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  • Writer's pictureShruti GOCHHWAL

What To Do If Baby Wakes Up Crying from Naps

There is perhaps no baby in the world who wakes up from naps smiling, all ready for you to feed him/her. Instead, you’ll always know that your little one has finished their sleep by their loud, crying noise. If you’re in the middle of some work, then you might wonder why your baby always wakes up crying from nap? You did everything right, fed him before nap, made sure that no disturbance occurred when they were, and even checked their diaper from time to time. Yet, then what sparked their fury on waking up? Is there a problem?

Certainly not, even if you know that your baby is not hungry, not feverish, isn’t wearing dirty diapers there is still a lot you can do and know to manage their crying fits. Take a look at all the possible reasons below.

Why Your Baby Wakes up Crying after Naps?

baby nap mother

Baby with mother, Credit: Pixabay


First of all, you should not worry too much if your baby always wakes up with hysterical shrieks. There are a myriad of reasons why they may feel uncomfortable but all of them are natural and common to all the babies. If your baby wakes up crying during naps, resist getting up and tending to them. Crying a little in between sleep is normal. They will quieten on their own after a few minutes. Go back to them only when you feel like the crying isn’t coming to a pause.

Here are some possible reasons why your baby cries on waking up.

  1. He/she still needs more sleep. Wait for five minutes and try to get them back to sleep.

  2. The baby is hungry. Ensure that you’re feeding your baby well and that he/she is ot falling asleep when you’re feeding them.

  3. Your baby grows rapidly. You need to remember to start feeding them solid foods after a particular time. If you don’t, then that will make your baby cry a lot.

  4. Make sure that your baby is not suffering from any kind of sickness. Check their temperature, find if they have a rash somewhere or not.

  5. Babies are always trying to learn new things. Maybe your baby cries because after waking up he/she is not able to sit or stand properly.

  6. If your baby wakes up crying from nap after 30 minutes, that means that you need to recreate their sleep-wake routine.

What You Can Do When Your Baby Wakes up Crying from Naps?

baby sleep cry

Mother and baby, Credit: Pixabay


There are quite a few things you can do to manage your crying baby. They are:

  1. Reposition the baby and pat them back to sleep.

  2. See if your baby is showing signs of unger or not.

  3. Adjust the environment and make sure that it is free of disturbance.

  4. Observe your baby’s sleep-wake cycle for a few days. Then, analyze if they need a proper feeding schedule, a pacifier to self soothe, or just a disturbance free environment.

  5. Maybe he doesn’t need to be swaddled anymore. If your baby is 3-4 months, you should especially check if he/she can roll over by themselves or not.

Know Your Baby’s Naptime

baby sleep nap

A sleeping baby, Credit: Pixabay


You need to have an understanding of the amount or number of naps your baby needs during his first year. If you don’t have adequate knowledge about it, then it will result in an incorrect sleep-wake schedule, causing much annoyance to the baby.

During the age of 4 months – one year, your baby needs a nap twice a day, preferably in the morning and evening. If your baby is trying to take an extra nap, make sure that you wean your baby away from doing that.

Between the ages of 10 months to one year, the nap time should be reduced as the baby starts growing. At the same time, adjust your baby’s naptime by half hour.

Knowing why your baby cries might actually have not one, but several causes. Pinpointing the exact one may not be easy. You need to observe your child on a daily basis and look for physical signs that may prompt you to take the right step.

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