Why Do Toddlers Cry When They Wake Up? 5 Hidden Reasons & How To Comfort Them

Is your toddler always crying when they wake up in the mornings or even after their naps? Why do toddlers cry when they wake up? This can be really confusing for us because it may lead us to think they are still tired or maybe they had a bad dream. Overtiredness can, of course, be a possible cause, but let’s break down five more common reasons your toddler is crying when they wake up.

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Sleep Inertia AKA “Grogginess Overload”

have you ever woken up from a nap and felt disoriented, overwhelmed, confused or just plain off? This phenomena is known as sleep inertia, and it can potentially cause your toddler to cry when they wake up. They may feel confused or overwhelmed by the sudden jolt back to a reality filled with multiple different sensory experiences.

A great way to help this is to provide the most low-stimulating environment possible while they take a few minutes to transition into a fully awake state. Avoid any harsh overhead lighting, and try to keep your tone of voice low and slow! If they still begin to cry, talk slowly and in a light tone while trying to direct them to do some deep breaths or other grounding techniques.

Dream Confusion Or Nightmares

Sometimes toddlers have dreams that leave them feeling confused or anxious. This may cause crying or even aggression upon waking, which can be confusing for us as caregivers. To make matters worse, sometimes your toddler may be so confused or disoriented, they can’t even form the proper words to tell you what is happening.

This poses quite a challenge to you as their mom, but there are some telltale signs you can watch out for if you suspect they’ve had a bad dream. In my experience, the crying caused by a bad dream is very intense, sudden and loud. Its a fear cry, not a light cry they would normally do to seek comfort. Your toddler may also be extra clingy or scared to leave your side if they woke up crying from a bad dream. They may even start rambling on about a strange character or situation, but remember sometimes your toddler may be so overwhelmed, they may not be able to form the words or thoughts to communicate this with you. They may also wake up very tense, on edge, and begin looking around the room nervously. This would be a great time to calmly reassure your toddler with phrases like “we are at home” and “you are safe.”

How to help in this situation may depend heavily on the child and what they just dreamt about, but of course you will want to offer some form of comfort or cuddles. Keep the room dimly lit, with calming nightlights featuring fun characters, and make sure their favorite stuffed animal or toy is nearby. After some time, begin trying to find a fun distraction that will bring your toddler some comfort and reassurance. Reading their favorite book with them would be a wonderful option!

Temperature Troubles

Whether the room is too hot or too cold, your child could potentially be crying because of discomfort! Especially for highly sensitive children, waking up sweating or freezing cold can put a damper on their mood!

Try to maintain a well-regulated room temperature. If you are living somewhere that experiences harsh winters, consider investing in a child-safe mattress warming pad. You could also consider a warmies stuffed animal that they can cuddle up with! These stuffed animals are great because they are also infused with lavender! I wouldn’t recommend space heaters in a toddler’s bedroom due to fire and burn risks, but these two products mentioned above should help keep your little one cozy and warm through the winter anyway! If you live through extremely hot summers, your options may need to be a little more creative, but I recommend a small toddler-safe fan for their room, and these toddler cooling sheets as well as this child size cooling pillow.

Unfinished Sleep Cycle

If your toddler is accidentally woken up too soon, they may begin crying. This is because they’ve woken up in the middle of their sleep cycle instead of naturally finishing it. They may feel extra irritable, cranky, and disoriented. This can easily happen if you are “capping naps” which is waking your child up by a specific time, so it’s best to avoid doing that unless you absolutely have to!

A white noise machine will likely be your best defense against accidental wake ups! We really love to use our Hatch sound machine, not only because it’s a great sound machine, but also because it has an “ok to wake” setting that will change the color at your set time of day. We use this to teach our toddlers when it’s ok to wake up for the day, so if they wake up at 5am and see that their light is still red, they know they need to try to sleep a little longer and wait for that light to turn green! It’s been a game changer in our household, and I highly recommend it if you’ve got a very early waker!

Sensory Sensitivites

Think back to a time your toddler heard loud noises, or tried on a strangely textured fabric, did they panic or have a meltdown? Your child might be displaying some sensory avoidant behaviors, and if that’s the case, any intense sensory input upon waking may be enough to set them off!

Sensory problems are common, and luckily there are a lot of ways you can accommodate your child’s sensory needs. For this situation, id highly recommend investing in blackout curtains, and make sure your toddler likes the fabric that their clothes and PJ’s are made of! Don’t forget to make sure they are okay with the texture of their sheets, blankets and pillows too!

Why Do Toddlers Cry When They Wake Up: Closing Thoughts

There really could be a variety of reasons why toddlers cry when they wake up. Ultimately, its a guessing game unless they are regulated and coherent enough to communicate effectively. I hope some of these tips and tricks for toddler sleep are able to help you remedy whatever sleep issues your toddler may be experiencing.