My son is 21 months old and many times after he wakes up from his nap he is a mess! TEars, wanting me to hold him, wants to eat but doesn't want anything we have, breaks down if his sister is playing with his toys, tears everything! He usually naps 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the afternoon and sleeps from 7 pm to 6am. Any ideas or is it just his age? I wait for him to call out to me (which is really him screaming right when he wakes up to get out of his crib) before I go in.
My daughter is the same. This probably won't be a popular answer but I put on 15 mins of her favorite TV show when she wakes up like that. She seems to need an adjustment period to being awake. She just gets louder if I try to comfort her or distract her. It might spare you the drama and give him the peace to adjust to waking up.
He is still tired....
And separation anxiety... and his age.....
And maybe he had a night-mare... which occurs from this age... too.
My daughter was like that.... when she was still tired or did not have a good nap....
So... I would comfort her... but not 'telling' her what to do nor even talk to her... just letting the momentum of it, subside.... which it will...
when my daughter was like that.... after naps/sleep... it made it WORSE... if we interacted with her or made conversation right away... because she was actually still sleepy.... and not 'fully' awake yet.... and sometimes she would fall back asleep.... she just did NOT want ANY interaction... after waking up like that... because, she was still transitioning... to being fully awake or was still sleepy but not fully herself yet.....
My daughter, was just NOT a good waker-upper.... when she woke up. My friends' kids, were the same way.
My daughter was that way from infancy... but she has now outgrown it. THANKfully. :)
My son was exactly the same until we started using melatonin spray before bed and nap. It's from Frisco Family Health Market. I dilluted the spray to 50%. It's changed our lives!
Yep SH and Heather are correct, my daughter and I need time to fully wake up, when we wake up in the morning or after a nap..
I cannot take questions and have people talking to me.. I still need some time to just be quiet and not have to make any decisions.
When your son wakes up, be prepared for him to either just want to zone out, or just be held with no distractions around him.. This includes loud noises and interactions..
It may seem like it is taking a long time, but sometimes, just laying in my bed or watching the tv, works great. As an adult I also realized when I came home from work and our daughter came home from school, once again we needed time to ourselves.. Sometimes she went to her room and sometimes, she sat in front of the TV..
My husband is all over us, asking questions, wanting a hug, wanting to talk about his day.. I have had to remind him many times over these 29 years.. if he does not stop, one day he is going to pull back a nub..
Maybe he's just not getting enough sleep. Or he might be jealous that big sis doesn't have to take a nap.
Enjoy that he's taking a nap. My little guy recently decided that napping is for babies (and he's only 2 1/2).
My oldest was exactly like this! He would scream for me and then cry and whine about everything for a good 30-45 minutes. I didn't say a word and just held him, if he would let me, or sit beside him and rub his back until he was better. It took several months, but he eventually awakened in a better mood. Just be patient.
I find that my daughter (28 months) is the same way if she wakes up too late from a nap , so the earlier she goes to sleep the better , best time for her is 1.30-3 , 3.30 at a push , any later waking up and she is so whiny , screaming and complaining about anything and everything. Her sister was also the same way.
This happens to my daughter (also 21 months old) when she doesnt get enough sleep. I usually then try to put her back down for another 30-40 mins and it makes all the difference. I can always tell bc when she wakes up to early she is the same way, cranky, clingy and just a mess. But when she sleep just enough she is happy and smiley!! SO maybe he needs alittle more time to rest!
You might want to try moving his nap time earlier, say by 30 min or an hour. I found that helped my son. Also, having a transitional time may help. I don't know if you allow TV or not, but I allow my kids one 30 min show and a small snack after their afternoon nap, and it helps them fully emerge from sleepland. Good luck!
