more and more sleep issues

:bigarmhug:

My only suggestion is to put them to bed earlier. Gracie used to wake up consistently at 2am and would only go back to sleep in bed with me. CIO didn't work (because she sometimes would go back to sleep, sometimes she'd continue to scream) so I tried putting her to bed earlier and it worked like a charm.

Now, even when they are teething or not feeling well, they only will wake for a few minutes and will go right back to sleep once they have a paci back in their mouths.

ETA: I also adjust bed time based on how they've napped during the day. If they've napped well, they generally go to bed between 6-6:30pm unless they show signs of being tired sooner. If they've had a crappy nap day, bedtime is usually around 5:30pm.

I wanted to add something funny about the goodnight show on sprout. Maddie is terrified of that stuffed star! She goes into hysterics if she sees it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by moonqueen

I wanted to add something funny about the goodnight show on sprout. Maddie is terrified of that stuffed star! She goes into hysterics if she sees it.

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you know, I don't blame her. I always look at it and think it is a bit freaky. Is there a person in there? If so, where is the rest of their body hiding? Is it electronic? I can't figure it out - which makes it a bit scary!!!

My mom usually helps out the nights I work and she hates when I put that show on! She doesn't like the lady and her stupid plaid pants EVERY NIGHT! She never wears anything different. She and my DH change it as soon as I leave for work because they think its freaky too. But Sean and Emma love it!

Laura - I remember that time for you guys! Not fun at all!
My girls used to wake up 3 times per night for a bottle till about 5 1/2 months. They weaned down to sleeping through the night and waking at 5am for a drink than back to sleep. This is what I did with all 3 of my kids and it has worked.

In the middle of the night when they woke, we never talked to them, the room was kept dark. If they woke up for a bottle or boobie - they got it, got changed and back to their crib. After they started STTN I only gave them a soother and left again. If they cried, I picked them up to see if they had a burp and right back down. Even now, if they wake up at night - we go in with no lights on or talking to tuck them back in or take them to pee.

I dont know why...but they will not get out of their beds in the middle of the night. Up until 6 months ago, they wouldn't even get out of their beds in the morning until I opened their door.
Someties, when they have a super long nap it will take them hours to fall asleep. So if I see they are real hyper I'll go in and sit between the two beds in the dark. Once I am in there, they dont say a word to each other anymore.
I know that I sound mean..but they learnt the rules and I wasn't mean about it. I didn't let them cry much. I'd always go in pretty much as soon as I heard them, to see if they had a burp, missing paci or blanket.

We've been having sleep issues lately too...at first I thought it was being at my mom's house. Abigail was waking about three hours earlier than she had been but Bethany was sleeping just fine. Then they both woke up twice in the night. Then they both slept 'normally'. Then last night (we're at my in-laws for a few nights) they were both up between 3:15-3:45 and again between 6:15-6:45. YUCK! I'm tired!

I'm starting to wonder about my habit of nursing while laying down (which is also killing my back and neck), since they will both continue to nurse as long as I have them beside me. I got up around 9:45 and Abigail was still nursing, three hours later! Methinks that once we get home I will have to go back to sitting up for the early morning feedings and putting them back down much sooner.

I will say that the two nights Abigail woke up wayyyyy too early (like three hours after being laid down) I was able to get her to take her paci (plug ;) ) and she went back to sleep until her normal time. Bethany doesn't take a pacifier, though. Abigail has also taken to sleeping with a blanket or burp cloth over her face when she sleeps on her back. Interesting. :)

Peace,
Julie

I'm have to agree with Kelly (moonqueen), no matter what method we've used during these phases, they always go back to their normal routine in a week or two. Sometimes the problem is teething, sometimes we can't find a reason, but I've been up for several 3-4 hour stretches in the wee hours, sitting in the living room, and yes, even letting them watch something on t.v. until they get tired enough to sleep again. These stages are going to happen whether you let them CIO or you comfort them, or whatever, I'm a big fan of doing whatever it takes to get through the stage and get back to half-way decent sleeping. At almost 2 years old, we are frequently saying, yes, they sleep through the night, just rarely the SAME night. Good luck, Tina. I hope this phase passes quickly.

I understand the difficulties of having twins that someone with twins does not understand. Especially if they sleep in the same room. Emily is a great sleeper and just starts to get cranky around 5:30 and she's in bed around 6/ 6:30 for the night. She takes only little cat naps throughout the day. Evan on the other hand takes 2 long naps during the day so he's up until 7:30/8pm. He hates going to bed and always always needs a bottle when he wakes up. It took me a long long time to realize that he didn't want to go to sleep at 6:30 with his sister. It would take me hours trying to deal with his crying in bed. Once I realized he went to bed later I dealt with that. Also he crys/whines himself to sleep everynight so I put a playpen in my room and let him whine and cry in there without waking his sister up. Then he wakes up for a bottle or I give him another around 11pm and put him into the crib as he is pretty sleepy by then and won't wake her up. Then he sleeps until 3 am and I then wake his sister up at the same time and feed them both. Most of the times they are wide awake in the nursery at 3am so I put on the tv, I've even read them books and it seems to be when they are most talkative so I let them have their 30 mins of playtime. I put them down and they seem to fall back asleep after talking up a storm with each other. I just find it is hard to coordinate feeds with twins as they are completely different.

I think after writing all that I am trying to say once I REALIZE.....that some things won't change and that they are DIFFERENT I adjust my schedule and it makes things less frustrating..just takes me a long long time and many tired nights to realize what I need to change as I know they are who they are.....hmmmm does that even make sense?

Well, I just wanted to update everyone who I haven't told this too already. I didn't want to jinx myself! the girls are FINALLY STTN. After I wrote the initial post, and read everyone's replies--I was terrified! LOL. The girls were getting worse and worse, I was only getting abut 4 hours of sleep per night. DH and I were fighting all the time because we were so sleep deprived. So - I decided to CIO. The first two nights broke my heart. They cried for an hour and half (and so did mommy) DH and I went in at 5 minutes and then 10 minute intervals. The third night the girls only cried for 30 minutes. Now, about 4 weeks later (and a vacation later) they usually fall asleep within 15 minutes (many times less than 5 minutes) of getting into the crib. They still cry, it usually starts off as throwing a fit because they don't want me to leave them in the crib, as soon as I leave the room they begin to wind down. I have discovered that if I go back into their room, the crying time starts over - so now I use my monitors to check them regularly, and only go back in if I think their cry changes to a "hurt" cry.

Thanks everyone for your help and stories. Let me tell you - life is much better w/ a bit of sleep!

I know people don't agree with CIO, but I have to tell you it was a lifesaver around here, too! My babes sleep like champs and they are still happy, well-adjusted, well loved little things!

Yay for sleep!!!!! When they started STTN our relationship changed - we stopped bickering so much and everyone was happier!