When there are two little ones at home, a peaceful sleep seems like an illusion. But there are ways of making it a little more attainable.
Newborn twins wake up often, during the day and into the night. They can also become a little restless and have difficulty calming down for extended periods of time. However, from the first days of life, babies can be gently taught to fall asleep peacefully.
Get your babies used to regular sleep time
Each twin is a different person. But during the first months, you should try to synchronize their rhythms. As parents, this will give you a better chance of caring for both of them at the same time and in the best possible way.
Start by feeding them at the same time, even if it means waking one of them up. Next, you can start trying to synchronize their sleep. Write out a plan and layout a sleep and wake cycle for the twins. This of course will just be a plan, making the twins sleep peacefully at the exact same time will be challenging. Nevertheless, you will more than likely be able to put them down to sleep at the same time during the day for naps and then again at night. When one twin wakes up, gently wake the other one. Make an exception only if one of the babies isn’t feeling well. Be diligent, but flexible, because the twins may have different waking times (up to 45 minutes), especially if one needs more time to fall asleep [1].
Put babies in their cribs when they start to feel sleepy
When babies are crying, it's understandable for moms to want to hold them in their arms in order to soothe them. However, if you do this every single time your baby whimpers, they will start to demand more and more attention. They will also form a connection between falling asleep and their mother's breast — on the principle of the conditioned reflex.
So put the twins in bed, not when they are already sound asleep, but when they start looking drowsy and sleepy. This way, your babies will learn to self-soothe and will be able to fall asleep on their own.
Determining the exact moment when your babies are about to fall asleep isn’t easy, especially when the child is small. Watch for when they start to cry less, decrease their arm and leg movement, nurse more slowly, sigh softly and start closing their eyes. If you miss the mark and put the baby in the crib too soon, they may start crying. Don’t worry, this just means that you need to reassure your baby a little and then lay them back to sleep. With a little time and patience, you will be able to almost unmistakably read your baby’s signals [1].
Put the babies to bed more often during the day
Try to keep their waking periods under two hours, or even less if you have newborns. When babies don’t get enough sleep during the day, they tend to become irritable and restless, just like adults feel after a sleepless night! Frequent naps during the day promote relaxation. This means they will also be calmer at night, and will likely fall asleep more easily [1].
Establish a ritual
Infants love certainty. They fall asleep better if the same ritual precedes their bedtime. You can rock them gently, massage them, give them a pacifier or sing a lullaby. Whatever you choose, always follow the same sequence of actions. A 10 to 20-minute ritual should be enough for babies to become sleepy and for you to put them in their crib [1].
Avoid irritants
During their bedtime routine, babies should not be disturbed by loud noises and/or bright lights. For night feedings, avoid turning on an overhead light and go with a night light [1].
Phоtо: shutterstock
