Newborn twins Sleep training Case Studies

These little twins were 5 weeks old when we started working together (3 weeks premature). They were sleeping in the buggy/stroller in the living-room, and were awake for too long between naps. This made settling efforts very hard, and sleep was not lasting for long once achieved. The evenings were particularly difficult between 8pm-2am, with frequent wake-ups. Re-settling took a long time, at times 1.5 hours during the night.

Our course of action focused on newborns’ age-appropriate wake windows, as well as a better sleep environment and effective newborn's setting technique. The twins responded very well to the changes offered. Once sleep was offered at better times of the day, we used an effective settling method and optimal environment - they settled faster and slept better.

Parents’ consistency and commitment to the sleep programme helped their efforts bear fruit fast. The twins slept better and longer, and had a much better mood during the day.

These wee twins were only 7 weeks (4 weeks corrected) when we started working together.

Sleep was really hard to come by, as bubbas were struggling to feed well, waking up every 30 minutes, and settling was very unpredictable.

Mum and Dad were bound to contact naps as settling in the cribs seemed never to work.

The days were blurring into the night ,and predictability or consistency were nowhere to be found.

During the 2 weeks we worked together, we observed the babies’ wake windows, optimised their sleep space, and introduced a newborn-friendly settling method, Mum and Dad began to see big differences.

When no one was getting overtired (as wake windows were more closely observed), babies were settling much more easily, sleeping longer, and more receptive to re-settling.

Mum had an action plan for day and night wake-ups, and a sense of control and clarity was helping her better support each baby’s sleep needs.

Subsequently, feeding and mood improved, as babies were not too tired to eat, their appetite was regulated (thanks to good sleep), and waking moments were much more pleasant for everyone.

The night sleep began to take shape as babies’ day sleep was more organise, and Mum and Dad could finally get rest when needed.

These twin boys were 8 weeks old, but 4 weeks corrected age when we started working together. They struggled to settle to sleep and usually skipped one nap a day, leaving them very overtired for the next nap. This accumulated fatigue made it harder for them to settle to sleep and consolidate sleep cycles.

Looking at their daily schedule, we addressed their wake windows to help them build a better sleep drive and settle better to sleep. It also helped them sleep for longer when sleep was offered and improved their night's sleep.

We optimised the sleep environment and established an age-appropriate sleep routine. Even for newborns, this can make a huge difference when establishing good sleeping habits.

Our two-week programme has set the stage for much-needed sleep for parents and bubbas alike. This helped the parents get them on a similar routine and took the load off of on-going settling and re-settling, and reduced the crying significantly.

The little ones thus started their journey towards restorative sleep and good sleeping habits.

These 2.5-month-old twin girls were 1.5-month-old corrected age. 

Day sleep was possible only in the arms, as they were waking up upon transferring to the bassinet, or shortly after. 

The disturbed sleep and accumulated overtiredness resulted in frequent feeds, vomiting, and spillage

Overnight, the girls tended to wake up a lot, and parents resolved to take turns having the girls sleep on them, which became unsustainable.

Mum and Dad were tired, and wanted better sleep habits than having to wear them in the wrap during the entire day.

With Dad returning to work, and Mum needing a break from baby-wearing, we looked at the best action plan.

During the 3 weeks of working together, we introduced an age-appropriate nap routine, and began working on settling the girls to sleep in their bassinets.

A step-by-step plan was set in motion for settling and re-settling, considering parents' needs, mental and emotional well-being, and sleep goals.

These parents worked hard, and slowly progress was taking shape. The girls began to respond well to settling in the bassinet, and more successfully complete sleep cycles. 

They also started feeding better, and the usual spillage and vomiting were gone.

Overnight, they began to sleep for longer stretches of time, and by the end of the sleep programme, they were only feeding twice a night.

Settling and re-settling was getting easier, and Mum and Dad were not only getting a better night's sleep, but also happier girls during the day, and some much-needed me time during naps.

Helping newborn twins sleep better can be a challenge for any parent.

Yet at 9 weeks (4 weeks premature), Mum and Dad wanted to understand their babies' sleep better.

They knew that self-settling wasn't an option just yet, however, there was much they could do to help drive the process better, get a predictable routine, and manage less-than-ideal sleeps whenever needed.

When newborns don't yet produce melatonin, and the circadian rhythm is still in the making, supporting their sleep can be challenging. 

During our time together, we optimised the babies' sleep environment (it was time to move into a bigger bed), considered optional swaddles that will suit each baby, discussed what overtiredness looks like and leads to, and how to use effective newborn settling methods for each baby as well as in tandem.

Because with newborn twins we always need to adjust our expectations: what can be achieved, at which age, and how to support them when things get tricky (there are two babies after all).

