Hello!

In the last week it’s progressively gotten worse- last night it was 5 times. How do I know if he’s having bad dreams? He’s also whingy & having tantrums during the day. I’m due to give birth any day now & am unsettled myself.


Want more real mum questions sent to you?

You'll need to check this email to complete your signup.
  • Could be night terrors. When your child “wakes up” with a night terror, go in and check on him but don’t speak to him or try to soothe him.
    Night terrors are often caused by big changes that are stressful in your family, which you’re having a lot. The primary cause is sleep deprivation in general. Sleep apnea and fevers can also cause night terrors. Consider logging when your child wakes up screaming to see if you can see any pattern.


  • If it is an……inner…..ear infection it is not visible with conventional medical equipment. I know of 2 young children have suffered from it. Both had to have MRI scans to diagnose it. One of them was about 6 y.o. by the time it was diagnosed. She was old enough to know when something hurt and always told her parents if she hurt herself. She vowed that she didn’t have earache or sore ears at all. I was told that around the age of your son they develop very vivid imaginations and have night terror/nightmares. A few have problems during the day. One day our little boy told us the next day what her had dreamt of. Then a few days later he was scared to go to sleep in case the monsters came. His sister is a fair bit older so she came up with the idea to stay with him for a few nights until he went to sleep. It didn’t cure the problem completely but it certainly improved. A few times she went into his room just before he went to bed then came out and told him there was monsters in his room.


  • Could he be getting some teeth through? Or could there have been changed to his duet somewhere? It really is a conundrum :/


  • Lots of cuddles can really help!


  • Perhaps it is the impending arrival, does he have a comforter (toy etc) he is possibly grumpy due to the lack of sleep.


  • He may be picking up on your own stress and anxieties, it could be anything from teeth to the beginning of a cold all you can do is assure him you are always there and up for a cuddle! they are only little for such a short time, it wont hurt to hold them dear!


  • I’d suggest taking him to the dr for a once over to check for an ear infection of uti, sometimes these things are hard to detect but can make a toddler irritable and uncomfortable. If all is clear then (depending on where you live) try another blanket or two. The extra sleep at night will hopefully make him feel better during the day too. Good luck


  • At 22 months he might be starting to get nightmares. Keeping the couple of hours before bed time as quiet as possible and don’t over stimulate. Putting a night light into his room may help too.


  • Hi there – it could be a combination of factors from the arrival of the new bub, and this one is picking up on your stresses, to a food that the child may have an intolerance to (my child turned out to be lactose and sucrose intolerant – diagnosed through the correct channels), and have you checked his gums, he maybe getting his two year old molars, and this is a painful time when they move into position just before they cut.

    Hope the child is settling for you now :)


  • there are some good comments here


  • my dughter wakes up crying cause of bad dreams we asked her what happen she told us a ant bit her outside,, and since she told us about it shes been sleeping all the way though.. shes 3 btw


  • I saw on fb you said you gave birth on the day you posted this? massive congrats to you! Also glad that he is sleeping better now. take it easy and I hope you are having lots of help around the house!


  • I think usually night terrors are the cause and not much can be done about them unfortunately


  • My daughter was doing that and she just needed comfort, I gave her a teddy to cuddle, a musical night light and she sleeps right through now.


  • I agree with others, he could sense your unsettled too. Not getting enough sleep will make him irritable during the day. Your schedule will be busy preparing for the new baby. Try and take some wind down time for both of you to relax together. Check he is not teething. Make sure he knows that when the baby comes, he will be a big brother and will have a little playmate when the baby is old enough. Try not to stress about coping when the new baby arrives. You will adjust and be fine.


Post your reply
Add a photo
Your MoM account


Lost your password?

Enter your email and a password below to post your answer and join MoM:

↥ Back to top

Thanks For Your Star Rating!

Would you like to add a written rating or just a star rating?

Write A Rating Just A Star Rating
Join