STTN difficulties with twins

I've seen so many posts on the other thread (6 mos, not STTN) from moms whose babies didn't sleep through the night until 7,8,9 etc mos...which, by the way is NOT encouraging! Mine do ok, but I want the 12 hour nights that I hear other babies do! Anyway, early on when I was up all night, every night, I heard from so many singleton parents that they'd be STTN by 8 weeks, 12 wks, 3 mos, etc, I started to wonder why it was so different for my babies. Of course there's 2, so that's part of it - if one has a few good nights in a row, but the other doesn't, it doesn't really make a difference to us sleep-wise...but I really believed it was because they were twins, they were early and from the beginning we woke them every 3 hours to feed. When we were told we could stop waking them, they woke ever three hours or less. I felt like we had trained them to do this and it would never end - night after night after night. Of course it did get better, but I still can't help but wonder if we were able to let the baby sleep, would they be better sleepers now? Another thought, (because this just happend to me as I was typing this) that any little peep out of them and I fly in their to plug in a pacifier. If it were one baby I'd let it go for awhile and maybe they'd have learned to put themselves back to sleep by now. I fear they will always be crappy sleepers, I did it to them, and there's no undoing it!

Of course I know there is so much evidence of singletons that took just as long to STTN, and every baby is different, there are some amazing twins that have slept through the night from the beginning, etc etc, but I can't help but think there's something to my theory!

 

It makes alot of sense to me. My last 3 single babies were all STTN by 8 weeks (8 hrs.) and then 12hrs. by 3 months. I would not wake them at night. I let them CIO early, which is not what I have done with my twins. They are now 11 weeks with an 8 week adjusted age. One is sleeping 8 hrs. the other is getting up once during that same period. I am hesitant to let them CIO for fear of waking the other. Even though in the daytime, one can be wailing and the other completely out. Also I never used soothers (pacis) with the other kids, but these two I do. And if the rule of 13lbs. applies then they still have a pound to gain. I really hope they start sleeping soon. I probably will wait a good month or so to let them CIO.

 

QUOTE(pamallhoney @ Aug 8 2008, 11:51 PM) [snapback]921669[/snapback]
And if the rule of 13lbs. applies then they still have a pound to gain.


Yeah, and my chunkers are 16.5 lbs each, and have started waking to eat again between 4-5 am. Can't get them to finish a bottle during the day though, so I don't think it's a growth spurt. Hopefully you'll luck out soon though!

 

Hmmm, I never woke mine at night (born at ~38 weeks) and they DID sleep from 9pm-2am, then 2am-6pm until about 4 months old, but then they started waking every 1-3hrs until we did CIO at 11 months. I think all babies are different, but also that how the parent reacts does make a difference.

Most importantly when they are even a little older, as mine are now, you will not care how long it took them to STTN :hug99:

 

Interesting theory, but mine were born at 37wks 6days. And, we never woke them to eat, and they were never in the NICU, but they STILL woke up every 3hrs to eat for the first 3-4months of life. THen started going longer stretches for about a month, then went back waking every 3-4hrs to eat, and that is where we are right now.
Hope it all gets better for us soon!

 

I was one that posted that it was 9 months for mine to consistently STTN. Mine were 8 weeks early and I never had to wake them to eat...they were always awake in the early days and months. Mine were way past that "magical number" that somebody invented of like 13 lbs to let them STTN and still waking every night to eat a full bottle. Also we were adding a ton of cereal to the bottles due to reflux and that never did the trick either. I would be feeding a baby at night thinking, I have met all these little milestones...why on Earth are you still getting up at night?!

I hate to be the one to disprove a theory, but I have to agree with a pp that every baby is different and will do things in their own time.

Now what I do agree with is that I had a singleton first and she STTN at 8 weeks and was BFed. She was 41 weeks and I am sure that had a lot to do with it. She was much more mature in the brain developement part for sleep vs. being premature.

I hope they sleep longer stretches for you soon. :hug99:

 

You know what? The ONLY place I ever hear about babies STTN at such a young age (like 6 weeks, etc) is online. EVERYONE I know who has a singleton even, they do not STTN even by 6 months. This is breastfed babies, so maybe that is different? I think some people either sleep through it or they are not telling the whole truth. Also, some babies just cannot get in enough formula/BM during the day and they will wake to eat.

