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Rock-A-Bye Babies

Getting Your Multiples to Sleep

By Carol Sjostrom Miller

During the first year, there are problems that can disrupt even the most finely-tuned schedule. Mindell is often contacted by parents who wonder what to do when one of their twins sleeps well, but the other doesn't. She advises parents that a child will often sleep through her twin's crying. However, if your crying child consistently awakens your sleeping child, you may need to separate the two. "Move the good sleeper into another room temporarily," says Mindell. "Then you can let the other cry a little without having to worry about him waking the sleeping twin."

Keep in mind that establishing a sleeping routine is an ongoing process, one that can be temporarily disrupted by illness, teething or many other factors.

"My daughter and son started waking up again in the middle of the night around 7 months," says Lambert. "They were both learning to stand up. We kept putting them back down and, within a week, my son slept through his sister's screaming. It took a full month to get her back to sleeping all night, but that effort saved us in the future. I would advise mothers of multiples to be persistent in trying to establish a routine. It isn't going to be easy, but it will be a lifesaver."

Want to see more?

• Breastfeeding Twins Series
• Crying Baby, Sleepless Nights: Why Your Baby Is Crying and What You Can Do About It
• Sleepy-Time Stress: Reviewing Sleep Strategies
• Talk about it!