Awake every 2ish hours - 5.5 mo twin girls

[mommyruth]

Hi all,
I've been trying hard to follow all the BW guidance, and I think we're doing everything we're supposed to, but I'm really struggling here.  I haven't slept more than 3 hours in 5 months, and I'm really running out of steam... "exhausted" has now lost all meaning.

I have twin baby girls (5.5 months old), and they are lovely babies.  Pleasant, smiley, laughy - but they just won't stay asleep! They wake up every 1-2 hours all night long. Of course, there are two of them, so some nights one baby has a better night, and other nights it's the other baby, but overall... neither of them stays asleep. Usually I can put them back to sleep with their pacifier, or just rubbing their chest and talking quietly - sometimes I do pu/pd, and they do go back to sleep, but then they are up again 1-2 hours later.

Here are the questions:
How old is your child? 5.5 months
What’s his/her daily routine?

6/7 Wake
7 Feed
7:30 A
8:30/9:00 Start First Nap (usually 1.5 hours)
11:00 Feed
11:30 A (total of 2 hours from wake up time)
12/12:30 Start Second Nap (usually 1.5 hours)
1:30/2:00 A (it's too early to feed them, so we play)
2:30/3:00 Feed and than Activity until Nap
3:30/4:00 Start Third Nap (usually 1.5 hours)
5/5:30 - A
6 Feed (I find if I don't feed them before the bedtime routine, they
get too cranky)
6:30 - Short walk outside, Bath, book
7:15ish Feed
7:30ish Bedtime

Do you bottle or breastfed?
- Breastfed
How much? or how long?
- Takes about 15 min for each baby (30 min total)
If breastfed.. one side or both?
- Each baby eats from one breast (alternatingbreasts)
How many wakes per night?
- Typical night - awake at 10, 10:30, dreamfeed around 11:00, awake at 1:45, 2:30, 4:00, 4:30, 5:45, 6:30
What’s your LO like when waking at night? How long is he/she up?
- Generally, they just fuss/whine - I try to get to them before full crying because then she'll wake up her sister. Usually they'll go right back to sleep, BUT, there is usually one period in the night (from 1:45-3 or 4-5) where they are up for an extended time - just won't sleep and I do pu/pd.
When you go to him/her is she fussing or crying? Or is it a mantra cry?
- I try to leave them when I think it's a mantra cry.
What have you tried to settle?
- Pacifier, soothing talking/humming, pu/pd
What do you do for A time and how long is it?
- A is usually around 2 hours. Activity mat, mobile, jolly jumper, walks outside, tummy time, singing songs, exersaucer, whatever we can think of!
Are there developmental issues such as teething or milestones?
- I don't think so - this has been going on for months.
Have you introduced cereal? Why, how much, and how many times a day? (for LO’s under 6 months)
- No - only breast milk
Do they have a prop? If so what is it?
- I guess probably their pacifiers, but I'm not sure. I put them in when they go to sleep and to put them back to sleep, but they don't seem to wake up when the paci falls out...
Do they have a lovie?
- Like a blankie or something? No, nothing.

My DH and I have tried to think of anything that could be waking them up, but I don't know what it would be (i.e. noise, temp, etc). They seem happy enough, they just won't stay asleep.

I am trying to just accept my fate and wait til they grow out of this, but.... I have no energy reserves left. DH tries to help, but the babies won't settle for him and I end up waking up anyway and having to settle a then cranky baby.

If you have ANY advice, I'd love to hear it... I'm trying to get them to 2 hour naps regularly, and they do nap for 2 hours sometimes, but it doesn't seem to make any difference to the NW.

Hopefully...
-Ruth

[Colin Macs Mom]

Hi Ruth!

Congratulations on your two little bundles - and I'd really like to applaud you for BFing twins!

I think you need to make some routine changes. I think they're getting too much daytime sleep, robbing from night sleep. The third nap of the day should be a catnap of no more than 45 minutes. Also, I'd suggest choosing a wake time in the morning, and waking them if need be. I imagine with twins it's much easier to go with the flow on that, and it's not the end of the world if you don't stick with a time. It just makes days more consistent. I would suggest moving to something more like this:

7 Wake and Feed
7:30 A
9:30 Start First Nap (usually 1.5 hours)
11:00 Wake and Feed
11:30 A
1:30 Start Second Nap
3:00 Wake and Feed
3:30 A
5:00 or 5:30 Catnap, no longer than 45 min
6ish Feed upon waking if they want
6:30 - Short walk outside, Bath, book
7:00ish Bedtime

This does require longer A times, which at their age they should be able to handle. It never ends well if you just cold turkey cut over, so adjusting 5 or maybe 10 min at a time every few days is a good way to go.

[mommyruth]

Thank you for your comments, Colin Macs Mom!

I've been using the guidance in the 3rd BW book on transitioning from 3 to 4 hour routines, and I was between Days 12-15 and "The Goal" on pg 230. Yes, I'll need to extend their A time gradually - they almost fall asleep by themselves at the 2 hr mark!

I'll definitely try to have them sleep less during the day. It does seem like they aren't sleeping deeply at night.

We are trying to have a regular 7:00 am wake up time, but the babies haven't quite agreed to cooperate yet. They wake up anytime from 5:15 to 7:30; it does seem to be getting a bit more consistent recently.

Do you have any thoughts on the type of A they should be doing? They don't sit up alone yet, so most of the activity needs to be on their backs or in an exersaucer/jumper for support. I don't like to keep them in the toys/exercisers for too long as it seems too solitary, but I feel like they aren't getting enough stimulation when they're just on their backs (on an activity mat). Thoughts?

Thank you again. I know these things all take time, but I wonder how many more days/nights I can go without sleep.....

[mommyruth]

oh, one more question... we are still swaddling them for naps and night. Do you have any thoughts on when we should stop swaddling them? It seems to be a good "off switch" for sleep, so I'd like to keep swaddling them, but maybe their hands free would help them to self-soothe... Thoughts?