Fix my bad attitude towards my baby's sleep

Post date: 2019-07-16 15:47:54

This was me. My daughter is 8 months old and sleeping much better! However, she has the occasional bad night or more than occasional short nap. I know logically this is so normal and I'm not looking for sympathy because I think we actually have it better than many. But I can't help but become pretty mad when she has a bad day of napping. I'm grumpy going in there to get her and she's grumpy because she had a bad nap and then I feel guilty, which makes me mad and it's a shame spiral until dad comes home to take her off me. What can I tell myself or do to change my bad attitude?

All the things I tried to search around this on the internet is mainly about fixing short naps. We don't have this issue. We've done all the homework and I'd say maybe 75% of her naps are an hour or more. I know, so lucky! But it doesn't help in the moment of the 25% of the time she has 40 minutes or less. Telling myself that she usually has okay naps only makes me more annoyed!

Why am I annoyed? For one, her naps are the only times I get a break in very long day as a stay at home mom on maternity leave. I love schedules and routines and a short nap throws everything off. She's a grumpy pain in the butt when she's tired so the shift is just not very pleasant if she hasn't had proper rest.

I know that all these things come with the territory. I know this. But are there any mantras to tell myself or things I can do to cool my head and be more sympathetic to her needs, ie just be a good mom? Please do not tell me "they grow up so fast, cherish these moments. It has the opposite effect and it just makes me wish she already grew up and didn't need to nap anymore.

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