Multiples

Twin Sense and Napping

So my nearly four month old twins seem to possess that mystical "twin sense" that everyone always references. However, they are using it to drive Mommy slightly crazy. These two have an eerily and uncanny ability: when one baby falls asleep, the other wakes up, and then they switch. ALL DAY LONG. My husband thought I was exaggerating until this weekend when we had only a four minute nap crossover the whole time. Some background:

My babies are pretty rock star night sleepers: Calder is down by eight, and Jonas by ten. They sleep till nearly seven. However, after that, we have no more sleep togetherness.  They eat together in the morning, but slightly offset as one baby breastfeeds and one is bottle fed. After that, all bets are off. Calder tires first, and as they are still being held/rocked/walked to sleep, Jonas waits. I usually get Jonas to sleep just as Calder is ready to wake up. They are then fed on demand, so they are often eating at different times. The eat/rock/sleep/pray for sleep/ cycle continues pretty much the whole day.

I'm at a bit of a loss here. Originally, we had planned to do a "one-up, both-up" schedule, but it hasn't been working for us. They were fairly premature (34 .1) so I don't feel they are ready to cry it out, and they have pretty bad reflux which is aggravated by crying. Also, my Calder is way more sensitive and needs (or at least achieves) a much longer nap and I can't stand to think about interrupting his rest. Jonas is calmer, but is a major and accomplished sleep fighter.

Should I try to stick more to a schedule? Try harder to get themselves to sooth to sleep? Accept that they are still in a tough time and soldier on? I'm trying very hard but some days, its tough for me to even eat as I have someone with me at all times.

Any advice or reassurances of sanity to come would be welcome and appreciated.

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Re: Twin Sense and Napping

  • That is just about the age I started doing the no cry sleep solution methods. But that was at 4 months actual, I would probably say 4 months adjusted would be a good time for you. At 3 months, sleep was all over the place still. But it does get better and once you get them napping more in sync your life will get easier. I now have them pretty in sync and if one sleeps longer, I can still get them down again at the same time the next nap. Hang in there!!
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  • It's all relative I guess.  Yours are STTN at 4 months.  Ours did not until 9.5 months.  So even if we had same nap time, they kept us up all night.

    Time....it takes time.  No easy solution I'm afraid.

    Good luck!!

    Three losses in 2009; Boy/Girl twins born in 2010 image
  • We used baby wise (which is all about a schedule..) and LOVED it. Quite frankly, I don't know how we would have made it this far WITHOUT having a pretty rigid schedule. My friends used to make fun of me - but now they get it.

    We almost FORCED them to eat/sleep/nap together...it saved our sanity...honestly. I would try to stick to a schedule. Read babywise. It's awesome. 

                                                

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    Olivia and Matilda, 09/10/201 - Graham, 10/01/2013




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