Need some advice or tricks on how to start a good bedtime routine.

Nicole - posted on 07/05/2010

What we did was try a little prune juice dilated with water. That was because they were very constipated. But one thing I did read in a book of multiples is that you need to try your best on keeping them on the same schedule otherwise your going to lose sleep and time with other family members. If one woke up to eat, it didn't matter if the other was still out cold, I'd wake her up after I was done feeding the 1st. Whoever is watching them, needs to get this down too. Maybe write a list of instructions and see if that helps them.

Kim - posted on 04/09/2010

Thanks Renee,

I swear these two boys are evil!! lol. One day they are angels.. and the next they want to terrorize me..lol. I know it's not their fault. Both me and dad try our best. We both work and are always home alone with both of them. I'm starting to think they just want more attention. I try so hard to give them all I have but it's exhausting. Still trying to find a routine that works for me. They are both so different. They both nap different, eat different and act different. One is independent and the other is super needy. I always feel like i'm neglecting the independent one, but he always seems content entertaining himself..lol. But I'm going to look into the lady bug thing. I never heard about red lights. Thanks for the advice and i'll definitely try some of the things you said.

Renee - posted on 04/08/2010

We are almost in the same boat. My husband works late nights as well. So I myself am a full time parent and my girls are both lactose entolorent so I as well had problems with getting the right formula. What I found a good routine was and stuck to it.

1) I have a little tub so I would give them each a bath one at a time and i supervised the other in the swing or bouncy chair next to me, ( not washing them every night cause it can lead to skin problem later on but at least let them soak or just relax in the tub) every second night i would wash them with the Johnson nighttime bath and give them a nice massage with the nighttime lotion. Put there pj's on and sit them in there bouncy chairs while i prepared there night warm bottle.



2) try to turn off most of the lights and every type of either tv or music a half hour before you put them to bed, so that they can differentiate that it is nighttime/bedtime.



3) for the bottles I had two bouncy chairs so I would sit them in it tie them in and have some warm milk and feed them like that. With dim or barely any lights on.



4) during the day I would do activities with them, and tried to keep them on the same schedule, both same nap time.



5) I found this lady bug that lights up red/green or blue, my sister( a nurse) told me to put it on the red light because it wouldn't disrupt the melatonin production(melatonin is a hormone in the brain that regulates a REM cycle) (REM stands for rapid eye movement) therefore it helps the mind to go into a restful sleep. They made a whole bunch of studies and from my experience it works.

Also I tried this thing that imitates the heart beat and that also seamed to have worked on them.

When they would wake up at night I would try to keep the lights dime or even off and not talk to them when I would give them there middle of the night bottle. That also helps them realize that it is still bedtime and not time to play and of course I would put the lady bug back on red because it shuts off after the 45 min mark.

I myself don't work so I know that it must be hard for to get them to have a good routine during the day since you work 2 jobs.

It's tough cause sometimes they did get off track and one would have a different nap time then the other, but the next day I would try to get them back on the same routine. That is what worked for me.

Get them to do some tummy time activity always tires them out also maybe go out for a walk after there bottle. Fresh air and a walk always puts my girls to sleep. A change of scenery always wore the girls out no matter what. Or even a car ride when I was really desperate. lol

Trust me the first 4 months for me where hard and i just kept up with it. But keep persevering and try new things you will have a good nighttime routine down pat in no time. I believe that you can do it.

The girls are now 13 months and are only getting up once during the night for either water or a change of diaper, but I still keep to the same routine dark room and no talking in the middle of the night, bath before bedtime, warm bottle, no tv or music for the time that I start the baths until they go to bed, make sure there lady bug is on the red light and it had seem to work for me. Only different thing I do now that they walk is that I get them to burn energy off before bed and then give them there warm milk. It wasn't all flowers for me I did have some struggle (make that a whole lot of struggles sometimes) with trying to find a routine for my girls.



Keep your head up you are doing a great job.Good luck and I hope this helps a little bit.