overtired or not tired enough?

[twinsmommy]

We are having such trouble getting our 5 mo twin boys to sleep and to stay asleep.  I continually question whether they are overtired or not tired enough.  In the mornings they wake up happy and calmly after 11 hours of sleep with a df after the first 3 hours of sleep.  Then they go down relatively easily after only about an hour and fifteen minutes of awake time.  Then they are totally unpredictable - they may sleep for 45 minutes and wake up screaming or happy, or they can sleep for 2.5 hours waking up crying or happy.  I never know.  Then I tend to get tired signs after about an hour and a half, no matter how long they slept in the morning.  I try to do a wind down for 15 minnutes or so, and then put them down.  It invariably becomes a screaming and crying nightmare.  Some days I try to keep them up 2 hours no matter what, and some days I try putting them down as soon as I see a tired sign, or even try to wind down before they start to yawn.  Nothing seems to help.  I think we are all confused and very worn out.  They transitioned to a 4 hour EASY very easily in terms of feeding, but naps are a nightmare.  Please help!

Jessica

[twinsmommy]

Thanks so much for your quick response!  They were born at 35 weeks, but required no special care.  Our ped says to adjust for about two weeks.  They have met every developmental milestone thus far on time, however.  I have not really experimented with extending A time in the morning because up until the last few days, that was their best nap in terms of going down and staying down.  If it ain't broke...But I am now questioning it because the rest of the day goes so terribly.  We do put them in dark rooms, although its not totallydark, and gets lighter as the day goes on.  We've tried white noise but it has actually caused more problems than its solved.  They used to be swaddled but like to suck their thumbs, fingers, arms, etc.  Swaddling them with their arms out seems rather pointless.

Thanks again,

Jessica