Wont' Go to Sdleep

Did you follow through with your threats? And are they realistic threats? I like the idea of using the one sleeping on the couch as a consequence if they do not go to sleep when they are told to. Also if their Dad is coming home at 2am? This may be a reason why they are staying up. How are they during the day? They don't nap do they? What if you started to put one down and have some special time with the other one and alternate it every night? This way one falls asleep and then the other one goes in and falls asleep after having some time just with you reading or something. And if the one wakes up the other she forfeits her special time with you and will have to be the one to go to bed early the next two nights in a row. Anyway, just a thought.

I have had this problem, and have not solved it yet, as mine is a single child not sleeping well. When I read this my first thought was that they really enjoy each other's company. Put one of them on the couch for a few nights, and I suspect they will figure out how to SLEEP in the same room! Good luck to you and know that they will probably grow up very close. (And isn't that great)?

put them outside with the bugs in the dark. I bet in 2 minutes they will be in their beds without a peep. Good luck.

Well, I hate to be rude but there is always a choice. Your kids do not have to sleep in the same room. One of them might have to sleep on the floor of the living room, or the floor of your bedroom, but there is always a choice. And a less-than-desirable choice might be the best thing. Let them take turns sleeping in bed then sleeping on the floor. I'm sure they'll think it's great fun for a while, but after a few days it will lose it's charm.

OR...you could drag a chair and a book into their room and sit and read while they fell asleep. Any talking would be "shh"ed. Yeah, that would be rough on you but it would get your point across that you are not accepting the behavior.

If you have a newborn, then it is likely that they are having some issues with that. Nine years of being the center of your world is a long time, and now this one, single little being comes and gets all of your undivided attention. This smacks of 2 kids screaming out for attention. Couple that with the fact that twins have a special bond all their own, and it makes perfect sense that they're doing this.

You are the grown up. Are you going to get them to age 15 and say, "Well, we've tried everything and they're still sneaking beer?" or something? Like it or not, we are the parents...our kids didn't ask to get born. So just like you have to get up and feed a newborn, you have to get up and deal with this.

I don't mean to be unkind, but they're just kids. They want the boundaries. They want and need to be told "this is enough" and they need you to show them that you care enough to give up a good night's sleep to make sure they follow through. (edited to add: Ten o'clock sounds like a priveledge that can be taken away. Start bedtime at 8 and let them know that if they're not asleep by 9 you'll start bedtime the next night at 7:30. They may be overtired from all the summer activities. Once my DD gets overtired it takes a long time for her to settle and sleep.)

Good luck.

I have bedtime issues with my son occasionally, but he is 4 and not a twin. So, I'm not in the same boat, but here's my thought.
Go ahead and put in place the school year bedtime now, or at least 3 weeks before school does start. This way, when that time comes, they are on routine.
I think it took my son a few months to get used to a baby crying in the night. My daughter didn't sleep through the night for a while. So, when he would wake we would just calm him and tell him to go back to bed, eventually he did this for himself. Now when he plays games and doesn't go to bed, he has to sit in a chair in the kitchen with his back to us. When you are tired, this is no fun, and only lasts a short time. I don't say much, just put him in the chair and walk away.
Another thought, is to give them more exercise, like a walk or bike ride after dinner, or have them do nightly chores like folding laundry and putting it away/or to rooms. Some type of physical activity.
I think you just have to remind them, that bedtime is when you say it is and they have to do their best to be quiet and respect each other, and go to sleep for everyone's sake.

Best of luck,
M.

take away their favorie thing and don't give it bck until the children mind your rules. You have to be strict. You're the boss, not them. Don't let the kids run your life. They're old enough to understand what being sleep deprived means and how it alters mommy and can affect them.

Does one usually get sleepier than the other? I would try to have one fall asleep while the other reads quietly in the other room for 30 minutes or so. That should be enough time for the first to fall asleep. My daughter is also a night owl. Luckily she gets up around 8:15-8:30 with just enough time to get ready for school. We let her stay up but she has to do reading. Sometimes I just make her have lights outs at 9 or 9:30. She would be up till after 10 otherwise. Good luck. I sympathize. When my son and daughter get together for a sleep over it never works out because they have a hard time sleeping too.