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A Day In The Life With Our Twins + Twin Sleep Schedule

February 27, 2018 in Motherhood, Uncategorized - No Comments - 10 min read

A Day In The Life With Our Twins + Twin Sleep Schedule

February 27, 2018 in Motherhood, Uncategorized - No Comments - 10 min read >/div>
sleep training, sleep schedule, baby sleep through the night tips, sleeping through the night, 8 week sample schedule, 9 week sample schedule, 10 week sample schedule, 11 week sample schedule, 12 week sample schedule, moms on call sample schedule, baby wise sample schedule, moms on call twins schedule, baby wise twin schedule, schedule for kids, schedule for babies, how to get baby to sleep through the night, STTN at 8 weeks old, twin schedule, feeding twins

A Day In The Life With Our Twins + Twin Sleep Schedule

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Sleep Training Twins | Oh Happy Day

Ever since the boys were born I get a lot of people asking what a typical day for us is like, including what their sleep schedule looks like and how to create a twin sleep schedule. The boys have been rock stars when it comes to sleeping and basically have been on a schedule since day 1 (because well, four kids and twins). Our days are certainly chaotic but having them on a schedule has been our saving grace!

Anyone that knows me knows that I am ALL about schedules when it comes to my kids. I talk about how I coined the term ‘The Business of Bedtime’ with my girls HERE and I still am that way to this day. The thing about bedtime however is that it doesn’t just start at 7pm, it starts from the moment we wake up in the morning. Kids want predictability and mama needs her sanity so the answer to that is plain and simple: a schedule. A schedule that ensures everyone’s needs are met and when bedtime does roll around each kid is well equipped and ready to hit the sheets. Would you believe me if I told you that my oldest daughter looked forward to bedtime from before 2 years of age or that my now 2 year old actually puts herself to bed on nights when the schedule is a little bit off after a crazy day? Or that my 11 week olds have been sleeping through the night since 5-6 weeks and have gone 12hr stretches at night since 8 weeks? Well, it’s true! And some may say it is magic but it’s not. I am no sleep expert or fairy godmother; I am just a mother who keeps her kids in a routine and that routine works wonders for us!

Sleep Schedule Twins

There are two books I recommend first to all new moms or moms who would like to get on a schedule with their babies/kids, especially if you are trying to figure out a twin sleep schedule. They are very similar in design but you can decide which works best for your methodology. I honestly take a little bit from each and put it into use for our household routine.

The two books I pull from are:

  1. On Becoming Baby Wise
  2. Moms On Call

 

There is no denying that our days our hectic. Four kids will do that. But honestly our days run smooth for the most part thanks to our predictability and design.

Sleep Training Twins

** Best twin advice as it pertains to our twin sleep schedule is that you keep them on the EXACT same schedule for everything no matter what. Especially in the early twin newborn days/nights this is SO important. Eventually they sync up and life is good!**

So (for your viewing pleasure ha-ha) I will list below our entire daily schedule and note what pertains to each child and when:

Our Daily Schedule with Twins Sleep Schedule

( 4 year old, 2.5 year old & 12 week old twins)

6:45AM: The girl’s ‘Sleeper Hero’ (read more about this HERE) turns GREEN and they are allowed out of their room for some independent time before my husband and I get up.

7AM: EAT

Girls – Head downstairs with their dad for breakfast

Twins – Usually they start stirring about 6:55a but if not I wake them up regardless to start the day. I “partially nurse” the boys because for me that is what works best for our family, so the first morning feed includes a nursing session. I nurse the boys & give them their bottles. Then do diaper changes/dressed for the day.

7:30AM:

Girls- Come back upstairs and pick out their clothes (They can do this independently thanks to THIS DIY wardrobe station I created for them). After they are dressed they come in to the boys room where I am.

