Is anyone else

Judy - posted on 10/04/2010

When my twin girls who are 27 months old now started climbing out of their cribs during nap time I got crib tents (all mesh) for both their beds. I made a big deal about their "tents" and they absolutely love them. They even remind me if I forget to zip the tent up. This solved the problem of them climbing out. They have a special blanket and some stuffed animals they always sleep with (I think it is good idea to help them develop attachment to some type of lovey they always sleep with). If they aren't acting sleepy, I'll let them take a book to bed with them to "read". I turn on small floor fan for the noise and close the door and they almost always go to asleep within 10 minutes or so. I have a 4 yr old son that I always had to rock to sleep (my fault) and I still have to lay down with him at night in order for him to go to bed, and he still wakes up every night and comes and gets in my bed. So I am a big proponent of teaching me to fall asleep on their own because now I have no idea how to get him broken of this habit!

Rebecca - posted on 10/03/2010

How many naps per day are they taking? If it's two, they might be ready to switch to one nap.

Tabitha - posted on 10/02/2010

At some point you may decide naps are no longer needed and they go to sleep easier at night but at 20 months i believe they still need alittle nap maybe you could try weraing them out with play time together after lunch then nap time . Another suggestion would be and sounds mean but isn't is you may need to split them up for nap time one in crib one in your bed , and tell them next time the other one gets moms bed and rotate?

Bridget - posted on 10/01/2010

My girls are 14 months old and are fighting their naps already. If they don't nap they are beasts, they literally flip out and need to take a late nap which ruins bed time. I don't know what to say since I have the same issues, however this week it's been a lot better then last week so for my twins it seems like it may be a phase they go in and out of. Some weeks they fight their naps some weeks they need their naps. There's no way I could lay with my twins, if I'm in the room that's a complete distraction and it automatically means they are bringing me toys, books to read them, want to climb all over me, hug me, etc. I think it's best to keep them in their own beds (cribs) though so you don't have the problem of them wanting to sleep with you when they get older, that may happen if they think they can sleep in your bed a lot.?? Put them in their own cribs and shut the door. That's what I do, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't ;)

Danielle - posted on 10/01/2010

Mine are 2 now and they still have days when they get like that at nap time. If after 15-20 min they are still playing, I put one in another room. Separation works for me, doesn't seem to bother them and then they get their nap, because if they don't they are really crabby before it's bed time. Mine are in big boy beds now too, so maybe it helped they did not feel they were "stuck". If they sleep 30min or 2 hours they can get up when they want. The other day I went in to check on them and one of them was quiet as a mouse just playing with his trucks on the floor and let the other one sleep. GOOD LUCK!

Stephanie - posted on 10/01/2010

When my boys were about that age, they also were starting to fight naptime, but I knew they still needed it. I ended up separating them, putting one in their room, and one in a different room. This worked for me- when they were together for naps, it was like they egged each other on about staying awake and playing. They will be three in November, and they still take 2-3 hour naps everyday- in separate rooms. I do remember being worried that they would be scared or anxious without each other, but it never ended up being an issue. They go to sleep fine in the same room at bedtime, but splitting them up at naptime has been a must. Good luck!

Teresa - posted on 10/01/2010

Naptime became a nightmare for me by the time they hit 2... I resorted to driving them to sleep every day for 6 months. It was the ONLY thing that kept me from losing my sanity. They would play (in their cribs), climb in and out of their cribs, anything to drive me nuts.... I tried several times to stay in their room to keep them 'under control' but didn't have the patience for that. Crazy time!

Penelope - posted on 10/01/2010

Good advice Tammie! We sort of function on a modified version of what you posted. We do keep a schedule but definitely flex around it when needed-whatever the reason.

Tammie - posted on 10/01/2010

I have identical girl who are 19 months. We have had them sleep together since they came home from the hospital. They now play at nap time sometimes, but do fall asleep in about 10-15 minutes. I know it's great to have them sleep to get things done, but I have found that the older my girls get naps get shorter and some days they don't want to nap. I go with how they feel and want, I am not one for the rigid schedule of naps and bed the exact time all the time it give our family the ability to do things when ever and not worry that their "schedule" will be thrown off. I know it works for my family because I have 3 older daughters who we did the same. Don't sweat it, take a deep breath and go with the flow. You'll feel better and not get stressed. Twins are fun and a challenge all in one!

