2004 Guide To The First Year with Twins

Sleep tips
SLEEPING
through the
NIGHT
Sleeping through the night likely is
related to biological maturation of
the central nervous system. The
hypothalamus acts as a control center for
regulating a number of biological
processes, including the cycle of sleep
and wakefulness. Infants who have
endured problems during pregnancy or
delivery may be delayed in this maturing
process.
One study of infant twins indicated
that when there were large birth weight
differences (more than 1 pound) within
twin pairs, the smaller twin at birth was
more likely to have sleeping problems,
including repeatedly waking up at night,
throughout infancy. And, when one or
both twins are quite premature, parents
might expect night awakenings to occur
into late infancy.
Individual infants seem to develop
their own pattern of the frequency and
duration of sleep. The best evidence suggests
that these individual patterns are
somewhat influenced genetically because
the patterns for identical twin pairs are
more similar than those for fraternal
twin pairs.
Nonetheless, some identical twin
pairs differ in their nightly sleep patterns.
Therefore, factors other than genetics
must contribute to the development of
sleeping through the night. A number of
studies have ruled out age, being bottle
or breastfed, feeding schedule, introduction
of solid foods, teething, length of
naps or sleeping positions. Recent information
suggests that sleeping habits in
the first six months of life are inherent in
each infant’s individual style of behavior.
During the first few months of life, an
infant sleeps about 16 out of 24 hours,
but the stages of sleep—active or rapid
eye movement (REM) sleep and quiet or
non-REM sleep—can be blurred. The
move from non-REM sleep to REM sleep
is not seamless and involves a period of
arousal at the point of transition. Just
after birth and for the first weeks, babies
don’t know day from night. By about 3
months for term infants, and about 6
months, for premature infants, the stages
become delineated and synchronized
with night as their nervous system
matures. It is at this point that babies can
be expected to sleep through the night.
A sleep-inducing environment
Research has shown positive effects for
newborn twins placed in the same
warmer or crib. For the first weeks, it may
be comforting for your children to sleep
together. As they get bigger and more
active, you will have to decide if they may
sleep better in their own cribs.
Contributing to this article were Richard Leonard,
M.D., F.A.A.P., of Phoenix, Ariz., a pediatrician and
the father of twin girls, and Adam P. Matheny Jr.,
Ph.D., a professor of pediatrics at the Univeristy of
Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Ky. He is
the retired director of the Louisville Twin Study.
MICHAEL AND KATIE, AGE 6 MONTHS
From the early days, it is important to try to synchronize your twins’ sleep schedule.
If one wakes to eat, wake the other. If your twins sleep at the same time, you can
grab some shut-eye. If their sleep schedules are staggered, you may begin to feel
like your sleep deprivation qualifies for the Guinness Book of World Records.
Sometimes babies need a little extra help to calm down and sleep.
Learn methods to soothe a crying
baby. In his book, The Happiest Baby
on the Block: The New Way to Calm
Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer,
(Bantam, 2002), author Harvey Karp outlines
the 5-S method for calming a baby.
Mothers say it really works. In order the 5-S
steps are:
■ Swaddle the baby
■ Hold him in a side or stomach lying
position
■ Shush loudly in his ear
■ Swing him from side to side
■ And then, give him something to
suck.
Try it, and your babies may sleep like…
well, babies.
CHRIS AND ANNA, AGE 5 DAYS OLD
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