HomeThe Adventures of Motherhood with Twin Boys
The Adventures of Motherhood with Twin Boys
Love, Hugs, and a few Tears
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Twins and One Mommy at the Park
Oh, Look Twins! Playground Faces Autumn Run Reflection Sleep is Good; Night # 3 Find Beauty Everywhere Night #2 Night #1 Changes at Night February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 
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It's bedtime and he's bouncing off the walls.
Ever since Brodie started crawling, he has also been talking, nearly non-stop. We have no idea what he is saying or singing, but this doesn't bother him. It's fun to listen to Lucas and Brodie talk to each other. I have no idea if they can understand each other. But I'm sure in just a short time, they'll know what they are talking about, and I'll still be out of the loop.
When it's bedtime, Lucas winds down easily and falls asleep snuggled up with his blanky and sucks his thumb. Brodie's energy continues to escalate, as he gets more and more tired. He fights falling asleep. He basically is bouncing off the walls before he finally gives in to sleep. Our bedtime routine includes a bath. We read a book. I nurse him, give him a bottle, sing him nursery rhymes, and rock in the rocking chair. So far, I haven't figured out the right combination or magic trick to get him to calm down. Does anyone have an suggestions? 6 comments from 5 users
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posted by
ktja
on Jul 27, 2008 at 11:09 PM
Maybe the routine is too much for Brodie to handle and he's becoming overstimulated. Instead of bath, book, nursing, bottle, singing and rocking, maybe eliminate one or two of the steps to see if that makes a difference.
posted by
AmandaS
on Jul 28, 2008 at 12:06 AM
I think ktja might be right. But, who am I to hand out advice on this one...both of my kids fight bedtime like crazy. Do the boys sleep in the same room?
posted by
mom2twinboys
on Jul 28, 2008 at 08:28 AM
Yes, they sleep in the same room. Their cribs are right next to each other. Luckily, Lucas can sleep through all of Brodie's noise. Amazingly, if Lucas wakes up and cries, Brodie usually stays sleeping. They are both on their own schedules. Brodie just started sleeping on his side, which I hope will also help him sleep longer. At least he looks more comfortable.Sunday night (last night), after nursing him, I gave him a bottle before bed. He slept from 8:30PM-2AM = 5 1/2 hours. At 2 AM I nursed him and gave him another bottle. He then slept from 2:30AM-6AM = 3 1/2 hours. At 6AM, he fell back asleep after nursing and slept another hour until 7AM. Is it the additional milk from the bottle or coincidence? Who knows. At least he slept, and I got some much needed sleep. posted by
Love
on Jul 28, 2008 at 11:19 AM
I HIGHLY recommend reading "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. He really explains biological sleep rhythms and how/when they evolve/mature. He is also VERY adamant about the need for an early bedtime. When my daughter was this age she was going to bed at around 6pm and sleeping until 6:30-7am. She would rarely wake to eat, but Dr. Weissbluth says to continue to feed them at night 1-2 times until around age 9 months. She napped around 9am and 1pm for at least 1 hour. Dr. Weissbluth also explains that these times naturally evolve and all you have to do is sync with them. I was skeptical until I saw my daughter getting tired EVERY morning at around 9am and that she went right to sleep. Every child's sleep needs are different, even twins. Brodie may need more sleep than Lucas but first I would try getting them to bed at a much earlier hour. You may see a decrease in nightwaking and have an easier time getting both boys to fall asleep. Dr. Weissbluth states that the most common reason for difficulties falling asleep and excessive nightwaking is too late a bedtime. After using his methods and advice with my colicky daughter with such great success I am a believer! Email me if you want more info or have questions. Always here to help!
posted by
smithtwins
on Jul 28, 2008 at 12:09 PM
I read "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" and wasn't a fan. I do agree with the earlier bed time and that too little sleep results in even less sleep. Once I made the boys' bed time earlier, they seemed tired all the time right away, which confirmed to me that they weren't getting enough sleep. However, the book advocates cry-it-out as the MAIN method of sleep training. I am not completely opposed to limited or occasional CIO sessions. But it seemed to be the focus of the book, which I didn't find too helpful. I have a copy you can borrow if you wish. Sandra posted by
Love
on Jul 28, 2008 at 01:10 PM
While Dr. Weissbluth DOES state that the quickest, easiest way to correct sleep problems is to cry it out I didn't find it to be his MAIN method, just the most effective. He states that many parents aren't consistent enough for long enough with the other methods for them to work. I like the book as it give you guidelines on what to expect at each age. I still have it on my nightstand and had to read it recently as Paige just turned 3 and started waking at night once in a while. It helped me understand what developmental stage she was going through and how to help her stay on track with her sleep. If you read it without focusing on the CIO it has TONS of useful info.Love
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