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I have a great part-time family with two great kids. I'm also lucky to be one of those people who isn't fazed by the sound of crying babies. 
Their younger child just turned a year old. She has always screamed bloody murder before falling asleep, but in recent weeks she's been screaming for much longer (1+ hours--right now she's been going for 2 hours and is hoarse, has given herself hiccups, and is still at it). She also doesn't want to be soothed when it's going on. She stands up and screams in what looks like outrage to me; if I come back in and try to hold her or feed her, she escalates the screaming and thrashes when I touch her. She does the same with the parents. She's also such a light sleeper that, when she does fall asleep, even silently sticking your head into the room to check on her will make her pop up in the crib and start screaming again. This is in both the daytime and the nighttime, every. single. time she sleeps.
She's weaning herself and only wants solids; her parents can only get a few ounces of formula into her each day and she'll hardly take any at all from me, but I make sure she's dry and fed before putting her down to nap.
It's a little disruptive for me because the screaming keeps the other kids on edge even from across the house with doors closed, but honestly I'm not too concerned about it for my own sake because she's usually not with me in the daytime and the family is so great to have. I mean, it's too bad that she's making herself miserable, but as long as she's clean and fed and I can't find anything wrong with her, I've done my duty and don't see the need to knock myself out trying to force her to sleep. The parents, though, are exhausted because of how she screams through the night. They keep her in a crib in their bedroom for daytime naps and in a crib in the dining room at night, to try to avoid waking her, but it's not working. Their older child hasn't had any issues like this.
Any ideas about a cause or solution?
Their younger child just turned a year old. She has always screamed bloody murder before falling asleep, but in recent weeks she's been screaming for much longer (1+ hours--right now she's been going for 2 hours and is hoarse, has given herself hiccups, and is still at it). She also doesn't want to be soothed when it's going on. She stands up and screams in what looks like outrage to me; if I come back in and try to hold her or feed her, she escalates the screaming and thrashes when I touch her. She does the same with the parents. She's also such a light sleeper that, when she does fall asleep, even silently sticking your head into the room to check on her will make her pop up in the crib and start screaming again. This is in both the daytime and the nighttime, every. single. time she sleeps.
She's weaning herself and only wants solids; her parents can only get a few ounces of formula into her each day and she'll hardly take any at all from me, but I make sure she's dry and fed before putting her down to nap.
It's a little disruptive for me because the screaming keeps the other kids on edge even from across the house with doors closed, but honestly I'm not too concerned about it for my own sake because she's usually not with me in the daytime and the family is so great to have. I mean, it's too bad that she's making herself miserable, but as long as she's clean and fed and I can't find anything wrong with her, I've done my duty and don't see the need to knock myself out trying to force her to sleep. The parents, though, are exhausted because of how she screams through the night. They keep her in a crib in their bedroom for daytime naps and in a crib in the dining room at night, to try to avoid waking her, but it's not working. Their older child hasn't had any issues like this.
Any ideas about a cause or solution?
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