 

QUOTE(pamallhoney @ Aug 8 2008, 11:51 PM) [snapback]921669[/snapback]
It makes alot of sense to me. My last 3 single babies were all STTN by 8 weeks (8 hrs.) and then 12hrs. by 3 months. I would not wake them at night. I let them CIO early, which is not what I have done with my twins. They are now 11 weeks with an 8 week adjusted age. One is sleeping 8 hrs. the other is getting up once during that same period. I am hesitant to let them CIO for fear of waking the other. Even though in the daytime, one can be wailing and the other completely out. Also I never used soothers (pacis) with the other kids, but these two I do. And if the rule of 13lbs. applies then they still have a pound to gain. I really hope they start sleeping soon. I probably will wait a good month or so to let them CIO.



Hi-

What is this rule 13? Mines are currently 11 and 12lbs. Will they start sttn?

 

QUOTE(Mairoge @ Aug 9 2008, 08:22 PM) [snapback]922473[/snapback]
Hi-

What is this rule 13? Mines are currently 11 and 12lbs. Will they start sttn?


Some people say once they reach 13 lbs, they are capable of STTN. Doesn't usually work though, there seem to be many other factors involved as well (still trying to figure them out!)

 

I'm not sure what the magical numbers are or whatever. All I can say is "Thank you God for my little sleepers!" Maybe it was the 2 months of colic that wore them out eternally, I don't know. Whatever it was, I'm grateful for every minute. We've been STTN since about 3 months old. THere was a time period (month 6 to 7) where Griffin decided he needed an early morning bottle...and we gave it to him around 5 am. He went back to sleep until 730 or so, when Gabriella woke up. It helped keep them on the same schedule. They were born at 35 weeks and considered preemie, so not sure what effect that may have had. No clue. We've been sleeping 12+ hrs per night since that 3 month period and a good 3-5 hours of napping per day. It could've been that I've rationalized with them, telling them that when they're older, naps are a beautiful thing but you can't take them when you want. Amazing, but I think they caught on...smart kids!!! LOL :icon_eek:

 

QUOTE(HinSD @ Aug 9 2008, 12:16 PM) [snapback]922117[/snapback]
You know what? The ONLY place I ever hear about babies STTN at such a young age (like 6 weeks, etc) is online. EVERYONE I know who has a singleton even, they do not STTN even by 6 months. This is breastfed babies, so maybe that is different? I think some people either sleep through it or they are not telling the whole truth. Also, some babies just cannot get in enough formula/BM during the day and they will wake to eat.


I must just have lucky friends then...that led me to believe STTN in the early weeks was the norm! One of my friends said her son was difficult and did not STTN until 12 weeks! Her second child STTN (10 pm to 9 am) at 3 weeks! My neighbors - 10 weeks. Another friend - 8 weeks. Someone actually said to me (when mine were about 12 weeks and I told them they weren't STTN yet) "REALLLLY?!?" like that's insane. I only know one person whose babies didn't STTN until 6-7 months, but they breastfed. I figured that WASN'T the norm.

Guess it's reassuring to see I'm not alone, but it doesn't make it any easier! They sleep now from 8:30 - 5 or so on average. Then usually go back down. I was mislead to think they'd be doing 8-8 by now! And they still wake up several times a night needing a pacifier, needing to be reswaddled, just making sure mommy is up, etc...so even though they're getting good chunks of sleep now, I still feel like I haven't gotten a full night sleep in a long time (and is also why I think they are just bad sleepers!). I hope what someone else said is right. Once they start doing it, the past won't matter at all...

 

UGH! I dream of being able to sleep more then 5 hours in a row. My boys go to sleep around 9 and sleep until 2 or 3 or 4 or 5. Wake up for a bottle and then down till 8 or 9. It's never consistent. Jonas could wake up at 2 to eat and then Rory at 3 or Rory could sleep till 6. When they were younger I would wake them both up to feed.

I guess part of my problem is that I would be okay if I went to bed with them but I NEED an hour or so of me time. To just chill with my husband and watch a movie.

It doesn't help that my oldest was sleeping through the night at 3 weeks ... 9 hrs a night and my second at 8 weeks 9 hrs a night.

evie

 

I think alot of it just depends on the baby. I had full termers and DS was sleeping 8 hour stretches at 12 weeks and 12 hour stretches at 4.5 months whereas DD was up every 2-3 hours until 12 weeks, and didn't get to consistent 12 hour nights until 6.5-7 months old. I think there are a ton of factors and each baby will do it when they are ready.