My 3 1/2 year old grandson screams when he wakes up from his naps.

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nana4114 asks:

My grandson lives with myself & my husband most of the time, staying with his mom 2 or 3 nights a week. He usually wakes up in a good mood in the mornings but on the days when he takes a nap he is very disturbed when he wakes up. It can take him up to an hour to stop screaming and it is impossible to settle him down. He could use a nap on most days (Nana & Pap need a break too) but it's a tough decision whether to give him a nap when we know what will happen when he wakes up. I talked to our pediatrician and her suggestion was to let him scream it out but he truly can't seem to control this behavior. Should I just cut out naps altogether?

In Topics: Sleep and rest

> 60 days ago

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Wayne Yankus

Jun 5, 2010

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What the Expert Says:

At 31/2 you may want to consider stopping naps. Some children benefit from naps until 5 and usually the naps last one to three hours. Is he up too soon? children have a different deep sleep than adults. Perhaps, he is awakening during his deep sleep and needs more. I am glad you talked with your pediatrician but I would revisit it with her again.

Wayne Yankus, MD, FAAP
expert panelist: pediatrics

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Additional Answers (2)

Dr.Monika , Child Professional writes:

Every child is different, but by age 3 years most children give up naps.
Some children, when "forced" to take naps, may wake up cranky and fussy. Letting your grandchild "scream it out" does not seem to help you in resolving this problem. Try substitute naps with quiet time, when you expect him to spend time in his room engaging in quiet play of choice. To help him understand the length of quiet time, set the timer for an hour or an hour and a half. When it goes off, your grandson may return to the regular daily activities. Implementing quiet time will help him regenerate his energy, and you will get a break as well!

Best regards.

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http://www.pluggedinparents.com

> 60 days ago

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janey1979 writes:

My 2 1/2 year old was the same so I gradually reduced his naps from 2-3 hours down to 1 hour which has helped loads (reduce by 15 mins every 2 days). I also make sure he has his nap before lunch and have his lunch ready for him when he wakes up.
On the odd occasion when he does wake up screening I normally put cartoons on and leave the room until he settles down making sure I only talk to him or give him attention when he is calm.
Hope this helps

> 60 days ago

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