My son is 2 years and 3 months old, and we've been having this situation approximately 60% of the time, for the past 6 months. When he wakes up from his afternoon nap, sometimes he's fine, but more often than not, he has a crying fit. Sometimes it's brief, 5-10 minutes, sometimes longer, a few times it's been 30 to 40 minutes of nearly constant wailing. He doesn't want to be held, he'll lie on the floor, or stand against me, leaning on my shoulder if I kneel or sit by him. It's both heartbreaking and annoying. It seems to happen more often when he has a nap later in the day, but not consistently enough to blame it on the time. It never happens in the morning when he wakes up. He's done it on weekends, so my husband has seen it, too - it's not just me! He doesn't seem to be in pain (holding any part of his body) or to be having digestion issues at the time. I mentioned it to his doctor at our 2 year appointment and she was not concerned, and had no suggestions. Has anyone else experienced anything like this with their little one, and what did you do?
We had that at the same age with my now 8 year old...nothing helped, it was just a phase. those long days seem tough but it goes by fast.
good luck!
My kids have often woken up on the grumpy side after naps. It is truly annoying and sad to watch. Here's what I've found..... Try to get them some sort of a pick-me-up snack right after they wake up. Juice, a cookie, whatever.... My own mother used to say that I would wake up the same way and she had to feed me immediately. Hope it helps!
Hi L.. My 2+ daughter does this exact same thing every single day and I really haven't thought too much or worried about it...She just seems to take a long time to wake up and reorientate herself. Eventually she is always hungry for a pre-dinner snack, but only after she has had a good cry and fuss in our bed or on the couch...I think her blood sugar gets low while she naps and it's hard anyway to come out of a long, deep sleep. I wouldn't worry about it, just accept it for what it is and what he does and know he'll be back to his old self soon enough. Good luck!
Hi!
When my kids were little ones, my son more than my daughters had similiar episodes. My pediatrician suggested giving him a cup of OJ or some other juice that he liked after waking from his naps. She pointed out that a little ones blood sugar can be really low when they wake up which can cause that irritability. It worked for us, give it a try! Good Luck
I have been having a similar problem with my 18 month old. But only if he has a nap too late in the afternoon. His pedi said late naps are okay if he needs them, however he wakes up miserable. I am trying to get him on a better nap/bedtime schedule and it is hard. As his pedi explained as they get older things change like new milestones, teething ect. So they don't want to sleep when it is time to. I would say your son is either not getting enough sleep at night or his nap and bedtime schedule needs to be changed. Like I said with my son he only gets that way if naps are too late other wise he is fine.
This is very common. I have found if I bring her to the bathroom, she goes potty and settles back down and sleeps a bit longer. It is like they are not really awake, but uncomfortable feeling to go to the bathroom and not able to convey that.
She did this even right around two and she is almost 3 and not potty trained yet, but working on it......slowly!
My 2yo does the same thing. What helped me was to establish a post-nap routine of reading a book together with a drink (another reader suggested something similar) - that seems to help my daughter get over whatever it is that is making her upset. Good luck!
L.-
I was just getting on Mamasource to ask the same question. I have a daughter that will be 2 in August. She is a great napper, but when she wakes up, she crys and crys (again, about 50% of the time). Lately she will throw a tantrum and put her head on the ground. Sometimes she can go on for 1/2 an hour. It is annoying and heartbreaking like you said. It seems to happen after she takes a longer nap, and when she naps later in the day too (if she goes down around noon, she usually is better, but not all the time).. I have no advise, but I just wanted to let you know I have the same problem. I will be reading your responses to see if anyone has any ideas!!
Hope you are well,
E.
could it be his blood sugar is going low during his nap? Maybe try having a good snack before he goes down for his nap and see if that helps.
Someone else posted something like this a week or so ago. My daughter is just about 2yrs old, and for the past several weeks she does the same thing. She wakes hysterical from naps and in the morning. I just let her do what she wants to get herself awake enough and it passes after 10min or so. I wonder if they are just startled out sleep by a dream or something, or they wake and just get up too quick, I dunno. She has stopped this a little, but sometimes it still happens, I think it has to do with the age. It's funny now, cause if she wakes quietly I wonder what is going on!!!
I hope he gets over this....... Best of Luck
my son went threw a phase just like that last year it drove me nuts
i made sure he got enogh sleep and he would wake up in a rotten mood
I'ld try to snuggle with him and have some of his favorite things ready(toys, snack, drink)
It will pass
My 2yo is starting to grow out of it. Anytime he woke up, he woke up loud! We thought it was night terrors, but he wasn't stiff with fear, just crying miserable.
We figured that since he just started daycare and is totally tired by bedtime, that he's just sleeping better.
Also, I spent a week (on vacation) sleeping in the same room with him. He woke up very differently (calm & smiling) when I woke him up vs. letting him get up on his own. Now his big brother wakes him & they play for a bit while I get ready. He still wakes slowly tho.
This was happening to my friends son and it turns out he was having night terrors. I don't know anything about them, but your son's behaviour mirrors hers.
Our three year old does this too... I plop him on the couch whether he wants to or not and give him his blanket and a cup of milk and he calms down. If daddy is home, he sits with him for a few minutes.
I don't know why he does it, but I just wanted to let you know it happens to us too.
My daughter sometimes will be like this ~ I keep her in her room and tell her when she's feeling better she can come out. I remind her that it's okay to wake up on the wrong side of the bed but that she can cuddle with her loveys and call me when she's ready for love (with a better mood). It sounds cruel to ignore the situation, but since your presence does nothing to appease him it's unnecessary. Her wake ups have gone more smoothly since then ~ and when we have an off day, she knows her wake up tantrum is confined to her room until she's ready to face the world :) She's safe there, and when she comes out she may be quiet but she's not a maniac :)
Hugs and good luck,
L.
L.,
It sounds EXACTLY like what I used to go thru (and still do if my son falls asleep in the afternoon, on accident)! All I did was move his morning nap up (later) by 15 minutes a week and take away his afternoon nap. This will be incredibly hard for you (isn't it always?), but the end result - one nap a day - is worth it. My son will be four in August and hasn't taken a nap since he was three. It has been an adjustment and made for some difficult late afternoons but I just started taking him to the park and other outdoor activities in the afternoon instead of the mornings. Good luck!
M.
I have the same with our 2.5 year old son, though not so often. To me it seemed to be related to low circulation (my husband also has a hard time getting up to speed after waking). On an instinct i tried splashing cold water on hands, or playing with hands in cold water. That helped. Also running around and getting him to become active greatly shortens this whining time. My daycare mom tells me she has the same problem with him sometimes, whenever he is the only kid there. If there are more kids, it will not happen, because the fun and activity with the others helps him wake up more quickly.
Now he has a sister, so maybe it will be the same at home, with more distraction.
Anyway, if your boy seems to be sleepy or low energy, maybe he has the same temperament as mine and my tricks may help...
good luck,
D.
