When twins get overtired
The impact of overtiredness on twins’ sleep
We all know that babies need to sleep quite a lot. But what is less talked about is what happens when babies don’t sleep enough.
So let’s unpack this.
When twins get overtired
We can all remember a time when we tried to go to sleep, but we were anxious or worried about something, and sleep wouldn’t come. And when we did manage to fall asleep, we tossed and turned all night.
How frustrating!
When babies don’t sleep enough, and/or are awake for too long, overtiredness impacts them in the same way. Sleep is a science after all.
When it comes to twins, who often share a room, and where most twin parents want some form of a routine/synchronisation, this can be even harder, as it can make tandem settling harder, they can wake each other up, or, once you settle them to sleep, one or both quickly wake up.
So here is what’s happening...
Overtiredness leads to the production of cortisol (a stress hormone).
Cortisol and its impact on your twins’ sleep
Cortisol makes it harder for babies to fall asleep. That’s why they get so unsettled when you try to help them fall asleep, and settling for a nap or bedtime drag for a while.
But that’s not all...
Cortisol also prevents babies from entering Deep Sleep.
For newborns, this will lead to them waking up after 20/25 minutes, while older babies will wake up after 30min (their sleep patterns are different).
This is why, even though they are tired and you worked so hard to settle them to sleep, they aren’t able to sleep for long enough.
And here is the catch...
The cycle of overtiredness
When babies wake up too early from a nap, and we don’t try to help them return to sleep (re-settle), they will tire out much sooner than the end of their wake window.
What’s more, sleep regulates appetite and mood, so chances are they won’t eat well, and will be quite grizzly until their next sleep.
The important thing to do in these instances is to help them return to sleep. This can look different from baby to baby, and across age groups.
Yet what is important to remember is that without effective attempts to re-settle, they are more likely to wake up and stay up each time.
Babies learn to re-settle when we put in the effort to help them do that.
Why RE-SETTLING is so important
Without re-settling, babies end up endlessly overtired.
They are fussier with food, easily irritated, aren’t interested in play, don’t want to be put down, and, as we mentioned before, because they tire out quicker, settling them to sleep can take longer.
This might be somewhat manageable with one baby, but with twins? It can get old very quickly, and that’s when parents begin to feel helpless, overwhelmed, frustrated, and out of sorts. Very understandable.
This can easily turn into a vicious cycle of overtiredness, for both parents and babies.
Understanding what lies underneath your babies’ sleep and behaviour can help you better troubleshoot naps, decide whether to wake the other twin or not, what to expect when a wake window is too long, and what to do when a nap ends too early.
Effective re-settling (with a consistent method and for a consistent duration) is truly instrumental in changing babies’ sleeping habits. It can help them learn to consolidate sleep cycles, re-settle (either on their own or with help), sleep with and through each other’s crying, tackle overtiredness, and foster good sleep during the day and night.
While we can’t always avoid overtiredness at all costs, understanding it helps us achieve better sleep, and use the right action plan when necessary.
Do you want to change your twins’ sleeping habits? Do you need help with re-settling and better sleep during the day and/or night?
Book a free discovery call to learn more about my gentle twin sleep training methods, or book a twin sleep consultation package below: