Sleeping routines for newborn twins

by Lauren De Ross
(Melbourne, Australia)

I have 5 week old fraternal twins girls, and am currently bottle feeding them formula every three hours. (approx 8 feeds per day at around 80-90ml) They generally wake up on their own every 3 hours but to keep them in sync I wake them during the day for their feeds if one or both does not wake of their own accord. At night they tend to wake every three hours anyway.

Can you advise how I go about encouraging longer stretches of sleep during the night, while keeping the routine during the day? I have tried keeping them awake after feeds so they are more sleepy at night but they tend to nod off as soon as they finish. I also bath them before bed and give them a bigger feed.

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Congratulations on your twin babies ! OK - at 5 months of age , your little ones still have tiny tummies that need to eat frequently. By 8 weeks you should see a difference but at this stage when you are completely sleep-deprived I know that's hard to hear!

I personally didn't wake mine to feed during the night because my son was always a better sleeper and he let us know when he was hungry. I know that some mothers do wake both so they can feed at the same time - that is just a personal preference. Feeding every 3-4 hours is just natural for all babies at this age, but gradually it will start to increase to 5 -6 hours at night - especially if you have established a bedtime routine, bath, bottle, lights out at the same time each evening.

Trying to keep them awake longer in the day won't usually help - as babies who get overtired have a harder time falling and staying asleep. It's better that you follow the EASY way - eat, awake activity, sleep and then have some YOU time :)

All the best to you and your family !
Kim