Twins- It is important to have some awake/play time after the babies eat so they don’t associate feeding with sleeping and become attached to the idea of needing to suckle to sleep. So we use this time to play with the boys and keep them awake. It’s harder to get newborns to stay awake for any period of time so I have found the use of play gyms like this Skip Hop Vibrant Village Smart Lights Activity Gym to help stimulate them. This (to me) is the most important part about our schedule and the key to success to the boys sleeping is that we first regulate their awake time. Specific wake times for each age are noted in the books I recommended above.

All 4: So also during this time, like mentioned above, I usually have all 4 of the kids with me upstairs. I use this time to do the girls hair while we sing songs to the boys and finish getting the girls ready for school.

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Skip Hop Vibrant Village Smart Lights Activity Gym shown here

8:30AM: PLAY /or/ School Prep

Girls- The girls go to school in the mornings as mentioned above so this is about the time we are getting shoes on and loading the girls up.

Twins- NAP (I shoot for 1.5hrs) // Some mornings we are lucky to have some helping hands around so on the mornings that we do the boys will nap in their cribs. If not then I load the boys up and they take this nap in their car seats. I highly recommend infant car seats for this reason (as opposed to convertible) because you can let them sleep and easily transport them around.

Life With Twins | Oh Happy Play

9AM: If the boys are with me I usually run a quick errand (grocery, target etc) and let them continue their nap in their car seats

10AM: EAT

Twins- The boys get bottles for this feed and are eating between 4-5oz.

Girls- If the girls are not at school they are typically eating a snack around this time. This also occupies them while the boys eat.

10:30AM:

Twins- PLAY – We have awake time. I usually play music or do tummy time. Anything to keep them awake really!

11:30AM: NAP

Twins – If there is no school or we have a helper the boys will go down for their nap at this time // If not, this is the time we have to leave to get the girls from school so I pack the boys up and let them nap in their car seats. Moms on Call stresses that if babies can have at least 2 naps at home and in their cribs then they should be set for a restful sleep so I do strive to make that happen most days but it usually is more doable for the later naps.

 

12:15PM:

Girls – EAT – We get home and I feed the girls lunch and use this time to chat about their mornings at school. I love this part of the day because I do miss my mornings with the girls so I love to hear all about the fun they had.

Twins – If they came to school pickup with me I usually try and keep them sleeping through all of this. I usually quietly transfer them to their swings (we use the Mama Roos downstairs) and let them continue their nap.

 

12:45PM:

Girls – NAP / Quiet Time – I first get my 2.5yo all set for nap and lay her down. Then once she is down I help set my 4yo up with some toys/books to bring to her “quiet time bed” which is actually located in my office nook for some quiet time. The girls share a room but I have to separate them for this time or my youngest will not fall asleep! Otherwise, if left alone, the 2.5yo falls right asleep. SOME days ‘Quiet Time’ will turn into nap time for my 4yo but that doesn’t happen as often anymore.

1PM:

Twins – EAT – This is another nursing session and then supplement with bottles after if they’re still hungry.

1:30PM:

Twins – PLAY – Awake time

2:30: 

Twins – NAP – This nap is always swaddled and in their crib. I shoot for 1.5hrs.

Girls – My 2.5yo will usually start stirring but she usually naps until at least 3pm. The days vary for sure. I usually sit at my computer to do some work to keep the house quiet if my 2.5yo is still sleeping and if my 4yo is awake we spend a little time together (since her quiet time bed is in my office area)

**IF my 4yo is sleeping this is the only 30 minutes I have a day where nobody needs me**

3:30PM:

Girls – They are normally both up and eating a snack at this point.

4PM:

Twins– EAT – They get a bottle at this time.

Girls – They will either play upstairs in their playroom or I will put a show on for them.

4:30PM: PLAY

All 4 – We use this time to keep the boys awake after feeding and also to let the girls interact with them and get their baby snuggles in!

5:15pm:

Twins – NAP – They usually nap a little sooner around this time for no other reason than they seem to be more sleepy. They usually only last for about 45 minutes but I swaddle them and put them in their cribs for this nap.

