Confusional Arousals

I am wondering how to interpret the extreme behavior of my two and a half year old daughter after having been woken up from a nap.  She did not seem completely awake and then proceeded to scream, fidget, throw a completely unexpected tantrum for about 30 minutes.  There was no justification to this other than an interruption of her sleep. She seemed very upset and confused not knowing what she wanted and could not be comforted.  There was really no connection with the people around her.  On  two other occasion when this happened she had woken up on her own after a 2 hr nap.  I read about confusional arousals -- could this be the case and what could I do to prevent them?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Yes, this is very likely what you are witnessing. When possible, do not wake her up from the nap; let her wake up on her own. You are inviting the reaction if you wake her up. If you must wake her, do so very gently. Remember, though, that nothing is 'wrong' when this happens. It is a normal occurrence and does not invite worry or alarm.