Foul mood after nap

[Kafri]

My DS wakes up from his nap in an absolutely foul mood. Routine is always the same. Out in the morning, home for lunch, nap at 12.30/1. When he wakes from his nap he's just awful. Whines on waking, never babbles or chatters. I go in to get him and bring him downstairs for his cup of milk but he just starts screaming at me. And I mean screaming!! It was 15 mins today before he just stopped and drank his milk. Comforting doesn't do anything, in fact he'll generally pull away completely. I'm just completely at a loss as to what to try. Any suggestions?

[flipflopsonfifthavenue]

DS has woken crying very morning and after every nap every day of his life for almost 2 years... However, now that he only naps once a day after lunch he often wakes properly crying and is inconsolable. Have recently switched his nap to before lunch when he goes to sleep when he's tired rather than after lunch when he's overtired. I think he now sleeps better and so wakes better rested and more happy.

[Strokethefurrywall]

DS1 does this (and man alive am I glad misery loves company!!) - he's 2.9 and wakes up in an utterly foul mood. All we hear is no no nooooo for at least 20 minutes and if we go in and try and pick him up he'll fight us until we leave him alone. It's like having a tiny little teenager stomping around.

My theory is that as he gets older he's going into deeper sleeps and so being woken is an absolute chore as he wants to continue to sleep. I've now found that anything over 1.5 hours and he's a nightmare, anything under that and he wakes up happy!!!

If we let him sleep during his afternoon nap, he'd easily go for 3-4 hours so limiting it seems the best way to keep him happy. He's rested but not too rested if you see what I mean.

[lostintoys]

I found that getting DS to eat a small piece of cheese or other protein just before his nap helped enormously. It kept him full for longer and stopped him waking up quite so hungry.