Settling in the cot isn't always the best option, and sometimes giving ourselves grace means we can remain motivated and consistent in the long run.

With a deeper understanding of their babies' sleep needs and patterns, Mum and Dad were able to troubleshoot messy naps, chaotic evenings, and night sleep with more clarity and ease.

Night sleep was starting to take shape, Mum was amazing at getting on top of babies' overtiredness, and was starting to successfully tandem settle when necessary.

With great sleeping habits in place, Mum and Dad are now well equipped to support their bubbas' sleep and face upcoming changes, sleep regressions, illnesses with confidence.

These newborn twin girls were used to settling in the arms, and transferring to their cots more often than not ended up with them waking up.

Cat napping was the most they could do in their cot, and sometimes not even that.

Mum was accumulating fatigue, and so did the girls. As Dad was at work during the day, Mum had to find a way to do this on her own, and help all three get the rest they needed.

Although they were only 3 months old, there was still a lot we could do to help them get more sleep during the day, and settle more independently.

We worked on a newborns’ sleep plan that focused on:

1. the girls’ age (age-appropriate wake window).

2. optimizing sleep environment.

3. observing feeding windows

4. effective settling and re-settling strategies

This sleep plan helped the girls begin to settle in their cots rather than in the arms, and learn how to link sleep cycles. We slowly phased their cat naps out.

Transferring to the cot and settling in their day beds became more successful too. This meant Mum could tandem settle, and get the girls on a similar schedule more easily.

Following the sleep plan meant Mum could plan the day’s errands and rhythm without having to be bound to the house all day, and have a more predictable schedule for their wake and sleep times.

These twin parents knew a lot about sleep consultation. They used it for their older son. Yet with 3-month-old newborn twins (and a toddler) things were different.

Routine, tandem settling, synced nap schedule... It all seemed harder to achieve.

The girls were not all that hard to settle, but they did not sleep for very long (30min at a time). This made feeding harder, and they were very unsettled while awake.

Night sleep was hit-or-miss, and predictability was hard to come by.

Mum and Dad wanted more clarity about how to handle the girls' sleep, and understand why they were not sleeping well. Sleep training was not yet appropriate to introduce, but surely there is something we can do?

And there was!

We only worked together for a week, but these superstar parents made a big difference in that time!

With awareness of their girls' sleep needs, patterns, and wake windows, and an effective tandem settling method, they were set up for success.

Working on settling at the right times and a contingency plan for naps and night wakes meant there was a clearer path towards better sleep.

Once getting on top of the girls' overtiredness, and being consistent with settling methods, the girls began to extend their naps, consolidated their night sleep more predictably, ate better, and had a better mood while awake

At 3 months old, Mum and Dad were looking for a drastic change in their twins' sleep.

They were finding themselves rocking and bouncing each baby to sleep, multiple times a day, sleeping them in the stroller, and in the arms - anywhere but their cribs.

Babies were tired from lack of sleep, and so were the parents. 

And with daycare beginning in a few weeks, they knew this can't go on - these babies need better sleep strategies, and the parents wanted something that would work for them at home and at daycare.

We started softly with a newborn-specific settling method that I often use in tandem.

While Mum and Dad were practising this side by side to gain confidence in the process, they were amazed at how well both babies responded to the more stationary settling method.

At daycare, things were a bit more challenging because the babies weren't used to the setting, people, wake windows were harder to observe, and sleep was scarce.

So Mum and Dad focused on the weekends, getting the babies down early in the evening on daycare days, and maintaining their settling method overnight.

Both babies were sleeping in their beds now. No more stroller/arms/yoga ball settling - what a win!

Then the babies and Mum got super sick. Mum even ended up staying at the hospital for a few nights. This meant Dad had to work on tandem settling for the first time, and he did so well!

Once back to health, we decided it was time to take it up a notch and work on self-settling. The twins were now over 4 months, so we knew they were ready for a different challenge.

We built on the great foundations Mum and Dad had already laid and started supporting the babies to gradually and responsively learn to self-settle. 

Baby girl was handling it super well. Baby boy was taking his time to get used to the idea, but with consistency and patience, he got there! too

Daycare naps were getting longer, and now that the babies learned to roll from back to tummy, their sleep during the day and night was that much better.

Baby girl was sleeping through the night (while being fed twice). Meanwhile, baby boy hit the 4-month sleep regression...

We didn't panic. We held on to what we were doing, offering as much support as necessary while settling and re-settling, and within less than a week, he was back to sleeping much better during the day and night.

This entire process took over a month (with the illness in the middle too). 

By the time we finished our work together, the babies were going to daycare full-time, 5 days a week, and Mum and Dad were settling them in tandem (one parent in the room with both babies). 

While sleep can be harder to predict at daycare, the babies average 1-3 hours of sleep each nap, and sleep beautifully at home.

