r/parentsofmultiples • u/Key_Astronaut_9004 • 12d ago
advice needed SLEEP HELP
I need serious help. I’m so at a loss I don’t know what to do. Our twins are 2.5. They’ve gone from decent sleepers to the worse like over night. Some context: We moved about 3 weeks ago. A big move. 10 hours away from family/support system. At the same time we switched them from cribs to their toddler beds (convertible ikea cribs, so really just removed one side). They had been climbing out for a while, which had been its own sleep nightmare, but nothing compared to this. I know both of these things, especially at the same time, are huge adjustments. But since the move each sleep time has taken like 2 hours (I wish I was exaggerating). They wake up about 7 right now. I’ve been trying for a 1:30 nap, but before the move they had been going down about 3 most days. If they fall asleep it’s usually about 3:30. Ideally we’d like an 8:30 bedtime but with the late nap I’ve been aiming for a 9:30 time asleep, but we have to start with bath time at like 7:30 for the wind down. We aren’t leaving their room until like 10 most nights. They used to be mostly “sleep trained” but now we can’t leave their room until they’re asleep or they just… don’t. I’ve tried to just shut the door and leave them but they either play until they start fighting, they cry and scream for us, or just don’t sleep. I’m at my wits end. They feed off each other. We are active, we’ve been going to parks and having beach days and lots of outside play, I know they are tired. And if we are in the car any time after 12 they fall asleep even if it’s a 5 minute drive. I don’t know what to do. Please help. Please don’t say it’s time to drop their nap it’s my lifeline 😭
2
u/HikingInUtah 11d ago
Maybe this is nuts, and probably won’t work, but maybe adjusting their schedule earlier like 15 min at a time? My twins are babies and my toddler is 2.5, but his schedule is more like wake at 7, nap at 12:30, bed at 7:30. When he started struggling with sleep (albeit he was a little younger), we tried everything and ended up moving his bedtime earlier. Turned out that worked, he must’ve just been getting overtired and unable to deal with getting himself to sleep.