.Was that all?.

The last couple of weeks have been marked with Amelia having trouble sleeping. Our little girl takes after her daddy and has always been a very consistent and easy sleeper that can sleep through anything.
However around Halloween she started to fuss and cry a bit when put down for the night and then around the same time started waking up screaming and crying in the middle of the night. That hasn't happened in I don't even know how long and since it's highly unusual we took turns getting out of bed to try to sooth her and figure out the cause. Cheyenne & I have been walking around like zombies due to the lack of decent sleep and Amelia has been an all out monster because of it.
We've been going over various theories, consulted books and doctors and websites and decided that it was one of three things: 1) she was having nightmares thanks to helping pass out candy on Halloween {a few of the kids were in masks that freaked her out something awful} 2) she was having some separation anxiety due to my recent weekend job 3) it was the product of a developing imagination.
The first two ideas were mine and the third {more logical you'll notice} was Cheyennes. I have been laying awake at night while she cries it out or while rocking her or while laying on the couch with her beating myself up mentally because of the first two options {the Halloween thing had been my idea}. I spent the very vast majority of my life tormented by a fear of the dark and nightmares and I have done everything possible to try and keep Amelia away from anything that could cause that to happen to her. The idea of her suffering through that and the resulting mornings of crippling tiredness was just too awful to think about. I've been super stressed out by that. The other option of it being separation anxiety because of a job that is helpful but not necessary {and therefore a choice} also filled me with extreme mommy guilt. It's been a sh** couple of weeks to say the least.
However, I noticed a couple of days ago that when she woke up from her nap her head was covered in sweat. Remembering that, I turned the thermostat down a few degrees the next night and the night after and switched out her fleece blanket to a more breathable linen one.
Ta-da! She slept through the night{s}! All of that beating myself up was for nothing....she was just hot and uncomfortable. Duh! I blame this all on my total inability to think properly on less than 9 hours of sleep...and my tendency to overthink small things. Oh motherhood.