ARRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH how do I get them too sleep.

[MuckingFuddle]

My Dt's are nearly 2 - quite a few months ago we took the bars off their cot beds.

We had a few weeks of them running around, playing squealing - anything but sleeping but we thought it was ok because the novelty would wear off and eventually they would settled down and sleep. Which it did - for a while.
A few months down the road and we have gone back on ourselves and it takes anything from 3-5 hours for them to go to sleep.
They are often tired and grumpy the next day because of this.
They get up to all sorts - climbing on to the windowsill to wave at our neighbours and shout the chickens. They have pulled the blinds down and used them as a parachute, they take the mattress off the bed and wrestle on it, move the beds around pretending they are trucks - anything but sleep. .
There are no toys in there - just a cupboard and their beds.

They still have a nap at lunchtime - if they haven't had a nap it doesn't make any difference.
We have tried staggered bedtimes - they just wake eachother up when the other one goes to bed.

What do I do ?

Get a mortgage and hire a Norland Nanny for a week?
Separate bedrooms?
Gin in milk bottle?
Grandparents in, you and DH out for a week?

Mine are a lot older and bedtime is when I say, but sleep time is when they say are ready, after lots of shenanighans. Every night, so tiresome, so wrong. There is no lack of winding down time, bathroom routine, little chats, bedtime story reading.

I am sure someone sensible will be along soon and tell us what to do.

i'd put them back in cots to be honest with you, unless you think they'll climb out

alternatively i'd put them to bed in separate rooms and just move one back once they're asleep

or, sit in the room with them. tell them in no uncertain term that they will stay in bed and just keep putting them back each time they get up.

I'd put them back into cots too - I think 2 is too early really.
Our DTriplets were 3 this week and are still in cots; admittedly we are looking into beds at the moment, but they've still got loads of room left in their cots, so until now I've not seen the point in putting them into beds.

Thanks for your advice - yes they climbed out of their cots (little monkeys.) otherwise I would be keeping them in there till I could bribe them to stay in bed
We dont have another room to put them in.
We cut down their lunchtime nap yesterday - I woke them early and it only took 1-2 hours for them to drift off in the evening. Not too sure if it was a fluke - I will do the same today and cross my fingers for tonight.
Gin sounds like a excellent idea - if I give them sloe gin will it will count for 1 of their 5 a day ?

well i used to put one of my boys to sleep in my bed, and then move him once they were both asleep

it's not ideal long-term but it deals with it right now and it might just break the cycle.

Thanks thisis - we will have to give it a try. Good point about breaking the cycle.

All of what thisisyesterday said, but especially the 3rd point.

Mucking, good luck. I'd suggest what the others have suggested.

I know I shouldn't but they sound really funny, esp as they aren't mine.

I used to lie down with one until he was calm and ready to sleep, and just ignored his brother meanwhile. I did have to gently restrain them, and they did get angry, but I kept calm with my eye on the prize. A stair gate on their door also contained the madness a bit. It was hell but it will pass - just another one of those twin situations where you have to stick to your guns and show them that you are in charge.

Thanks everyone
trying - they are funny and sometimes I have to laugh myself.

Fingers crossed this phase wont last much longer.

Thanks again for your advice - I think we have cracked it.

Bed time is now very very very chilled out. I spend more time in their room shhhhing and rubbing their back, stroking their hair etc
If they really play up they go and keep on getting out of bed to cause chaos they are sent to the sin bin - my lovely DM's travel cot that they cant climb out of which is our room.
I was starting to think this phase would last for ever.