Twin Toddlers' Sleep Regressions
How to deal with twin toddlers’ sleep regression
Sleep regressions are a natural part of babies’ sleep. They are a result of biological changes in their bodies, such as hormonal fluctuation, cognitive and physical developments. The main toddlers’ sleep regressions are 12 months and 18 months.
While no amount of sleep training can prevent these regressions from occurring, good sleeping habits will minimise their impact on your babies’ sleep, and ensure they do not last for very long. Your babies will experience some changes to their sleep routine, but with your help and support, they will return to a good sleeping structure very quickly.
things that make sleep regressions worse:
Lack of awareness of your twins’ sleep and wake windows and lack of routine will result in them getting overtired frequently. During a sleep regression, this will make it harder for your twins to nap during the day. Difficulty in napping further increases their overtiredness, and a vicious cycle will emerge.
Awareness of toddler’s sleep needs plays an important key in tackling sleep regressions. Ensuring your twins gets an adequate amount of sleep during the day, is just as important as ensuring they don’t sleep for too long. For toddlers, the morning nap should begin no earlier than 9:30am, and last 30min.
Untimely morning nap (too long and/or offered too early) will lead to reverse sleep face-shift. Your toddlers will then fight their midday nap and be very tired by bedtime. This, in turn, results in frequent night wakings and early morning wake-ups (before 6am).
9-12 months sleep regressions
Developmental milestone such as a new motor skill, speech and separation anxiety often set this regression off. If your twins aren’t upset by their newly developed skill (i.e. happily standing in their cot/crib), leave them be. Depending on your chosen settling method, only assist them to lie back down during check-ups. Otherwise, they can remain standing as long as they are not bothered by it.
Separation anxiety peaks at 9 months. While twin sleep training is definitely possible, choosing a gentle method will best suit this age group and complement your twins’ developmental stage.
Dropping morning nap will make matters worse. Most babies need 2 naps until they are 15 months old. Your twins might protest their morning nap, it is very common! Growing social awareness and interests may impose difficulties to settle. Whereas before they were happy to leave a busy living room, now they will happily stay awake to not miss out and get upset when it’s time to nap. Skipping naps will lead to baby accumulating sleep debt and they will be harder to settle later on. Baby will also sleep worse. Overtired babies tend to wake up prematurely due to high levels of cortisol (stress hormone) released as a result of fatigue.
If your baby is becoming overtired as you are tackling the sleep regression, an earlier bedtime will be your best choice. Earlier bedtime is the best solution for overtired babies. It helps reset their sleep debt for the night, and the following day.
Diet:
From 6 months, your babies’ digestive system is ready to process solid food. While milk is still their primary source of nutrition until they are 1, introducing different food groups is important for you their development. At this age, solids can make a big difference in the quality of your twins’ sleep, and a lack of protein, carbohydrates, and iron will hinder good sleep.
Feeding at night:
If your twins’ are still having a dream feed past 6.5 months, it’s best to drop it. This way you do not disturb their deep sleep stage, and help them have all the food they need during the day.
From 9 months, with a well established solid menu - babies needs no feeds at all. If your twins are still waking up for a feed during the night it’s best to work on re-settling and self-settling to help them return to sleep.
18-month regressions:
This sleep regression is often set off by trying to drop to 1 nap too soon. Keep morning nap in place until at least 15 months.
Ensure morning nap is no longer than 30min, and is offered around 9:30am.
When your twins are happy to make it till 12pm with no nap, sleeps for 1.5-2h at midday nap or does not settle until after 10am for at least a week, then they are ready to drop the nap.
To help them adjust to the new sleep routine, offer the midday nap for 2 hours from 12-2pm, and once the new routine is established, from 1-3pm.
Offer an earlier bedtime for the first week as your babies get used to the new sleep routine (6-6:30pm). Once babies can make it till 1pm, bedtime can move to 6:30-7pm.
When twins protests the nap, but still needs it:
Stick with the routine. Try to settle them for an hour, then cancel the nap if they aren’t sleeping. Keep nap in place, even if no sleep is achieved. The message is “it’s nap time. We are not doing anything else right now”. When you are consistent, nap will fall back into place.
Good sleeping habits will help your twins go through sleep regressions much faster. Observing their wake windows, offering naps at optimal times and for the appropriate length, establishing a good wind-down ritual and awareness of their diet - will get you and your twins through these sleep regressions and establish a great sleep routine.
No matter which sleep regression you are facing right now - sticking to your routine and offering an early bedtime (at 6pm) when day sleep isn’t successful, is the best solution to ride the storm.
Best fix for sleep regressions is teaching twins to self-settle. If your little ones struggle to settle on their own and you want to know how to support them, you can download my “Parents' Guide to Twin Sleep Consultation”.
You can find more free twin sleep guides and tips here.
If you want to work on your twins’ sleep regression, or want to know more about my gentle twin sleep training methods, book a twin sleep consultation package today, or learn how I can help you and your twins in a free 15-minute discovery call.