Introduced proper nap times, no longer sleeping through!

[NappingNightmare]

Please help, I think I've ruined my twins' amazing night sleeping! They are 7.5 months and have slept solidly through the night from 3 months. However they've always been terrible nappers, only doing 20-ish minute cat naps. Often they would be awake for 7+ hours without having napped at all, which would of course make them very grumpy.

I decided it was time to get into a proper nap routine, so had started putting them into their cots (curtains closed, white noise on) 2.5 hours after waking in the morning and then at 2.5 hour intervals after they woke up, as per a sleep programme recommended for their age on a twin Facebook group. They are still only doing 20 minute naps, but are at least having 3 per day, which is an improvement as often they'd only have one!! And they have been much happier babies. There has been no napping after 4:30pm. They always go to bed at 7pm and used to wake at 7am more or less on the dot.

Unfortunately though, since doing this they don't seem to associate their cots with night time anymore. For the last few nights they've been awake for most of the night. I'm not sure what to do now! I will leave the nap issue for now, I just want my nights back. Any advice would be much appreciated. From tomorrow I will definitely stop doing nap times in their cots, but i don't know whether to just stop them completely and go back to how it was before (if I'm lucky and haven't just buggered everything completely!)

At 7.5 months sleeping through the night isn’t usual. They were probably overtired. I would personally just move the naps downstairs rather than their cots if possible - maybe get some mats or a couple of travel cots.

Thank you, I have ordered travel cots so will try that next I think. I know I was very lucky that they slept so well until now, but it clearly shows that they can do it! They don't get particularly distressed in the night either, it's more like they've decided it's playtime at 2am

There’s an 8 month sleep regression too. Could be that. I remember DS having a seriously sleep blip around here which was related to crawling.

Having read your second post, I would actually put money on it being the 8 months sleep regression if they’re just awake and messing around.

Thank you @FizzingWhizzbee123, that is very reassuring as hopefully it means things will settle down again soon! That would make sense actually, as I didn't even realise they could get themselves into some of the positions I've been finding them in (despite being in sleeping bags!)
They are desperate to get on the move at the moment bless them.

Coincidence with sleep regression most likely

But it is not actually wise to make it too dark in the daytime- they'll never be able to nap anywhere except dark/ white noise so you're stuck at home and trying to put up black out blinds wherever you stay. I also remember reading something about it messing up melatonin levels. Which in turn would mess up night sleep...

Thank you @Harrysmummy246, that is really good to know/think about. Luckily they managed their still rather short naps in the living room today and the room was bright, so I'll continue with that
Now to see what tonight brings (!)

Good luck.

Only one DS here and at 3y3mo, finally getting a reasonable amount of sleep most nights