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Original poster

HELP !!!!!! 21mnth old Twins - still need to be rocked to sleep & waking up at night

17 replies

Twinney · 20/12/2005 12:11

I hope you have some advice to help me. I have 21mnth old twins, one girl and one boy. My daughter used to go off on her own and sleep thru until a year ago when she realised her brother got rocked to sleep. Our son had colic really bad when he was a baby, so we find that rocking him sometimes helped and my husband used to lay him on his chest at night just so that we could get some sleep. However i went to the doctors and spoke to my health visitor a couple of months ago and the dr said lay in their beds with them ans then gradually move further away once they were used to one position. And to make sure if we had to rock them for any reason to do it in their bedroom not downstairs and not with a tv on. So thats what i did. The health visitor said to try by putting them in bed facing away from me and rubbing their back till they learn to fall off to sleep. Well tried did not work. Also tried just putting them in their beds and going out their bedroom and every time they got out i put them back in without talking to them except to say sleep. They just thought that it was a game and laughed. My husband doesn't think it helps that their beds are side by side, but they have always been like that since they were born. I am at my wits end and so tired and so is my husband. We just don't know what to do. I hope someone out there as some advice for me. There are not alot of books out there for parents of twins regarding sleep problems and the health visitors are useless unless they have dealt with twins howeveri haven't find one yet. Please HELP US !!!!!!!

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snowfalls · 20/12/2005 12:16

Could you try cc, my dts (just turned 2) get out of bed every night and play in their room for about 40 minutes, then they get themselves into bed and go to sleep, they seem to enjoy their time on their own together, so you could try leaving them to see if they play and tire themselves out.

snowfalls · 20/12/2005 12:18

ps, m dts beds are side by side, dont think they would have it any other way.

Original poster
Twinney · 20/12/2005 12:21

I never really thought about leaving them to play in their own bedroom did you do cc ?? did it work ?? also do they ever come out of their bedroom in that 40 minutes or do you have a gate on their bedroom ?? It may be the way to go.

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acnebride · 20/12/2005 12:22

sorry, not much advice on a twin level, but ds is about to turn 2 and we were doing a loooong drawn out process of first lying on bed, then sitting on bed, then sitting on chair etc... all went on for ages as we kept getting fed up after 1 hour and going back a stage. Eventually what really worked was - shouting at ds. I did it one night, dh did it the next - not planned, but we were both knackered and we knew he was OK - things just boiled over. Not proud of this but boy am I glad not to have the 2 hour bedtimes we used to have. hope it lasts.

MarsyChristmas · 20/12/2005 12:22

exactly what snowfalls says. My DTs are 22 months and they sleep next to each other. They will often go to bed and then sing to each other, then howl if I don't go in to them. However, controlled crying works.

It will take about a week and it won't be pleasant, but it does work. Don't worry about one keeping the other up, they won't. They'll both sleep eventually.

acnebride · 20/12/2005 12:23

sorry, just to add in, we had simultaneously started putting him to bed then leaving to go to the loo, coming back etc. As he knew we were coming back he didn't get straight out of bed and I think this started the process of him sleeping on his own HTH

Original poster
Twinney · 20/12/2005 12:25

I haven't moved my twins because i think they feel reassured when they are side by side, but my husbands thinks that they may be waking each other. I don't think so because my daughter will sleep thru on the odd night and but majority my sons up and down. Do your twins sleep thru the night as well ????

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snowfalls · 20/12/2005 12:25

No, have never had to do CC, they luckily have always been good sleepers, we have a gate on their door so they cant come out, and they seem to know it's a no no anyway, they understand it is bedtime, but know they are allowed to play first ..............as long as they dont fight

MarsyChristmas · 20/12/2005 12:27

Nope, not yet. They do occasionally and I'm hoping that they will both go right through soon.

I doubt that they are waking each other up. Talking of which... I can hear my wee darlings now. Awake from their nap and laughing at each other.

snowfalls · 20/12/2005 12:27

Yes, they sleep through most nights, accasionally wake for a drink, then straight back to sleep.

Original poster
Twinney · 20/12/2005 12:32

So you think if i just put them to bed and leave them they will go to sleep on their own !! Do you keep going in and checking them or just when they cry ?? What time do your twins go to bed ???

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snowfalls · 20/12/2005 12:38

I only go in if they are crying, usually because they start fighting, but that does'nt happen. I go in once they are asleep just to make sure they are in their beds as a few times have found them asleep on the floor with their bums in the air
They dont have day naps anymnore so they go to bed around 6pm, and get up around 7am..

Dont expect too much the first night, it could take a while, maybe put them on the floor so they know they can play for a while first, and a dim light on.

It is vital they can get into their beds by themselves.

snowfalls · 20/12/2005 12:41

sorry that should say 'that does'nt hapen often'

snowfalls · 20/12/2005 13:52

Let us know how it goes

snowfalls · 20/12/2005 21:58

Hows it gone tonight Twinney???

MarsyChristmas · 21/12/2005 10:21

How was your night? Been thinking of you.

Original poster
Twinney · 06/01/2006 12:14

Sorry I haven't been on lately but it has been absolutely hectic here through christmas and so on !!
Hope you all had a great christmas and we wish you a happy new year
Still having problems with the twins but my daughter slept thru for first time in a long time last night. My son kept getting up a few times but a just kept taking him back to his bed and stroking his back then left. My daughter unfortunately will not go back to sleep like that she starts creaing and ends up waking my son up. She still expects to come in our bed and to be rocked off to sleep. But at least my son will go back when he wakes up during the night. I am trying to find a stair gate that will fit their bedroom door but have been unsuccessful !! They all seem to big, any ideas well come !! It's great that i have someone to talk too that understands what we're going thru. Thanks guys

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