Beth - posted on 10/01/2010

It may be as simple as the one who doesn't want to nap feels constricted by the bars of the crib and doesn't want/need the crib anymore. Try either a toddler bed or taking the sliding side of the bars off and putting up the little blocker that comes with some cribs.
If that doesn't work tell her "If you don't want to take a nap, that's fine. But it's quiet time now. You need to play quietly in your room so that your sister can sleep."
You can also try putting them in bed together because it could be as simple as she wants to be close to her sister to sleep.
Hope that helps!

Penelope - posted on 10/01/2010

Hi Khadijah

I'm getting something similar-minus the sleeping in real beds. Mine are typically golden about naps and bedtime, and sleep in cribs. Lately the one who sleeps less has been having real fits and sometimes forgoes the sleeping all together. The best I can figure for her it's a separation anxiety. Nevertheless, I just stuck it out and it went away. I went in to reassure her periodically until she passed out from exhaustion. The only downside was that it kept my other twin awake a bit. We all survived though! Hang in there, pick your battles and know that it gets better.

Kristin - posted on 10/01/2010

My twins decided at 22 months that they no longer needed a nap. I would try for 1 1/2 hours to get them to try and nap and eventually gave up. What ended up working for me was splitting them up because they shared a room. I put one in their bed and the other in my bed (separate rooms). I would also turn music on for both and give them a book to flip through. They would flip through the book a few times, maybe even sing songs or talk aloud for a bit, but in about 15-20 mintues they were both usually out. The girls would take turns sleeping in my bed.

Tracy - posted on 10/01/2010

We had lots of issues with nap and bedtime. Unfortunately, my girls were climbing out of the crib at 15 months! So, we put them in toddler beds. I put a child lock thing on the inside doorknob so they couldn't come out and put child lock on all their clothes drawers (otherwise they pulled everything out). Then told them they had to have quiet time and would put on some music for them. If they didn't nap, I just planned and early dinner for them and sent them to bed early. I guess I didn't fight with them on making them nap, because short of drugging them you can't make them fall asleep! So as long as they had quiet time, I was happy. They usually did finally fall asleep, but I wanted them to fall asleep on their own...I never laid down with them. Now at 5 years old, they are great at going to sleep! Even if they aren't ready for bed according to them, still make them go up and get ready and we read a book and then lights out. I don't tell them that they must sleep, but their music is on and lights are out. Hope it helps! Just try not to make it a fight as that miserable for everyone!

Khadijah - posted on 09/30/2010

Thanks ladies for your avice. Today when I put them down for a nap I decided to put them right into their cribs. They both fussed for about 10 minutes as I sat in the next room listening. Then all of a sudden.....silence! They were both sleep!!

Yaaaah!! :-) I love progress!! They slept for about a hour and a half which gave me time to get a few things done.

I do lay with them until they fall asleep when they are in my bed but again, they started playing non-stop in my bed so that is officially Out! I know that if I don't make them take a nap they become super whinny and end up falling asleep just before they eat dinner and then I'm left with deciding "Do I wake them up and feed them? Or do I just left them sleep throughout the night?" I'll usually wake them up because I hate the thought of any child going to sleep without eating dinner.



Thanks again for your help.

Jenn - posted on 09/30/2010

Yes!! My girls are almost 22 months and it started recently when they learned how to climb out of their cribs. I've got them in toddler beds now and I have to lay with them to get them to go to sleep, which I didn't used to have to do. My vote is do what works for now ;)

Cat - posted on 09/30/2010

Its totally up to you really, could you try laying with them so they fall asleep? Honestly, if I've ever wanted my girls to nap, I've had to lay with them, until they drift off... It wouldnt matter for Hannah, she'll fall asleep regardless, but Hailey will not nap at all, unless I'm beside her to remind her its not play time... At this current moment, at two and a half, she doesnt nap anymore at all, b/c if she has a nap now, she'll voluntarily stay up till like 10 pm... But Hannah still naps...
If you dont like the idea of laying with them till they fall asleep, your only alternative is probably to cut out the naps in your bed and keep them in their cribs for nap.... Good luck! I miss naptime :(

Heather - posted on 09/30/2010

We go through it at nap time and bed time... we don't allow them in our room, just their cribs and they do the standing up and jumping in their cribs... it's rather stressful. If they don't take naps they are cranky all afternoon and usually fall asleep around supper time and then wake up at bed time... :(