to let him choose the books, now he's much happier with the same ones.) Then I say, "I love you, good night, see you in the morning." He usually says "morning" and then I walk out.

(ETA: we had to do CIO all over again which was a billion times harder with a 22 month old than a 6 month old, but it worked.)

He still wakes in the morning crying and when the clock isn't green yet, he's upset. BUT when it IS morning, he turns into a happy little boy. HTH!

Here's a picture of the clock:

Message edited 9/9/2011 4:12:37 PM.

Re: Does anyone's elses child scream/cry everytime they go to bed? Update with another question

Posted by Aries14

Posted by cheryl28

Thank you!

I just don't know what to do. She has always cried but not like she was doing today and her other new thing is waking up screaming.

I am at a total loss.

My dd just started this a few weeks ago at 21 months. I asked the dr and he said she could be getting nightmares or its also around the time they start really noticing they are dreaming and they can get scared. We have been putting her down in the crib and staying there with her until she either falls asleep or is almost out. It gets better - now after about 3 weeks we put her down stay for a minute then walk out but stay right outside the door and will let her cry and say "i'm here baby, lay down" and she does.

When she wakes up screaming in the middle of the nigth we do the same thing - either go in and just pat her back and let her lay back down or talk to her from outside the room to just let her know we are there. Like I said - its getting less and less but once the dr told me it could be nightmares or her being scared of her dreams - I knew I couldnt just let her cio. She was terrified! Good luck!

Re: Does anyone's elses child scream/cry everytime they go to bed? Update with another question

My 17 month old DS has been doing this the past 2-3 weeks. He self weaned from BFing 1 month ago and for a while, I would put him down for naps and bed at night with a few toys, he'd play for a little while and then go to sleep no problem.
A few weeks ago, out of the blue, he just started crying when I put him in his crib and would throw his toys out. He'd cry for anywhere between 5-45 minutes. I wouldn't go in and he'd eventually cry himself to sleep

The past few days I adjusted his nap and bedtime, pushing both an hour later, and it seems to be helping. The longest he has cried for has been 15 minutes. Crossing my fingers we've solved that issue. Good luck!