2 Year Old Waking up at Night Randomly

My daughter started dreaming at this age. She would wake up crying several times during the night and I believe it was because she was afraid of the dreams. I don't think they were nightmares. She just didn't understand what was going on in her mind. It took a few months of me going into her room, checking on her, telling her that it was night night time, she was safe and I would see her in the morning. Like I said after about 3 months she went back to sleeping like she used to. She will turn 3 next week and some mornings she will wake up and tell me stories. I am pretty sure they are what she was dreaming about.

Some nights it would be 4 or 5 time. I was not getting any sleep, but eventually it slowed down. We also tried sleeping somewhere else, but my daughter thought it was play time too. As I said, it took some unhappy nights for a while, but we are all back to sleeping through the night on a regular basis and in our own beds. Hurray. Hang in there!

That sounds like night terrors to me. My daughter has had them periodically since she was about 2 she is now 5. Yes, they are scary and annoying. There is not really a way to calm her down. I usually just say "shh, mommy's here" over and over in my daughter's ear until she quiets down and will lay down again. Touching her or picking her up will make her cry worse most of the time. I still find her standing up in her bed when she has them. I have noticed a pattern with my daughter she seems to have them more when she is over tired and they will happen for 2-3 nights in a row when they do happen. Then back to normal sleeping. Good luck.

It is probably night-mares. Or night-terrors.
Different things. You can look it up online.
It is involuntary.

Developmentally, at about 2 years old... kids start to have night-mares and dreaming. Their cognition is changing and their imaginations.

My daughter and son would do that. But when they woke from a dream, I never 'woke woke' them... as they were still in a sort of sleepy not fully awake type mode. I did not talk to them or interact with them.. keeping everything dark and quiet. Then they would settle back down.

It is jarring. Yes.
But, its a phase. If this is what it is.

My kids are also just 'active' in their sleep... the talk in their sleep and make all kinds of noises.
My daughter, would actually sleep walk... in a sort of sleepy state... but then we'd just guide her back to her bed, and she'd go back to sleep. Not bringing any stimuli... into the picture as much as possible. Nor talking to her.

it is probably "night terrors" much worse than nightmares, my son who is almost 2 has them too. and touching or talking to them makes the screaming and crying much worse. you might google night terrors and see if what she is doing is similar to the symptoms. good luck

It sounds like night terrors... or maybe some trauma. I am not looking forward to night terrors... from what I know intervening makes it worse so not being able to do anything would make me sad.
With her screaming like that CIO would be cruel in my opinion. She is terrified of something!!! My daughter falls asleep to shrek or some dvd... it's not traditional but it's how I fall asleep too because silence is creepy to me. Is it really a bad thing if she falls asleep to a movie in her bed so she doesnt sleep with you?