**I use this time to then prepare dinner for the girls.

Girls – They usually like to color at the table while they wait for dinner so I keep our craft cart downstairs for them. I will also occasionally put a show on for them during this time.

5:30/6pm:

Girls – The girls eat their dinner // Eventually as they get older, yes, we want to have family dinners be a thing but right now it works out better for them to eat at this time since the evenings tend to get hectic for us. Personally my husband doesn’t want to walk in the house from work and sit right down to eat because he usually has a later lunch at work and if I can have the girls fed before he gets home we can squeeze in a family walk or let the girls ride their bikes/scooter around the block before bedtime. This is a personal choice obviously so if it works for your family, use this time to eat a family dinner!

Life with twins | Oh Happy Play
Can’t live without our Austlen Entourage for walks!

6:30PM: THE BUSINESS OF BEDTIME begins

Twins – If it’s bath night we give them a bath first then we start (what Moms on Call refers to as) “tender time.” I have everything I need for the boys laid out on the floor and start our “tender time” routine which includes: soft music, quiet voices (or at least try with the girls ha-ha), lotion & PJs. More than anything it is the routine and process that triggers the boys to know bedtime is near.

Get an in depth look at life with twins with this twins sleep schedule from Florida motherhood blogger, Oh Happy Play. Check it out!

7PM:

Twins – EAT – This is the boy’s bedtime feed. I nurse them then give them bottles to top them off and make sure their bellies are full.

Girls– The girls get their own PJ’s on then my husband helps them with brushing/flossing. Once they’re all ready (usually by 7:15PM) they head back to the boys room to sit with us while we finish feeding the boys.

*My husband helps with the bottle portion at this time so we can ensure the boys are nicely fed and well burped before laying them down for the night.

7:30-45PM:

Girls – BED – My husband takes them to their room and reads them their nighttime story or tells them the infamous “Super Jo & Super Lo” stories.

Twins – I finish up with the boys and get them to bed. I take one at a time and say my goodnights to each of them individually leaving one baby sitting in the feeding seat (I use the Table for Two as part of my nursing station found HERE) while I take the other baby to their crib, kisses, swaddle them and turn on their Owlet. I turn on the sound machine before grabbing the second baby then repeat. Kisses swaddle and turn on their Owlet. I shut the lights and head out. The boys will lay awake for a few minutes cooing before they drift off to sleep!

7:45PM:

Girls – After I am done with the boys I go say my goodnights to the girls. We usually tell stories since the lights are already off but I’ll read a book sometimes too. Then they know it’s time for Mommy to go and they usually chit-chat for a little bit before dosing off.

And that folks is a wrap! Once I leave the girls room I head downstairs for some much need adult time and it’s nice to have that time with my husband where we typically eat our dinner and catch up. So as I said, our days are nothing short of exhausting but I have fully embraced the chaos and with the help of routine we have been able to keep our sanity! I hope this helps some of you to implement a routine for your family because I really feel they make all the difference when it comes to running a smooth household. Feel free to ask questions below or let me know if I left anything out that you wanted to know!

I hope this outline of our twin sleep schedule helps you figure out a routine for your family! Enjoy!

Follow along on social media for more! 

Instagram | Facebook 

 

Get an in depth look at life with twins with this twins sleep schedule from Florida motherhood blogger, Oh Happy Play. Check it out!
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Welcome, friends! Oh Happy Play, Founded by Noelle Bryant, is a destination for parents to see what it means to build a family focused around the practices of 'Positive Parenting.’ Through their everyday life Noelle shares the story of her family and key tips that help her implement this mindset in the midst of what some may see as chaos with four very young children. She aims to share these real life anecdotes to show just how other families can adapt this mindset into their own daily lives as well! It is here where you can come to find family inspiration, some of the most popular baby/kid items on the market, children’s interior design as well as some fun freebies! PLUS you will find tons of kid related inspiration on every page (or KIDspiration as we call it around here).

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