Adjusting and establishing a sleep routine for a single baby can be challenging enough for parents, but when it comes to twins or triplets, it becomes even more difficult. Even if they are identical twins, their individual temperaments can vary significantly. While one may be calm, quiet, and able to self-soothe to sleep, the other may be prone to frequent waking, louder, and more restless. Therefore, it’s crucial to tailor your approach to each baby’s unique needs. Let’s explore some suggestions that may assist in helping your twins get a bit more sleep.
Use White Noise
White noise can help reduce stress levels and block out other potentially sleep-disrupting sounds. While it’s helpful for masking external noises, sometimes it may also be necessary to block out internal noises within the room. You can use two sources of white noise to block out both internal and external sounds. One could be devices or apps that produce white noise, while the other could be items like fans that provide natural white noise.
Start Where They’ll End Up
While it may seem more convenient for parents to have the babies sleep separately until they get used to a sleep routine, it’s actually the opposite. If a baby gets used to falling asleep alone in a separate and quiet room, transitioning to sharing a room with their sibling later on might be more challenging. While it’s okay to start with separate sleeping arrangements for the first few days, eventually sharing the same room is crucial for them to get used to sleeping in the same environment.
During this period of adjustment, white noise can be a helpful aid.
If their morning sleep times differ, they can sleep separately during this period. One parent can tend to one baby while the other one sleeps, and then they can switch when the other wakes up for playtime. Ultimately, while sharing the same room at night is important, daytime arrangements can vary according to parental preference.
Take Notes
Keeping track of a single baby’s schedule and routine throughout the day can be challenging, but managing the schedules of two babies more difficult. Noting down wake-up times, feeding times, nap frequencies and durations, evening bedtime routines, bedtime, and night awakenings is essential. These notes are valuable for gaining insight into their sleep patterns and facilitating adjustments to improve their routines.
Keep Them in Sync
While it may seem strange to wake a sleeping baby, it’s actually not a bad idea. Allowing one baby to sleep longer than the other may lead to shifts in sleep patterns and timings, pushing bedtime later into the evening. This can negatively impact the sleep schedule of the other baby. To prevent this, it’s necessary to wake both babies in the morning, with a 15-minute interval if needed. During nap times, it’s best to wake the longer sleeper according to the total amount of sleep they need for the day.
Feed Them Together
Babies typically wake up for night feeds during the first 4-6 months. During this period, feeding both babies together can make nights more manageable for parents. In later months, babies can sleep longer without needing to feed at night. At this stage, adjusting feeding schedules according to their needs without waking them from sleep is ideal.
Establish Sleep Routines
Regardless of whether you have one baby or two, having bedtime routines is crucial for transitioning to sleep. A warm bath, massage, lullabies, stories, or quiet time with your baby are all important cues. These routines help to babies understand the signal which mean is it’s time to sleep and help them prepare for sleep and relax.
In conclusion, establishing a sleep routine for twins or triplets presents unique challenges that require a thoughtful and individualised approach. Therefore, it’s crucial for you to observe and understand each baby’s cues and preferences when it comes to sleep. By synchronising their routines, you can maximise the chances of getting uninterrupted sleep for yourself and your babies, fostering a more peaceful and restful environment for the entire family.
