How to Sleep Train Twins
As a mom of twins, and a member of The Sleep Fairy team, let me reassure you that you WILL sleep again after having two babies at once! I was terrified I would be a lifelong zombie once my babies were born, but Jessalyn’s Twin Edition of her e-book came to the rescue!
Tips for Sleep Training Twins
We asked several moms of multiples in our Sleep Fairy community what their tips are for sleep training twins, and here are the top five most common answers:
Commit. When you decide to start sleep training multiples (or any baby for that matter), you have to be all in! There will be nights where everything goes great and you feel so well rested, and then others when it seems like you’re taking steps backwards. But then the next night can be great again! Babies don’t learn in a linear pattern, so the key is to stick to it. You’re teaching yourself just as much as you’re teaching them!
Keep them on the same schedule. Your life will be so much easier if they are doing the same things at the same time! When one wakes to eat, wake the other. It’s so hard to wake a peaceful sleeping baby, especially in the middle of the night, but your life will be way more difficult if you are feeding both on demand, at different times. You’ll never have time to get anything done or deal with other kids at home because you’ll be feeding someone constantly!
Be consistent. There may be off days here and there, but try try to stick to your schedule with them so that they get used to it especially since there are two. I love my sleep, so I made sacrifices in other areas of my life so I could be consistent with their routine to get them sleeping through the night.
Realize that they are two completely different babies! Following their cues is key. One might need to cry a little longer than the other. One might get tired faster than the other. Don’t hesitate to put one down and to wait a little on the other. I would recommend not waiting longer than 15-20 minutes after putting twin 2 down, just so they stay close in schedule.
Follow the Sleep Fairy Way e-book. One mom said, “I did exactly what she told me to do and my girls were both sleeping 12 hours by 16 weeks! And they spent the first 8 weeks of their lives in the NICU. Once we got the green light from our pediatrician, we started sleep training and saw results almost immediately.”
Sleep Training Twins vs. Singletons?
Let’s be honest, twins are just a whole different animal when it comes to sleep training. Sleep training my singletons (the weird word moms of multiples have given to those who have one baby at a time) was very different than sleep training my twins. But if you can sleep train one, you can sleep train two! It just so happens that you are doing it at the same time.
However, if you have more questions about specifics, including crib sharing, room sharing, ideas for a routine with two, and more, check out the Twins Edition e-book. Take it from a twin momma who knows—I promise it will be a lifesaver.