Issues with sleeping/settling twins.

[insomniac]

Hi there i hope someone can relate with what i'm going thru. I have twin boys who are 20 months old. Since the age of six months they have been great sleepers & very in tune with each other- going down & getting up at the same time etc.

I would put my boys down for bed at about 7:30 - 8:00pm every night without much hassle unless they were sick or teething. Since the age of 16 months they have also had one nap during the day between 12:30 & 3:00pm. This routine has worked perfectly until just recently.

In the space of a week both boys now jump over their cots with the confidence of a stuntman out of a movie, learnt how to open the safety gate latches & now battle us (hubby & i) every night before bed. What has happened to our angels:confused::devil:

I'm aware at this age that rebellious type of behavior is normal, but i have been in a good paddock for a fair while & i guess the sudden change is a rude awakening & dreading that i'm going to be sleep deprived again:dizzy:

Until we purchase toddler beds we have taken one side off each cot so the boys can climb in & out of bed easily enough. They have always shared a room so i don't want to separate them now if possible. I've taken out most of their toys & put them in a spare room which we use as a play room so they won't be tempted to muck around as much.

I used to keep the door open a little bit & keep the hall light on before they could escape but now they can i have to shut the door. I've purchased two rechargeable night lights. We couldn't use a normal lamp cos the monsters try to pull the cord out of the wall:banghead:

Last night they did settle quickly & slept thru the night so that was great, but what's with waking at 5am instead of 6 or 7? They wake up at five then are cranky at about 10 or 11 in the morning but their nap is after lunch. I have been stretching it out & have put them to bed at 12:30 but then they don't want to sleep! Are they overtired? Should i go back to giving them a morning nap? I don't know what to do.

My husband is a wonderful help & has great patience with everything but secretly i'm starting to feel a bit down. I love my kids & i do my best to not lose my temper or show how stressed i'm becoming. I wait till everyone goes to bed & i just cry to myself. I'm not being a martyr by thinking i can do it all but i have a hard time asking for help. I would just like to know i'm not alone right now.:shakehands:

[SuperGranny]

hi insomniac, at 20 months, I wonder how much sleep through the day the boys need. ?? I would try to maybe go with the flow for a little while. If they wake too early and are getting tired before lunch, have a morning tea and see if they will sleep earlier in the day. Other then that, go for a walk or a play in the park to get them good and tired in the morning so the afternoon sleep is bit longer. Really they do work themselves out, if they need to sleep they will, sometimes it might be every third day that they will sleep , but not everyday. Try to darken their bed room if they need to sleep longer int he mornings. Marie.

[h086]

Are they sleeping too much during the day? 12:30-3pm seems like a long time to me. Do they sleep the whole time? I too have an almost 20 month old DS and he only sleeps for 1-1.5 hours during the day, if at all. Which means by night time he is well and truly tired and goes to bed easily But he's never been a good day sleeper :rolleyes: And he doesn't wake before 7am of a morning.

[insomniac]

I will try & get the boys down a little earlier to bed at night time & instead of having a set time that they nap during the day i will put them down when they are tired if they need a nap at all. They are just growing & changing so fast it's hard to believe they're not little babies anymore. Thanks for your advice it's much appreciated.:yelclap:

[dlsee08]

Hi There my twin boys are 3 and they share a room also. They still sleep 2 + hours at lunch as well as go to be at 7pm at night, and sleep til about 6.
We found them jumping outta their cots at two and being really naughty, so we bought the toddler beds and explained to them they were big boys now.
We also put a tv and dvd player in their room. Half an hour before they go to sleep i put them in there to watch a movie, and it really settles them down. I also hang a blanket cover on their window to make it really dark so they cant see street lights etc.
At the end of the day they have gone through all those times you are experiencing right now, but you just keep putting your foot down with them and they end up getting back into a routine.

[pine lime]

Hi there - I don't have anything cluey to add (sorry) apart from to say - you are not alone - I think it is just the fear of sleep deprivation that is getting to you - and lets face it, sleep dep is pretty scary:hugs:
just want to say that it will work out it, you are doing so well... must just seem daunting right now to go into the unknown - your boys sound so healthy and strong (and rather cheeky;)) and ready for the next challenge! hmmm! (we are expecting 2 boys eek!)
best wishes ~ Lisa :hugs:

[insomniac]

Hi Lisa,

Congrats with expecting twins! It's a real shock to the system isn't it? It took me awhile to get my head around the fact that i was pregnant let alone having two at once. Alot has happened since i made that post- all positive things including that my boys actually look forward to bed now i can't believe it. :yelclap:I just changed some parts of their routine & it's falling into place slowly. If you ever want to ask me a question about twins or anything don't hesitate. Thanx for your reply & good luck :flowerz:

[pine lime]

Hi there insomniac - thanks so much for your msg,
yes i am still in shock heh heh -
I am so glad that you have this bedtime thing sorted...that s great news :smiliedance:- and thank you so much for your offer to answer my questions - i know i will be very in need soon - it's lovely to know there is this community of such caring folk :goodvibes:
Sorry I have taken ages to reply - on complete go slow with the ol MS and total exhaustion - but I really appreciate you taking your time to reply...
best wishes to you & your lovelies ~ Lisa