My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Sleep

Troublesome twins sleep nightmare

11 replies

DebbieNiblett · 14/05/2008 21:59

Help - twin DS's still awake at 9.45 and shattered. They have recently gone from cots to beds -what a disaster. Always had a bedtime routine. Used to go to bed in cots mess around but fall asleep about 8ish. Now going to bed and climbing in and out and just causing stress and no downtime. We have got a gate on their door so they cant wander downstairs. We've tried lying with them but dont want to get into this routine for fear of making this the norm and not fair on 4 year old DS. Tried ignoring them, going in and putting them back to bed nothing is working. Its getting later and later each night DH cant always be at home either due to work commitments so its down to me some nights. Kids tired and irritable all day as result. Cant give them separate rooms. How long is this going to go on for and help please

OP posts:
Report
manuka · 14/05/2008 22:36

How old are they? I still have my nearly 2 year old in a cot (in an inside out sleeping bag so she can't unzip and escape!) and I'm planning/hoping to keep it this way until she's nearly 3. I'm following the advice of dare I say Gina Ford!
Hope someone more experienced can help you.

Report
Pavlovthecat · 14/05/2008 22:39

You poor thing .

I have just posted a thread about sleep too, will get the link for you. Sounds similar, apart from not having twins, or another child to look after.

Makes my sleeping problems look like nothing!

Report
Pavlovthecat · 14/05/2008 22:41

my thread here

Dont know if it will have info that might help, but maybe between us we can find some solutions that might work.

I hope too, that some people with twins can give you more specific advice too.

Report
1andtwinsallboys · 14/05/2008 22:46

They are 2 and a quarter. Oldest is 4 and we had no problem getting him into a bed before 2. He loved it and felt really grown up. He went to bed and stopped in bed although we did find lots of toys in with him but he went to sleep on his own and we didnt have to go up. As long as your 2 year old has a good routine I'd go for it now. They are easier to deal with at 2 - at 3 they start pushing their boundaries more. We just took him to bed read him a story and said goodnight.
Problem with twins is they egg each other on and get over excited so cant settle.
We still have no problem getting oldest to bed at night. He is always asleep before the twins. I dont know how they manage all day. Stopping naps doesnt help either because they start falling asleep on settee at tea time.

Report
manuka · 15/05/2008 07:40

My 2 year old is in a good routine but she's a crazy girl and loves to RUN so I know she'd be out of bed and leaping around like a nutter! Think some kids are more grown up than others. Maybe your twins are a bit like my toddler and maybe best to wait til later to switch to beds???

Report
jocat · 30/03/2009 19:47

Help
Our two and a half yr old twins are now in beds and its monkey business central here! How do I get back to when they went to bed, chatted and went to sleep? Now as soon as I go out one or other says "get up?" and they are both out of bed in a flash. We are having the same probs as Debbie (above)and have tried the same tactics. Has anyone with twins got a good solution for good bedtime routine - in beds?!

Report
Beckie72 · 09/03/2010 18:10

I have twins(that wake me most nights!) They are 16months now and in the same room, In cots but room so small can only just walk between cotbeds, they go off most of the time fine from being awake tho the boy usually wakes more, I a single mum of 4 tho the eldest of 17 isn't in much(has a life aparently!) so not much help. I was so worn out @ 1 point was like musical beds, would have them in with me or go downstairs so as to not wake 9yr old that needed sleep so not tired @ sch next day. Now i am ALOT firmer and unless they are ill i keep them in their cots, and if 1 wakes the other and won't settle then i have a playpen/travel cot downstairs so seperate if have to and did that a few nights and now they are soooooooo much better as seem to realise are not being picked up. I think they feel your stress so try be calm and don't speak too much if they wake or don't settle, supernanny tactics lol. Oh also maybe a muscal box, lightshow thingy? that seems to sooth mine. Failing that let them get up in the room or cry a bit, won't kill em, will wear em out and they will prob get bored of it!

Report
BarbaMamma · 09/03/2010 18:26

We had this problem with our twins at 22 months when they went into beds and it took months to get back to normal (sorry - not what you want to hear I know).

Things that eventually helped sort it out were:

  • a stairgate on their door
  • bed guards to make beds more cosy/cot like
  • starting bedtimes earlier so they fell asleep earlier after the inevitable messing around
  • lying down with one boy to prevent him escaping (in a loving but firm way!) and ignoring the other one (just say 'it's sleepy time now - no playing, go to bed', and close your eyes, etc) until DT1 was asleep. This made it much more boring for his brother and once one is asleep you can lie down with the other.
  • take turns if possible with DP to put them back in bed at regular intervals and helping each other to ignore them in between as long as you know they can't hurt themselves, until they're worn out.


Good luck - this stage was really hard but it does pass I promise!
Report
Sophf · 11/03/2010 01:15

Dare I say it? Leave them in cots until three
There is a rationale for cots: safety and sanity, the former, when the twins are newborns, the latter being more obvious the older the twins get.

The natural stage is three, when they are potty trained at night also.

Report
bbcwomen · 17/03/2010 14:29

Hi there,

I'm working for Channel 4 and we are looking for families who are having difficulty getting their unders 4s to sleep to take part in a new series.

The families would get the opportunity to work with a top child sleep expert on a one-to-one basis. The expert believes that they can deal with most sleep issues within a 4 week period, and that sleepless nights will be a thing of the past.

If you want to know more please contact me/respond to this post or see our ad in the media requests forum

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/media_nonmember_requests/923567-Are-you-a-sleep-deprived-Parent-A-new-Channel-4

I have permission to put this post up by Mumsnet HQ.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Nastasia
x

Report
purplehaze24 · 15/03/2016 15:04

Help, my twins are waking up at least 3-4 times a night for nappies and cuddles and we need to get them into beds as they are 2 now Confused am really apprehensive please help

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.