Catherine, owner of Dream Winks is a holistic sleep consultant who has a special interest in multiples. Today she shares with us some insights about multiples, twins
As a parent of multiples, you wonder a lot about your triplets or twins and sleep and how you should be approaching it. How things are different for you compared to parents of singletons, and maybe what you should be doing differently to other families or even what you did with your first baby if you aren’t a first time parent.
Do triplets and twins sleep differently to singleton babies?
Yes you have double or triple the number of babies, but does that mean they sleep differently? Well the answer is yes and no.
Juggling multiple feeds, multiple wakes, multiple settles etc. can be tricky. But at the end of the day this is more about how you, as a parent, deal with multiple babies.
Finding balance and coping with the extra work and the exhaustion multiples bring is difficult. I am in no way discounting that this is hard, and very different to having one baby. However parents need to understand that this is about how they, as parents, cope and not about how your children function. I know they both affect you, and having multiples makes sleep hard but let’s look at how we should approach triplets, twins and sleep, and how this can actually make things easier. And yes, our consults definitely help you with all the juggling, balance etc. that comes with multiples as well!
Working with twins and triplets
When it comes down to the basics of sleep, how your little ones sleep and settle and how you need to address sleep issues isn’t different. You may have multiple babies, but they are individuals. They will have different needs and they will respond as individuals. Even identical twins will need their own needs addressed individually.
You may have multiple babies, but they are individuals. They will have different needs and they will respond as individuals.
When I approach triplets or twins and sleep issues I get separate Intake Forms and I look at each child individually. While there may be things in their Sleep Plan that are the same, such as recommending blacking out the room or using white noise to help with settling, most of it will be tailored to each baby and their temperament and needs.
A common mistake with sleep plans for twins and triplets
The first mistake that can be made with multiples and sleep is to form one sleep plan and approach them as if they are the same child. One may be a better feeder than the other and one may have higher sleep needs. As much as we would like them on the same routine it may need to be altered. Also one baby may need a more hands on approach with settling and one may respond to a more unassisted approach. They may get over-stimulated with the same settling as their sibling.
The key to a good approach to sleep with multiples is to know how to approach their different temperaments and needs. This needs to be balanced with an approach that allows parents to be able to manage settling, feeding and sleep of multiples in a way that actually makes life easier rather than more complicated.
I find that if you don’t approach them as separate children with different needs and address all of those needs, then that is when it gets overwhelming. It feels so much harder than it should and it can also feel as though it isn’t working and parents give up.
The Dream Winks approach to sleep and settling
I approach sleep and settling in a very detailed and comprehensive way that is both science-based and holistic. I address absolutely everything that can affect sleep and settling for EACH baby and work through it all so that we optimise their chances for good sleep before any settling takes place. This means that settling goes a lot smoother and sleep goals are achieved a lot faster than with a traditional approach.
Dream Winks has 10 years of experience working with multiples and this is reflected in the results our clients see. We see great results for all our clients both as individuals and families as a whole. Sleep shouldn’t have to be this hard so we work to make it easier for you
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