Waking up crying after 35-40 minutes into nap

[kaipooi]

Hi all,

My 26 month old has been waking up crying after 35-40 minutes into his nap lately. He always resettles when go in and tell him to go back to sleep and I'll lay on the floor (sneak out after 5 mins). It used to be a classic OT sign for him when he was much younger like at 18 months. It stopped and then 4 weeks ago, it started again. So, I thought, OT again. I started to give him calmer mornings and made sure he was not OT. Then it went away. A week later, it came back and again I thought he was OT, and it suddenly disappeared again. So all was good for another week until today.

He's had a 2 hour nap yesterday and an 11 hour night. After a 5hr 55min A time, I put him down for his nap and he went straight down. 40 mins later, he is up crying. How can he possibly be OT after a good nap yesterday and night sleep??? What gives??? I have been logging his sleep for the past week and he has been having mostly 13hour sleep over 24 hours. Now and then a 12.5hours but mostly 13hours. That is more than what he got at 24 months old!

What could possibly be wrong at 35-40 minutes? I am lost...

[ZacsMumme]

The nap prob needs to be later and capped at 1.5 hrs
Any molars coming?

[kaipooi]

Hmm... he has been super clingy the last few days, perhaps it could be his upper molars. Last I checked last week they were not out. I will check again after he wakes up. Can't wait for these last 2 teeth to be out! He has been teething molars forever!

Do you really think he needs his nap pushed later? Before all these started, 4 weeks ago, he was on 5hr45. Then I also thought he needed extending and so pushed it to as much as 6hr15/6hr30 at some point. He started sleeping 1hr50 naps (OT) as opposed to his 2hr15 ones. So for the last week, as he recovered from his OT, I started experimenting and bringing his nap back to 5hr50/5hr55 and he started sleeping his 2hr/2hr15 naps again. He is super sensitive to time extension so I always have to move at snail pace when adding or removing A time

As for nap capping, yes, you are right... he sleeps so much better at night when he does short naps at grandma's. I just find it sooooo hard to wake him up. And was against nap capping for the longest time. But now he has started getting affected by too long naps and so I have started capping his at 2hr15 or naps must end at a certain time. I know I need to lessen it even more but am soo scared of the OT. I really need hand holding on this...

But yes, you could be right about the molars now I think about it. Cos last Friday, he did another 11hour night but was fussy as heck in the morning. Melting down at 5hr15 A time! He just cried over everything and anything! He would start crying if he called me to play and I did not run to him immediately or if I did not open his money jar for him! Like really screaming crying! And then was clingy all weekend. I remember he used to be like this and suddenly sleep a lot (he slept more this week than when he was 24 month old!) when he was teething. Can^t wait for him to wake up and stick my finger in his mouth now!

[ZacsMumme]

Most over two year olds can handle a 6 hr A and 1.5-2 hr nap from what I've seen on the boards (and during modding) the last 3yrs. That said, all LOs are different and if your LO has always been HSN then no doubt he will still need a 2 hr nap...but given nights are 11 hrs, I'd say the 1hr50 min naps are ok...does he wake crying?

I'd try pain meds before the nap and at BT if you suspect discomfort and see if it makes a difference or not. Transition periods and light sleep are always vulnerable times for them pain wise and they can be easily stirred YK?

[kaipooi]

In that case, I will stick to the current 6hr A time then. He seems to be doing fine with it and other than the occasional crying after the first 35-40min, I have no reason to think he can't handle it. Perhaps it is not related.

I honestly do not know if he is HSN! When he was a baby, his sleep was TERRIBLE and I thought he was LSN. Then we ST-ed him at 8.5months (night) and 9.5months(nap), and he started to sleep then I thought he was ASN bordering on HSN! And then once he turned 12.5months, he kinda became ASN. And now, since 16 months, he seems more ASN bordering on LSN :X Oh goodness, is it normal for a LO to be changing like this? I only know that he seems to do well when he has a total of 13 hour sleep in 24 hours. Ideally most of it over night. He slept 12 hours one night in January (pigs must have been flying that night) and he was like the perfect toddler the next morning!

No, he does not wake crying after 1hr50. Which means he should be ok, huh? When he has not had enough sleep, he does wake crying... if he has had more than 1hour 15 then it is impossible to get him back to sleep.

I gave him some ibuprofen before his nap today and he has not woken crying so far. I stuck my finger in this morning and did not feel any teeth breaking through. Felt ridges though, perhaps it is just below the gums now... he knows how to tell me when he has hurt himself but when I ask  him if his teeth hurts, he always says no. So yeah, I don't know if it's really teeth... sighs...

[ZacsMumme]

My boys get white swollen gums out the front rather than top when teeth are moving and sore. 45 mins and 1hr15 or so are both vulnerable times for teeth.

Yeah I'd prob not expect to get a 12 hr night after a 2 hr nap in a 2 yr old. Maybe more like 11-11.5 so he sounds like he's doing ok.

[kaipooi]

From what you have written, I am more and more certain it is teeth. Sometimes when he does not scream at 45 mins, he screams at 1h15. I always equated him waking screaming to OT. Which was why 1hr15 was always mind boggling for me as he should be rested enough to not be OT. And it comes and goes for reasons I never understood.

Being the lousy mom that I am, I always panic and think crying=OT and start messing with his routine which probably makes him even more OT after! I don't know why I never think of teeth first. Thank you for mentioning teeth before I went headless chicken and started messing with his routine again.

[ZacsMumme]

Your a great mum! I feared OT a lot too, particularly with my first but in both their second years it's usually teeth or development messing with sleep (both cause OT I guess but YKwim)

See if medicating helps (not every day but if we have a bad day I'll maybe do the next day before the nap.) or sometimes if you get a 45 min WU then try to resettle with some teething gel  or meds and a bit of APOP. I try to have a good feel when I give teething gel

[kaipooi]

You're sweet

I think mine (as a mom) and his first 9 months got me so messed up that I never really recovered from it. I am sure even when he is 20 years old I will still be on the look out for OT signs! Like the bogeyman

[ZacsMumme]

How are things?

[kaipooi]

Has not woken up crying since Sunday. But I have been giving him medication for Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday. He suddenly did a short nap yesterday though which is due to OT, I guess. And another super short nap today due to neighbour renovations but that is another thread. I guess it comes and goes... will see if and when it comes back again...

[ZacsMumme]

Sounds like teeth Hun...they do tend to mess with sleep. X

[kaipooi]

Yeah, I think it is teeth too. Just got to condition myself to think that first before OT the next time he wakes up crying again...

[ZacsMumme]

It's hard I know
Either way can you resettle if he does? If so then I'd try not to worry too much. I find UT more dangerous than OT as it's what gets you into a real routine mess YK?

[kaipooi]

When he wakes at 45 minutes at home, I can usually resettle. I can usually get him to do at least 1hr20 at home. Less than 1hr20 naps are usually because he is not napping in his bed at home or due to external factors (e.g. renovation noise).

I think you are right. Now that I think about it, since he turned 2, he may get OT but he recovers quick from it. The times that gets me stressed are when he gets UT and then OT and gets into a vicious vicious loop. I get so scared of OT, I end up putting him down UT and therefore gets OT. After a while, I don't even know if he is OT or UT anymore and that's when I just want to cry

Well, he did a short nap (1.5hours) yesterday probably due to OT the night before (only 10 hours). But he recovered by doing a 12 hour night last night. And then today he only did a 1 hour nap due to renovations, so we shall see how he does tonight. If he pulls another 12 hour night, I may be sold on capping his naps at 1.5hrs! If so, I will really really miss my afternoon downtime though... sighs...