Dec. 6: We’ve turned a corner in Sylvia’s short-napping world. It’s been wonderful. Earlier this week, I again decided to put my foot down on the waking after 45 minutes shenanigans. I went in to check on her right away and then set the timer for 60 minutes. After an hour, she was still crying, so I went in and got her up. Then again for her afternoon nap, I checked on her right when she woke up and tried to soothe her. Then I left and set the timer for 60 minutes and got my still-crying girl when it went off.
Previously, I’d set the timer for 5 or 15 or 20 or 40 minutes (I have to use the timer, or I just go in because she’s calling for me for heaven’s sakes. Then I can’t not pick her up, and then it’s all over). And all of those seemed kind of heartless and horrible. I often give her 20 minutes to try to settle herself down to take the second half of her nap. Having me in the room only seems to make her more mad.
I was worried that I’d have to increase the crying times to over an hour the next day, but to my great relief, she slept for a bit over an hour. Most (but not all) naps this week have been over an hour. Often an hour and a half. And Sylvia is so happy afterward. She’ll play by herself, she won’t cry when she bonks her head, she has some patience while I’m getting her food. If I’d only known that letting her cry for two hours one day would eliminate hours of crying on other days, I would have done this months ago.
Who knows if it’s permanent, but I wanted to write this down so I remember next time what worked in the past.
If my girl slept longer and was therefore happier and less easy to anger, oh what a wonderful world this would be!