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Baby Boy Doesn't Sleep At All And Screams Through Whole Night

My best friend's baby boy rarely sleeps at night. It only started about 5 months ago. He only turned 1 this month. She never gets a good nights rest. On a good night he wakes up 3 - 4 times. They've tried leaving him to scream it out, but it never helped. She has to get up and sooth him until he falls asleep again.

On a bad night he sleeps only for 10 minutes at a time and wakes up screaming like all hell broke loose. She sits with him, holding and soothing him until 5 am in the mornings.

At first I also thought that he was being naughty, but after hearing him scream the other night I realised that something else must be wrong. The medication that dr. prescribes only makes him sleep for a little while, he keeps on waking up constantly screaming with or without the medication. What can she do? She never gets any sleep.




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Baby Boy Doesn't Sleep At All And Screams Through Whole Night

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Aug 14, 2011
we have a similar problem
by: Cath

My grandson is 11 months old. I witnessed for the first time the other night what his parents are experiencing every night and I was shocked.
This baby does not wake up, but sobs uncontrollably for long periods during the night, as if he has been distressed and not pacified.
During the day he is bright, alert, active and presents as a normal, happy baby boy. When he has a sleep during the day, he does not present with these problems.
He generally sleeps well for the first three to four hours, but will then have these episodes on and off for the rest of the night.

Oct 02, 2011
Need sleep!!
by: Anonymous

My son is 9 months old. He has only slept through the night 7 times in his life. For the part 3 months night time sleep has been a rare occurrence in our house. He goes to sleep ok but within 3 hours he is awake screaming. We have tried swadling, pain medications, prescription reflux medications, elevating his head, crying it out, and endless other things. When he does wake up it's not for short periods of time. It can be upwards to 3 hours. Sometimes he will fall back asleep for 2 minutes and wake again screaming for 5 minutes and this goes on for hours. HELP!

Oct 21, 2011
My 3 yrs old boy does not sleep at night
by: Mokete


My son is 3 yrs old, he does not sleep at night everynight he wakes up at midnignt screeming as if he is afraid of something.

Nov 01, 2011
Sleep deprived mum
by: Anonymous

Same story in my house, my boy has never slept through the night, we are sleep deprived and depressed and feel that this will never end. We have had a routine in place since the first few weeks, but he never responded. We have worked with a sleep nurse who ran out of ideas and then we went to a sleep clinic who advised controlled crying as our last option, we were willing to try anything it had some success in that we maybe got a few hours but then stopped. My son was every few hours and then usually for a long period, say 3-4 hours of loud screaming. It is endless and my marriage is at breaking point. Also he has developed night terrors too which is another thing all together and terrifying and sad to watch. My son wakes every day between 4- 5 and will not resettle, just screams and bangs the cot. We try to resettle but it is pointless. This goes on to 6ish when we give up and get up, usually only having had 3-4 hours sleep total. By 8ammy son is exhausted and needs a nap. We have no live any more.

Nov 21, 2011
endless sorrow NEW
by:

listening to others' sharing, i certainly can feel the pain. my son is 22 months. since around 6 month old, he always seems to have nightmares/terror in his sleep.now he goes to bed around 9pm, falls asleep fine then at 1 or 2am, the crying starts. sometimes it is short lasting, sometimes it is inconsolable. we normally give him a bottle at that point to settle him which works most of time. then he sleeps well until 6am, where he either sobs, screams, cries, trashes every hour interval. these ones he normaly fall asleep himself but occasionally we need to get up to help soothe him to sleep. then he wil sleep to about 8am...if we are lucky... also he naps for 2 hr+ during mid day too.

Jan 27, 2012
FIDGETING 18 MONTH BOY NEW
by: Anonymous

my son is 18 months, we have a week of sleeping thro, then we have weeks of no sleep, when he wakes ive tried everything, rocking, bottle, leaving him to cry...he usually ends up in our bed , which you think would pacify him, but no, he'll then take hours to settle, on his back then side, then upside down, then on my head then my husbands head, the on your chest, we have hours of him fidgeting until he settles, we are all exhausted, only getting around 5 hours of sleep for what seems a lifetime, but ive noticed if he sleeps at my mums house he seems to sleep through, dont know if its just me he wants me....any answers would be grateful ,

Jan 28, 2012
None sleeping baby's NEW
by: Anonymous

To all I had the same problem with my now 2yr old daughter.The older she got the less she slepted at night.I also tried everything.Finally I broke her from the bottle yes it was tuff cause like many it was a help.It was easier though than breaking her from the breast.No that didn't help a hole lot but some.Then i started waking her up at 6am nap at 1pm and bed at 8:30pm it was tuff for about a week but I got amazing results she now sleeps through some nights but most just 1 to 2 times.Hope it helps.Yes she screamed with night terrows be up for hous sometimes wanting to play people thought I was crazy.Please try it.

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