Sleep training twins

[Bellbell]

I've been avoiding this as can't bear to leave them crying as they just get hysterical. I have 8 month old boy-girl twins in their own room now, separate cots. They used to be fairly easy to get to sleep, but even that's getting more difficult now. They go down around 7pm and wake up around 11-12, then again at around 2-3 and possibly again around 4, getting up around 6.30am. I used to cope with it quite well but am getting increasingly tired and am going back to work soon so it's going to get worse. I've tried getting them to nap properly twice a day in the hope that it'll help at night (about an hour each time)... it certainly makes them in better form during the day but doesn't seem to make a difference at night. We made the fatal error of putting them to sleep on the bottle and now they're addicted to it (or alternatively we rock them to sleep in their chairs and carry them to bed... I know, all bad habits....) DS has bad windiness too, which doesn't help and wakes him up. Please can someone give me some advice .... did you sleep train your twins? How did you do it (ie in the same room / separate?) Did you leave them to cry or is there another, less traumatic way? Or should I just grin and bear it and wait for them to grow out of it? Thanks for your help.

[rattling]

Saw this post a few days ago, didn't reply as I have very little of use, but as there are no other takers...

I don't think you are doing anything wrong. I fed to sleep and cuddled to sleep when that worked, now at 2 I can leave my boys chattering to each other in their beds and they'll go off to sleep themselves quite easily, so there is no reason that will be a problem.

CC worked quite well with one of them - I never left him long (10 min?) and would go back if it escalated to hysteria. The other I could never leave if he was crying (perhaps hardcore CC would have beaten him eventually, I wasn't prepared for that). At around a year I moved to comforting them in their cots rather than picking them up, then just sitting in their room so I could comfort them with my voice only (with constant setbacks for illness and teething!!) Not sure if I should admit to the commando crawling out of the room without them noticing?

I think if naptimes work well, use them to set up good sleep cues. Repeat those at night and eventually they will sleep. 8 months is still quite young to settle themselves. I didn't have the space to try separating them, but they rarely woke each other - though the occasions I was trying to comfort both together at 3am are painfully etched in my memory!

It is hard. The lack of sleep is difficult. Unfortunately if one has a bad night you may still have a well rested bouncy one to deal with the following day! Best of luck.

[bunnymother]

God, I am sooo glad I am not the only mother w twins who are sleeping badly. Mine are 8 months old and I am almost on my knees w the night wakings (I have a 2 year old, too, so can't rest up during the day). It seems everyone else's twins sleep through beautifully, but not mine. And, unfortunately, as there is 2 of them, it seems to be double the night wakings I experienced w their older sister (who also wasn't a dream sleeper). Unless they wake their older sister, and then I get to settle all 3 of them, while quietly muttering how they are killing me under my breath.

All 3 are in the same room and all have colds, so am hopeful that once they get better they will sleep for longer stretches. And I think I will be trying the spaced soothing, too.

[MyFourGirls]

I'm on my knees with eight month old twins who wake two hourly for breastmilk in a double futon on the floor in our room...i read this with interest as i contemplate the gargantuan task of moving them into cots in their own room (downstairs from us!)... the time has come for change but struggling to see a way to do it and can't bear the thought of hours of tears from anyone! any complaints and they've just had a nipple in the mouth...gulp! i've hit the wall now though and will attempt dramatic change...spaced soothing sounds like a good place to start.x