The confines of swaddling also prevent the babies’ natural startle reflex from waking them up. Swaddling works best with newborns. After a month or two, your babies will outgrow the comforting effects. Create an sleep-friendly environment in their nursery or sleeping area. Keep things dark and quiet. If you need lights, make them soft and low. A dimmer switch works great for this. Reduce noise, or use background white noise like a fan or quiet music. A fan to avoid the room being too hot may also reduce the risk of SIDS. Maybe one parent is on duty from 9:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. Then the other takes over from 2:00 a.m. until the morning. Take into consideration your family’s lifestyle, habits, and preferences, and work out an approach that meets both parents’ needs. Or call on grandma, aunts, sisters, or neighbors to pull a night shift. That shot of sleep will do wonders for your well-being and make for a much happier family. Let someone else do the dishes, run the errands, or clean the bathrooms. For the first few weeks of your twins’ lives, your main priority is to feed and nurture them. Catch a few winks when you can. If bottle-feeding, prepare bottles and formula in advance so that they’re ready to go when babies wake to feed in the night. Keep diapers and supplies nearby so that you can change babies and get them back to bed faster. Consider having the babies sleep in a bassinet (or bassinets) in your room so that you don’t have to travel far in the middle of the night. This works especially well with monozygotic (identical) twins or babies that are approximately the same weight, who often have similar metabolisms and are more likely to be hungry at the same time. Of course, keep your babies’ individual needs in mind. Talk to your pediatrician to develop an appropriate approach. These rituals will become a cherished part of the day for both you and the babies and can be an excellent opportunity for sharing some one-on-one time and bonding. Perhaps start the routine with a bath, a soothing activity that physically relaxes your babies. It’s never too early to introduce your babies to books by reading to them. Or spend a few moments cuddling in the rocking chair before settling them into their cribs. It’s natural to be cautious and concerned over their condition, but many parents lose sleep because they are too in tune with every cry and snuffle as their babies sleep. With time, you’ll learn to interpret your babies’ cries and respond only to those that require your attention. Certainly, you should never ignore or neglect a child who needs you in the night, but you’ll get more rest if you learn to transition back to sleep as your baby settles back down. Take care of yourself during these tough times and give yourself some credit. You’ve got two babies to care for, and you’re managing it quite well. Tomorrow is another day and maybe, just maybe, you’ll get some sleep then.
