8 Month Old Twins and Naps!!! Help!

I have twin girls who are almost 21 months old. I had the exact same problem (sleep great at night, but no naps) and for my own sanity I finally had to just put them in bed, put their music on, and shut the door. They stay in for at least 2 hours and I only go in if I think something really bad has happened. They have progressively gotten used to it and now they are usually sleeping in 5 to 10 mins max. I probably started this around 7 to 8 months, but I can tell you it got much easier after about 11 months ( they started walking at 9 1/2 and 10 1/2 months), b/c they were much more active and would become tired. Anything else I'd be happy to help if I can.

I have twins daughters that will be 11yrs old in Sept. Naps were always a problem. You will need to put one in your room, and the other one in their room. This makes it somewhat better, but because they are used to each other, they may cry until they get the picture that you mean for them to nap.
I hope this helps....it does get easier as they get older.

Hello there. I'm a nanny for a set of 7 month old twin boys. I went through this same problem for almost a month. I spent that month getting the boys into a set routine. I timed out their naps and planned exactly 15 min ahead to put them in a swing or vibrating chair in a quiet area with little noise and no toys. This is difficult when they are on different schedules but its getting easier. After their time in the swing I lay them in their beds and turn on the same white noise. They like to have their arms free so I put their blanket over them and tuck in around their mid-section. If they aren't on the same schedule I only put in the room until they are both asleep. If they are on the same schedule I let them coo for 10 min and then go back in and re-wrap them and turn on the music again. The swing time helps them unwind and calm down. They are much better at this routine now and only coo for 3-5 min. Sometimes one will sleep and the other will be up for another hour before winding down. Twins can be tiring and frustrating but I try to deal with each one as the seperate individuals they are. I only have them for 30 hours a week and the times they aren't with me seem to retard all my progress. The mother also has a very strong willed-unruly 3 yr old and she can't give the twins the same time and attention I can. So every Monday it's like starting all over again. I would suggest finding your own routine that you can stick to and just to keep your patience. If they don't want to sleep then you might just have to let them go till they pass out or cry themself to sleep. I know how hard it is to listen to them fuss but try to think of it as being the same as when you 7 yr old is tired and cranky. Hope this helps. Let me know if you want more info.

You aren't missing a thing!

I'm a twin. It's like having a never-ending play date!! They will "talk" and laugh. It's okay. Try putting them in a little earlier than usual, then maybe they will fall asleep during the time you want them to.

You may want to try letting them nap in the same crib. Maybe they will stay down while they talk and fall asleep faster. Who knows? It's not you though.

Great luck!!

Dear B.,
As a mother of twin boys that are now 16 years old. It doesn't get any better. They still lay in their room and talk to each other for 30 -45 minutes before falling to sleep. I think it is just a twin thing.
You are doing everything right, it is just the children. I went through the same thing and still do.
Best wishes and may God bless you and your twins,
M.

My little boy is almost 10 months old. His morning nap was at 8 or 8:30 AM for a long time and then he started having a hard time falling asleep so I moved it up to 9:30 or 10. That seemed to work for him. I think as they mature they can stay awake longer. Hope that works! Goodluck!

Hey B.!

I'm with ya on this one. My twins are 4 yrs old, and we have the battle of the nap/rest.

When mine acted like that, I wouldn't go into their room unless I absolutely had to. I used the baby monitor, so I knew if they were crying because they were hurt or not. Sometimes, they just don't want to rest...it's called fighting sleep.

I used to also have a cd player/radio in their room and played lullaby music or classical music (Baby Einstein) and they would be soothed by that. We just took it out about a month ago, since they would want to play & dance around to the music instead of having quiet rest. You might want to try that.

You might also want to try and get them to take a later nap. It seemed like Ash & AJ at that age, needed to more nap later and eventually down to one a day. I've found that playing outside or going window shopping, etc., seemed to help them settle down for a little bit later am nap. Just depends on what you see fit for your children.

I don't like to be at home all the time, so we went window shopping a lot when they were that age. Even falling asleep in their stroller or carseat worked for me. But I think I am out of the "norm"...Ash & AJ were socialized from the very beginning, but some children aren't. I was, and still am, very flexible when it comes to their schedule.

Also if you don't belong to a MOMS Club or Moms of Twins club, I highly suggest it. It is a great source of support and you won't feel so overwhelmed, because there will be other moms that are going thru the same thing. The Mom of Twins club was my saving grace!!! :)

Hope that helps.

Take care,
God Bless,
J. D

Blessed Momma to Ash & AJ ~ 4 yrs old

Don't get discouraged. It does get easier at times. My twin girls are two now and sometime still have that problem at nap time. My suggestion, if you have room, put them in separte rooms during nap time. When mine were in cribs, I would put one in a playpen in my room that way they couldn't play together. Now it's harder because they are in toddler beds and they get up to play with each other. I wish I had more bedrooms.... Anyways, hope this helps a little bit... Later Days!