How to Get Twin Babies on Same Sleep Schedule
Despite all the joy having twins can bring, it can be tough for parents to adjust to the inevitable lack of sleep they'll experience after the babies are born. While caring for one new-born is already a full-time job, adding another baby to the mix can be incredibly overwhelming. However, there are ways to help coax the infants into a shared sleep schedule, making life calmer and more balanced for the entire family.
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Instructions
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Create a restful sleeping environment in the babies' nursery to help the twins adjust to a regular sleep schedule. Make sure the area is quiet and dark, and use a dimmer switch on lights if needed. Speak to the babies in a gentle, soothing voice just before bedtime to get them acclimated to what should be a peaceful time.
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Create bedtime rituals signaling to the babies that it is time to sleep. Regular pre-bedtime activities such as taking a bath, reading to the twins or rocking them in a rocking chair are all good, relaxing options. As the babies grow, these rituals can help them develop healthy sleep habits.
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Try swaddling both babies in receiving blankets, wrapping the blankets around each one snugly. This gives the infants a safe, secure feeling similar to that of being nestled up against their twin in the womb, and can help coax newborns to sleep at the same time.
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Lay the twins down next to each other in the same crib at bedtime to help them get to sleep at the same time. This is called co-bedding, a practice frequently used in hospitals that takes advantage of close physical contact to help soothe multiple babies to sleep. Try this until the babies are about three months old.
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Finally, make sure to wake up the other baby after the first one has awakened so they will be on the same feeding and changing schedule. This should be done during both the day and night to help ensure that they stick to the same sleep times.
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Tips & Warnings
In a Babycenter.com article, Alexander Golbin, director of the Foundation for Children's Sleep Disorders, recommends attending to the needs of the calmer twin before the baby who is crying. This will ensure that the calm baby is content and settled in before you tend to the crying infant. Then, with both babies calm and peaceful, they will be more likely to fall asleep at the same time To keep your sanity and a more balanced sleep schedule of your own, try setting up a feeding timetable with your partner of four-to-five-hour shifts where one of you tends to the twins while the other gets much-needed sleep. More alert and healthy parents means better care for the little ones.
Although you should be prepared for it, discourage your twins from awakening at night by keeping them as quiet and calm as possible. During nighttime feedings, make sure the room stays dimly lit, and put them back to bed as soon as possible, helping them to associate nighttime with sleeping. On the other hand, don't hesitate to give the babies plenty of attention and affection during the daytime, cuddling with the twins, feeding them and even giving them pacifiers if needed.
