Sleep again - how on earth do you do HSHHC w/twins?

I am a real one note song - all I ever post about is sleep! I got the HSHHC book based on some recommendations here and I really like it - I started right away with my better sleeper, and she's doing well. Today, I decided to bite the bullet w/my really bad sleeper and so far, it's going horribly. I know it's not going to be great for a while, but I don't even know if I'm doing it right or if this is the right thing for him. Here was our day:

Wake at 7:30
Nap at 9:30 - put him down drowsy but awake, he screamed for about 20 min then slept for 40 min
Nap at 1 - put him down drowsy but awake, he screamed for about 20 min then slept for 40 min
Nap at 4:45 - he fell asleep while nursing so I put him down and he slept for about 45 min
Bedtime at 7 following bedtime routine of bath, nursing, book, lullaby CD. Screamed 20 min, slept 20 min, screamed 20 min.

Here's where the real problem started - I had to put my other twin down, and they share a room. Bad sleeper was so completely hysterical when I went upstairs that I almost threw up and I have a raging headache from being so upset. I had to get dh to come get him, because I couldn't nurse the good sleeper, I was so upset. This sounds so wimpy and unresolved, but I was SET on this, I really was. If he was a singleton, I think I could do it (although seeing him SO miserable, sobbing and screaming and gasping for breath makes me wonder if it really is the only way?), but I don't know how to make this work for him w/o totally wrecking what little progress I've made with his sister. I can separate them by putting one down in my room instead, but the rooms are right next door to each other, so it's not really any more quiet.

You'd think I'd be better at this by my 5th and 6th kid, I feel like such a failure. I don't know why this is so HARD, it feels literally impossible, like it's never going to get better. Sorry to ask for help on the same exact thing again, but - any advice? tranquilizers (for me AND them)? Thanks!

 

I am a real one note song - all I ever post about is sleep! I got the HSHHC book based on some recommendations here and I really like it - I started right away with my better sleeper, and she's doing well. Today, I decided to bite the bullet w/my really bad sleeper and so far, it's going horribly. I know it's not going to be great for a while, but I don't even know if I'm doing it right or if this is the right thing for him. Here was our day:

Wake at 7:30
Nap at 9:30 - put him down drowsy but awake, he screamed for about 20 min then slept for 40 min
Nap at 1 - put him down drowsy but awake, he screamed for about 20 min then slept for 40 min
Nap at 4:45 - he fell asleep while nursing so I put him down and he slept for about 45 min
Bedtime at 7 following bedtime routine of bath, nursing, book, lullaby CD. Screamed 20 min, slept 20 min, screamed 20 min.

Here's where the real problem started - I had to put my other twin down, and they share a room. Bad sleeper was so completely hysterical when I went upstairs that I almost threw up and I have a raging headache from being so upset. I had to get dh to come get him, because I couldn't nurse the good sleeper, I was so upset. This sounds so wimpy and unresolved, but I was SET on this, I really was. If he was a singleton, I think I could do it (although seeing him SO miserable, sobbing and screaming and gasping for breath makes me wonder if it really is the only way?), but I don't know how to make this work for him w/o totally wrecking what little progress I've made with his sister. I can separate them by putting one down in my room instead, but the rooms are right next door to each other, so it's not really any more quiet.

You'd think I'd be better at this by my 5th and 6th kid, I feel like such a failure. I don't know why this is so HARD, it feels literally impossible, like it's never going to get better. Sorry to ask for help on the same exact thing again, but - any advice? tranquilizers (for me AND them)? Thanks!

 

We are going through it now too. What we have done is separate them for the time being (our "good" sleeper is in the pack-n-play in an adjacent bedroom) and we have fans running in both rooms (as well as my 2 yr old son's) to block out any crying noises. It seems to be working...the babies aren't waking each other up anymore and they are falling asleep fairly quickly and sleeping 10-12 hrs! It's wonderful and amazing! Naptimes are SO much better and my life is much less stressful since starting the techniques in HSHHC!

Good luck!

 

quote:
tranquilizers (for me AND them)?

HAHAHAHA!! That might be the key...traquilizers for mom!! I have 5 kids, and I still feel like an idiot some of the time!!

Can you get him down first? That is the only thing that my mommy brain can think of this late!!

Let me first say that I am not familiar with HSHHC....is it a schedule? I see a lot of postings on it, but I have never read the book!

Jacob was a horrible sleeper til 6 months. I was up 5-10 times a night to give him his paci. NOT FUN! Especially when I was expected to be sane with the other 4 kids the next day!! I finally just let him CIO, and much to my surprise, it only took two nights, and the most he cried was 10 minutes. Sounds like your nocturnal baby might take a little more work! My twins were sharing a crib at the time that I did CIO, and they were about 2 feet from my ear. They are in separate cribs now, but still in my room. They will learn eventually to sleep thru each others cries.

My first, Justin, was still not sleeping thru at 9 months. When I took him to the ped, he told me, as a mom, I needed to teach him how to sleep and how to put himself back to sleep. It was much more difficult to do CIO with Justin than it was with Jacob, I think, because of his age.

That all being said...you have to decide what you feel comfortable with and what is best for you and the babies.


Good luck!

 

Debbi, I separated my two for a time when my son was protesting for an hour straight. That helped, but they ultimately came back together and for the most part sleep through a lot of the crying and noise!!
Oh...and it's NOT the ONLY way!!

 

I am already seperating them for naps until they are doing well with self soothing and have a similar schedule (we're obviously still all over the place).

Weissbluth is currently working on a twin sleep study (he's sending me a questionnaire soon) so hopefully in the future he may have more information on sleep with twins ... I'll keep you posted when I hear something from him

 

quote:
Weissbluth is currently working on a twin sleep study (he's sending me a questionnaire soon) so hopefully in the future he may have more information on sleep with twins ... I'll keep you posted when I hear something from him


Tell him that there are many people here who'd happily participate in his study. Sign us up!

 

quote:
Originally posted by Safari:
quote:
Weissbluth is currently working on a twin sleep study (he's sending me a questionnaire soon) so hopefully in the future he may have more information on sleep with twins ... I'll keep you posted when I hear something from him


Tell him that there are many people here who'd happily participate in his study. Sign us up!

I agree!

 

I will send him an email later!

 

I had to seperate mine also. My daughter who is the better sleeper uses a pach n play for naps, so if my son gets fussy in the nursery...oh well. I don't know if this would help, but I know mine get up at the same time as yours around 7:30, and 9:30 is too late for their first nap. They get really cranky by then. So it may be if you put him down just a little earlier, it will help.

 

quote:
Originally posted by Sofiesmom:
I will send him an email later!



Woohoo! How cool would that be if we were able to help the "master" with a sleep study!!

Stick with the methods - they really work. As a side note, mine didn't make it to staying awake for 2 hours until 6 months. Maybe 2 hours is still just a little too much?

Temporary separation may help in the short-term if you can manage it.

 

What is HSHHC?? Would love to know if something works to make this just a little easier.

 

It's a book...Healthy Sleep Habits Healthy Child, and it has been INVALUABLE for us.