For families with twins, the issue of sleep management is by far the most frequent problem. Rarely is it an issue for the babies, most twins cope well when either twin wakes and cries. It is the parents who are anxious, particularly the mother. This week I'll talk about what to do if one bub wakes, while the other remains asleep.
Of course a sleeping baby may stir, maybe even wake briefly, during the course of their sleep cycle. They may also wake if subjected to loud or sudden noise. This is normal. In this instance, assuming no pain or hunger, babies will usually resettle without assistance.
The worry for parents of twins is that the crying baby will wake the other bub. In turn, parents are faced with settling/resettling both babies. At this time, the parent's angst, in particular the mother's angst is palpable. Many parents I see rush in to attend the fussing twin. They feel they need to 'keep the baby quiet' so the other will not wake. If the parent's angst continues, inevitably the babies react to the tension and become more unsettled, more often.
Babies are very perceptive; they feel the mood of their parents. They do not have the angst a parent feels. The best thing you can do when one of your babies wakes is STOP, ASSESS and (if needed) ACT (see previous articles). Try backing-off, allow the little ones to resettle themselves. Of course if it is pain or hunger fix it, otherwise wait and see. If you feel anxious deal with your feelings, distract yourself; go outside, watch some TV, do whatever it takes to take your mind off the twins. In a few moments, you may find they have fallen back to sleep.
Tags: 
