How To Get Twins To Sleep
As a new mom, prepare to be exhausted (it’s hard to avoid). As a new mom of twins, prepare to be exhausted. Creating good sleep habits has never been more important than when you have two little ones arrive. Because let’s face it – you’re not going to get any rest if they don’t get any rest. So, the ultimate question: how to get twins to sleep?
The main thing is to have a plan and to be prepared. If your plan is to cross your fingers and hope for a good night’s sleep, think again.
Below are our top five strategies on how to get twins to sleep.
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1. Wake them at the same time
In my opinion, twins are the only excuse to the “never wake a sleeping baby” rule.
It can be so tempting to leave Baby B resting when Baby A cries out for food at 2am. But if you do, then that sweet Baby B will wake at 3am, meaning you could easily be up every hour of the night.
As counter intuitive as it may seem, if one baby wakes, scoop up the other and feed them both at the same time – whether that’s 2am, 6am, or 8am. It’s the only chance you’ll be able to sleep or nap at all. If you want to track what baby slept at which time (plus who was fed, changed, and more), check out the full list here.
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2. Put Them Down Awake
If there’s one strategy you can start from day one that can have a significant impact, it’s putting your babies into their cribs while they’re still awake.
If your babies fall asleep while feeding (which is common), it can help to rouse them lightly before putting them into their cribs. I’m not talking fully waking them – you don’t want them ready for play time. But being even slightly aware that they’re being placed in their cribs lets them start to associate their cribs with sleeping.
That way, they’ll learn that your arms are not the only place they can fall asleep, and you get the chance for some sleeping time yourself.
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3. Swaddle (Before They Can Roll Over)
Imagine you’ve done it – you’ve gotten both babies to sleep at the same time (after multiple middle of the night feedings), and placed them gently in their crib. They finally doze off, and you stumble off to fall into your cozy bed. 20 minutes after you fall asleep, you hear the telltale wail that has become your new alarm clock.
A main reason this can be is because of what they call the Moro reflex, or the startle reflex. Babies naturally jerk their arms up in their sleep, which can wake them.
A simple solution is a swaddle sack. Simply zip them up and they’re safe and sound in their little sleep bags. Do make sure they follow all SIDS recommendations (not baggy nor too tight, stop using when they can first roll over, do not overheat, etc.).
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4. Cribs From Day 1
Many parents claim they struggle in getting their babies to transition into sleeping in a crib. An easy way to avoid that? Start them in their own cribs from day 1.
I hear you, it can be tempting to place them in a crib together, or in a bassinet, or to co-sleep. But the fact of the matter is, the safest sleep space is each baby in their own crib, with nothing else in it.
To avoid the transition, simply start them in their own cribs from the start. FYI if you want to know what gear you’ll need and what gear to skip, check out the full list here.
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5. Darkness and White Noise
A dark room with white noise can help all humans sleep – no matter how old. The good thing is that there are lots of options, regardless of price range.
My favourite white noise machine is actually a fan. Not only does it create a calming noise that blocks out background noise, it also promotes airflow and decreases room temperature, which can help decrease SIDS risk.
For blinds, either go with nice fabric blackout curtains, or there are even great paper versions. We have curtains in our master bedroom, but the twins room has a curved wall. We couldn’t find a curtain rod to fit it, so paper blinds it was. And you know what? They work just as well as our fancy curtains.
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Twin Sleep Can Happen
Yes, getting your twins on the same sleep schedule can be challenging – but it’s possible.
So when you’re figuring out how to get twins to sleep, refer to the list above. And if all else fails, send me a message. At the very least, I can commiserate with you on the exhaustion and let you know that it won’t last forever.
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