I did not know what sleep deprivation really was until I brought my twins home from the hospital.  The first several weeks were nothing short of grueling.  I did not know a person could survive sleeping in 45 minute intervals for weeks on end.  All of our pre-twin research indicated that the most important single thing we could do was to put our twins on a schedule.  After a few days of following their cues and letting them adjust to life outside the womb we began with a very simple, wake, eat, play, sleep schedule based on feeding them every 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  It didn’t matter if it was light outside or not, feeding happened according to the schedule and alarms were set.  The priority was getting weight onto the babies.

Finally, once the babies had put on enough weight, they were cleared to sleep as long as they would during the ‘overnight’ hours.  The first time they slept through a feeding I woke up with a start and ran to their room to be sure they were OK.  Eventually, they slept longer and longer until we reached a 12-hour night (6pm-6am).  I wish I could say that it stayed that way! But then teething reared it’s ugly head and one of the twins did not take it well.  She would only sleep if she was held.

Once the 2 year molars were cut, my husband and I explained to our children that we did not want to stay in their room and ‘help’ them go to sleep; they needed to do it themselves!  After a few nights of upset, they figured it out.  Then came the toddler beds!  Add to that the monsters, occasional illness and a bad dream here or there, there were so many ways that our sleep was interuppted.  And unlike having a single baby, it was as if they were a tag team.  One would sleep and the other would wake.  Sleep had become an unpredictable roller coaster ride.

Over the years, I have read many a post on solving sleep problems.  I have learned that a sleep problem is not a sleep problem unless you consider it to be one from Elizabeth Pantley, author of the No Cry Sleep Solution and the No Cry Nap Solution.  I have also heard about “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Twins” and “The Happiest Baby on the Block” but not had the time to actually read them.

What I have learned is that there is no one size fits all approach to getting your children to sleep.  I also know that just because they ‘can’ sleep through the night doesn’t mean they will.  Every family has to pick the approach that works for you, and your individual children.  Set your ground rules and stick to them firmly and consistently.

Sleep definately has it phases around here.  And one day when they are teenagers and want to sleep in, I am planning to take them for early morning hikes on Saturdays to enjoy the sunrise.  Maybe they will learn to appreciate it as much as I have learned to!