The parents' hard work and commitment to this process made it all possible. 

While we hit several bumps in the road (daycare, illness, sleep regression), having an action plan and a predictable settling method made it much easier on babies and parents.

And at the end, parents and babies can now sleep much better!

Only 1.5 weeks premature, these twin girls were edging towards the end of their newborn phase. This meant a small scale of self-settling could soon be introduced. But we needed to get the ground ready first…

The girls were mostly sleeping on the go, or in the arms, and re-settling wasn’t quite established. Cat-napping was a constant companion of the day which resulted in accumulated fatigue, and the evenings were thus unpleasant.

With mum mostly on her own during the day, we needed to find a solution to work on settling in their cots, and make everybody comfortable with a new nap routine.

By tweaking the timing of their nap, observing age appropriate wake windows, and introducing an effective settling and re-settling technique, slowly, but surely, better and longer sleep was starting to take place. One of the girls was beginning to self-settle, which gave mum the confidence she needed to support her new established skill. It also meant more attention could be given to her twin sister, who needed a bit more support as she was learning to adjust to the changes.

A newborn routine for the day and night, age-appropriate schedule and a newborn-specific settling method, meant the girls were extending their naps during the day, and beginning to wake up at a more decent time in the morning within only 2 weeks.

Both Mum and Dad noticed the girls’ crying has changed too, as they build trust and confidence in themselves and the settling method, and with less fatigue accumulate during the day their mood while awake improved too!

Settling these 4-month-old twin boys was definitely a challenge for Mum and Dad. Understandably, parents have used various props and techniques to help them settle, from using bouncers, rocking, and the Snoo.

Mum and Dad were very keen on helping their babies learn to settle independently in their beds, and get a routine that would help them get the sleep they needed during the day and night.

While one baby was still dealing with feeding aversion, we started with just the one twin. Twin B joined the process a few days later.

We introduced an age-appropriate nap schedule, and an out-of-the-room settling technique. We observed wake windows, feeding times and consistent settling strategies. Parents were keen to support their babies as much as they needed, yet wanted to allow them to develop self-settling skills.

The first week was a bit challenging for Twin A and parents, as everyone adjusted to the new routine and settled in, yet progress emerged in small and big steps. And by week 2, things really took shape! Twin B responded well to the changes, and as parents knew what to expect, and getting him on the same routine was easier.

The first and fastest thing that changed was that babies were calming down without needing to be rocked and tapped. Parents learned that their presence was an effective calming factor, and the babies were no longer required to be held and touched each time to settle.

Also, by removing the swaddle and giving babies time to find strategies to settle independently, they began rolling in their cribs, and started falling asleep on their tummy (which is great once babies can independently roll back and forth).

Then, babies began to consolidate sleep cycles, and naps began to extend. This meant less overtiredness and better bedtime settling. Now, bedtime was falling into place, which meant nighttime began to consolidate.

We gradually reduced night feeds to 2, and Twin B (with the feeding aversion) shuffled his calorie intake to daytime.

While there were still minor things to tweak, after 2.5 weeks Mum and Dad were having a predictable routine, settling was done smoothly without any rocking, and babies learned to self-settle, and re-settle (a more complex skill to learn), which meant they were sleeping better and longer.

At 4 months (3 months corrected age), these twin girls were sleeping through the night splendidly. But day naps were a hot mess.

They woke up every 30 minutes, struggled to settle in their cribs, and transferring them from the arm/cushion to the bed was unsuccessful.

Mum was getting worried that without effective strategies to settle them, things would get worse once the 4-month sleep regression arrived.

The girls' overtiredness affected their mood and appetite, and feeding was a rather unpleasant process for all parties.

What's more, while the nights were going great, the idea that this could change and the girls would need support overnight was quite stress-inducing without settling tools in place.

We worked together for 2.5 weeks. The first thing we looked at was their nap routine and wake windows. Because when it comes to newborns, these are the most important things we need to attend to. When babies are awake for too long, they are harder to settle, and they tend to wake up too early from naps.

Once Mum started observing these, naps began to extend, mood improved, and fussiness around feeding times was a thing of the past.

We started implementing an effective settling method for both tandem and individual settling, and had an action plan for when re-settling was necessary.

While the journey required Mum and Dad's patience, attention, and perseverance, rest assured that they would emerge.

At the end of the sleep plan, the girls settled within a few minutes, linked their sleep cycles, and re-settled (whenever needed) successfully, and they even began to self-still (even though we didn't work on that). 

Naps' timings were predictable, Mum and Dad gained confidence in navigating settling and overtiredness, and understanding the girls' sleep needs and patterns.

Now, even when regressions may come, these parents have all the tools they need to support their twin girls' sleep night and day.