Booster Nap

Edith wakes up at five, which sometimes is more like ten till five or quarter till. I don’t love this, but it is what it is. I try to ensure I’m asleep by nine, but usually it’s more like 9:30, and also Edith sometimes wakes up and complains for 30 minutes or so (not steadily) in the middle of the night. So, I don’t get the nine hours I need minimum by any means.

However, we have booster nap! About an hour after she gets up, Edith gets cranky, and we go back to bed. I tuck her in under my arm and sort of smother her in my arms until she gives up the struggle and stops thrashing and falls asleep. Sometimes we sleep for an hour! Those are great mornings. Usually it’s more like 20-40 minutes, which is nice, too. It’s definitely enough to get me over the line from deeply exhausted to mostly functional.

But a terrible thing is happening: Edith is outgrowing the need for booster nap. I’m in denial about this. She used to start crying and could not be pleased and it was clearly time for booster nap, but now it’s more that I see her frown slightly and pounce on the opportunity: “Uh-oh, booster nap time!”

She used to fall asleep a minute or so after we got into position, but now she’s wide awake and kicking for a good fifteen minutes as I rock her thrashing body in complete denial. “Yes, so sleepy,” I coo to my wide awake child who just got up for the day. “Just relax, baby. You can go to sleep.” Eventually, she does, but it’s a real struggle and I can’t keep this up for much longer.

But…what will I do without booster nap?!?!?!? She might not need it anymore, but I desperately rely on it! I don’t know what will happen if I have to give it up. I guess I could start trying to be asleep by eight.