My DD is 16 months old and always wakes up crying, whether it is in the AM, or after her morning nap, or after her afternoon nap. She has done this her whole (short) life. Probably 8 times in her life she's woken up "talking/cooing". The other 1000+ times she's crying. I pick her up out of her crib and 98% of the time she stops crying and just snuggles up to me.
I thought it might be acid reflux as typically she has a bit of a burp or 2, but we just finished 2 weeks of Zantac and that didn't seem to help. (her well checks are always fine -- the doc prescrib the Zantac at her 15 mos well check as I'm clueless what the trouble is)
I've tried changing the temperature in her room, what she wears, her bedding, etc.
She does have a bit of fiesty/ornery personality, so maybe this crying is just a part of that. Has anyone else experienced this?
My daughter was like that too! I didn't really ever have to let her cry-it-out at the start of a nap, but I had to at the END of a nap. I discovered that she needed a good 10-15 minutes of fussing/crying before she'd come out of her funk - on her own! Then she'd start singing or talking. That's when I would go get her and she would be so happy to see me!
Best wishes for happy waking!!
Have you ever read "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer"? She lists the different baby personalities, and I remember her mentioning that one of the personalities is to wake up crying. Nothing is wrong, it's just part of the baby's personality. I wish I could remember what personality it was - grumpy? I don't know. So, it might just be her personality. I've had a range with my four.
Well, my daughter was like that.
She was just a bad waker-upper.
Nothing wrong with her.
My friends kids were like that too, when younger.
My daughter has outgrown it.
Even some Adults wake up grumpy.
Or, kids/babies wake up like that because they are still tired, or were waken up.
Also, sometimes if you let them be, the baby/child may just go back to sleep.
If you don't interrupt them.
My son would do that during naps. He'd nap well. Then wake/make cries about an hour later. Then go back to sleep. It was his cycle.
And his way.
If I swooped in and interfered with him, he got GRUMPY!
My Mom, was such a morning person. SO perky and chatty when she woke up. SO irritating to the rest of us.
We liked quiet when we woke up. AND to wake up on our own, in our own space and NOT be interacted with as SOON as waking up.
Took her YEARS to realize that. That not everyone wakes up like her.
Babies/kids also get 'separation anxiety' at various ages. Not only when they are a baby.
Does your baby have a "Lovey?"
Or a comfort item??
If not, then let her have one.
Both of my kids (almost 3 year old twins) have gone through phases where they wake up crying. Even now, my son is waking up crying these days. Not sure why, but I just think its a phase. You may want to just consider the fact that maybe this could just be her personality. For example, I consider myself to be a happy, well adjusted person, but I'm quite cranky when I first wake up! (I'm one of those "I need a cup of coffee before I can do anything" kind of person). It should bring you some comfort that your daughter stops crying and snuggles up with you once you do pick her up. I wouldn't worry too much. As long as its not a hysterical gut wrenching cry, she just may just be waking up and realizing she wants her mama :) Best wishes!
My son has done this since day one too, now 23 months old. Only difference is he doesn't just stop when I pick him up. He can carry on for over 1 hr. I plan on bringing it up with his pediatrician at his 2 yr check up, just to make sure. But I just posted a question about it, earlier this week. Feel free to check out my responses. I've tried a few suggestions but he still wakes up cranky and carries on, until he's ready to stop! Makes it very stressful for me so I feel for you, I really do! And he is definitely a feisty/stubborn little guy too (maybe there's just something about that personality)
My kids all have food allergies and would do this if they ate something or if I did while I was breastfeeding. The food that caused this was dairy.
My daughter is 25 months and is still like this. I dont know the reason why.
My mom had told M. that there are some kids who go to bed crying and wake up happy and cheerful. Some, who go to bed just fine but wake up crying.
My son gets so fussy when he is very sleepy but when he wakes up by himself after a long nap he is all happy and smiling. If he wakes up crying , that means he needs to sleep some more.
Maybe your daughter belongs to the other category. Maybe she loves her sleep so much that she is sad she has to wake up :)
My daughter just turned 4 a few days ago. She woke up crying EVERY time as well in her infant/baby life. Even once she learned to talk, she STILL woke up crying most of the time. To this day she wakes up grumpy. From day one she needs about 15 minutes of snuggling and then her sweet smiles return. For her I know it is just her personality. I actually will be glad when she has outgrown her naps so I will only have to deal with her grumpiness one time a day in the morning only :)
Usually our daughter falls back asleep if she wakes up crying. However, I know that she often wakes up happy but quiet (all I hear is the squeak of the crib springs). If I don't go get her quickly, though, she expresses her displeasure quite vocally ;)
My son used to do this most of the time too until someone recently. He is 26 months old and still often wakes up crying, but not as much as before. Now he sometimes starts calling for me or just making wake-up noises. He does start crying if I don't come to get him out of the crib within a few minutes. I think it's a combination of personality and phase. Both my husband and I are not morning people, so my son's grumpiness upon waking up does not surprise me :)
