Help! Bedtime issues with 2.5 year old twins.

[boopie2001]

I have an issue with my b/g twins when it comes to bedtime. My twins are 2.5 years old and they are generally good kids but at night I am having some trouble getting them to go sleep at a decent time. They play around, jump in their beds, running around and scream when they should be going to sleep. Tonight, I put them to bed at 8:00 and it is now 10:13pm and they are still not sleep. I really would not care too much but they have up since 8:00 am and they usually do not nap anymore. The night before they stayed up until 2:00 am (they did have a late nap - ugh). I was getting so frustrated and angry with this situation, finally separated them. Of course, when I took my daughter out, my son had a MAJOR meltdown. I understood his anger, but what am I supposed to do.

My question is whether I should really consider giving them separate sleeping areas? Do you think it is too early for it? I really don't think they get enough sleep because they feed off of each other at night. What do you think? Do you have another suggestions? I will tell you that I do have a nighttime routine, but they still get so crazy sometimes.

[Shuli]

We have the same problem with our 2.5 year old twins as well. When they stopped nursing to sleep, we seperated them for bed time. We do the same bed time routine with both of them together and then when it comes time to actually go to sleep we put R in a pack'n'play in another room and D goes to sleep in his bed and when they are both alseep we transfer R back into his bed. They both go to sleep on their own and we don't have to sit with them, but that took a lot of effort, especially with D. We have the same routine every night, but it starts at a different time every night depending on thier mood. Do you keep an eye on behavior? I find that if I watch for overtired behavior and nip it in the bud and start bed time routine right away, it goes much smoother. If I don't watch and just go by the clock there are some days when I just want to pull my hair out. If we start a little too early, even though they are tired, we just keep them in the bath a little longer to stretch it out, but they start to calm down and they settle much better than if we start it later. That's what works for us.

[MamaRabbit]

And this is why I'm dreading phasing out the crib!!! Here taking notes LOL

[Red Pajama]

Bedtime was exhausting when my boys quit nursing to sleep. They would bounce, giggle, and generally go nuts at bedtime. It felt like a war, because I was always reminding "lie down, be quiet", or I'd have to stay in there, thererfore getting nothing done. When they'd finally fall asleep I'd be relieved, yet angry, because it had taken SO much time. Add into that a new sister, and things were bad for awhile.

Some things helped. Having a definite routine (for us, books, teeth, prayers, bed) helped. Putting glow in the dark stars on the ceiling helped for a few nights.

Then one night, one of my boys got up and came into my room and fell asleep on the floor. I made him a pallet on the floor next to my side of the bed, and he started sleeping there for the last 2 1/2 years. He's just now starting the night in his own bed. I would move him after he fell asleep, and put him in his own bed, and he would come back in at some point in the night.

My other twin is very restless still at bedtime. I offered to rock him for a few nights, and that's something that's still done on rare occasions.

Really good sleep music (we like "can't you sleep little bear" cd) helps here, too.

Good luck. It does get better. It just takes time. It helped me to remember that I can't force someone to go to sleep any more than I can force someone to eat. I provide the support, but that's all I do.

[hergrace]

When the trips gave up their naps just before 2.5, we had a rough time getting bedtime sorted out. A strict routine and an earlier bedtime ended up being the key. If I didn't get them to bed before their second wind hit them in the evening, it was a disaster.

It took a while to settle down, but we didn't end up having to separate them.

[OGirlieMama]

This won't make you feel any better, but I feel compelled to answer. Ever since my girls switched to sleeping in a bed (they share a queen) I have had to lie down between them until they fall asleep. And some nights it's torture to get them to listen to me about *anything* at bedtime - they just get so crazy together. The actual falling asleep got easier once they stopped napping, though, because they're so tired at the end of the day.

Good luck!

[Free Thinker]

No advice, just wanted to say you are not alone! My boys take an hour+ to go to sleep at night, they feed off each other. I lay in there with them, and keep telling them to shush, lay still, ect. It makes me really frustrated, too!!! I am thinking seprate places to sleep might be helpful at this point. They like to kick and sit up and hollar at each other!

[at-home]

My twin girls are now three and bedtime is going smoothly - whew! We've been through all the craziness of trying to get twins to sleep at night and we've tried "everything!" It's just so exasperating and I know just how you feel! This is what has worked for us: No naps during the day. Bedroom cleared out of everything except their beds, which are fastened to the wall. (No toys, no clothes.) A device on the light switch that prevents them from turning the light on. Light-blocking curtains. A gate across the door. At bedtime (8:30pm) I put them each to bed with their favorite blanket and stuffed animal, give them each a sippy cup with milk, kiss them goodnight and turn out the light. The cup of milk helps them settle down long enough to relax in the dark and, since they haven't had a nap all day, they are tired and ready to sleep. I realize some parents might take issue with a gate across the door or milk in bed, but this combination has worked for us for several months now and I am grateful for peace in our home and time for myself in the evening. When we first started this routine, the girls sometimes ran around in their room acting crazy, but with the light off and nothing to play with and no furniture to move, they eventually went to sleep (sometimes on the floor!) without my intervention. Before long, they were just staying in bed and falling asleep shortly thereafter.