Sleep problem

[poorbuthappy]

Have also just posted this in multiples...

DTs are 14 months. From about 10ish months they started to sleep through, luckily without too much prodding from us.

DT2 still goes to sleep on her own (and is actually managing to stay asleep even with world war 3 going on in the cot next to her...)
DT1 however seems to have lost the ability to go to bed. Nothing in the routine has changed. She still drinks her milk, has a quick cwtch and burp, but as soon as you put her down she starts howling.
As soon as you pick her up she stops...
As soon as you put her down she starts...

So tonight, I put her down and then sat in the room with them to try to work out what the problem is. As usual DT2 went quiet and then went to sleep. DT1 rolled up and down her cot, stood up, sat down, laid down, kicked the bars, kicked her legs against the mattress etc etc.
She kept going quiet for a few minutes, then moving and screaming again. But she seemed so restless and frustrated, but I can not work out why.

Does anyone have any ideas?

I had good results from following the advice in Richard Ferber's book ' Solve your Child's sleep problems'
some of the advice sounds pretty tough - cruel even, but believe me it worked. Just wish I hadn't got really desperate before i took his advice. ( which is basically not to give in to the screaming because it's just for attention, and if you just sit it out for a couple of nights, the yelling will stop and the DC will go to sleep on their own.) Obviously check there are no health / hunger etc issues first... Read the book for the full story, It was extreemely painful for 2 or 3 days but after that... no more problem. ( might be even more difficult to handle with twins, but the sooner you get this sorted the better). I had to do the method again about 8 months later with DS... who was waking up in the night and screaming for attention. and it got progressively worse with him waking more and more times every night, and me gettign more and more ragged. I'd send you my copy, but I already lent it out. good luck!

Cheers for the advice Lauree

Has it happened literally in the last few days or has this been going on for weeks?

You could try some teething gel before lying down in case its the teeth causing problems. However unless they're coming down with a bug, I suspect they're fighting sleep for the pleasure of your company. Every baby is different and it certainly seems it from this. My daughter has always been a good sleeper but my darling boy aged 13 months tends to resist naps and bedtime sometimes, even though I know he is tired. I try to be totally consistent.

My son still needs a nap at 10.30am and 3pm. He's still not able to move to the 1 nap after lunch. My daughter was the same. They go to bed at 7pm and wake about 7am on a good day.

I use the baby whisperer PUPD method. Eg. Just pick them up until they stop crying and then when they stop lie them down, when they start crying again, pick them, when they stop, lie them down. Do not leave the room with them, stay by the cot and keep doing it over and over. They will get the message in the end and finally go to sleep. It'll take 3 days of being consistent. The first time you may need to pick them up 70 times, the next nap time maybe 50 times etc. This is the method I used. I didn't feel so bad, as I wasn't leaving them to cry it out alone. It does work.

Anyway no doubt you'll get some more suggestions today x