sleeping situations

[breezy8407]

My b/g twins are 3. We moved into a new house about a month ago with enough bedrooms for them to have their own. We asked repeatedly (and still do), and they  say they want to share. Before we moved, they went to bed really great. We were really lucky. We had occasional crying fits or stalling tactics, but nothing terrible. About two weeks before we moved, H decided to convert their cribs to toddler beds. I fought it so hard since they never attempted to climb out and need us to go potty anyway. I won't say I'm okay with it still since things started to go downhill then, but he claims it was the move that made them change. 

Fast forward to now. We've been battling bedtime unlike anything before. I know it could be worse, but we get them into bed and all hell breaks loose. They get out of their beds, laugh play, run, jump, etc. We give them warnings, then the time outs start. Eventually they stop, but not after yelling and stress on our part. 

It's so much easier for them to share a room, but I am starting to want to wave the white flag. Plus, I don't know for sure if it will solve anything. Logistically it will be hard because they share a dresser and we only have converted crib beds, which we would have to take completely apart to move them into a different room. If we separate their rooms will be so empty and lonely  

Are your 3+ y/o twins in separate rooms? Any advice?

[trafficgirl]

My boys are young (1.5), so we still have them in cribs. I will say, just before they turned one we moved one of the boys to a separate room and it changed how they slept. They no longer woke each other up and bedtime (and nighttime) were so much easier. We still have one of the rooms with all their clothes and the changing pad and whatnot, just one of the boys sleeps in a different room.

I have no idea if that anecdote is helpful or not. Good luck.

[twotrue]

I'm impressed that at 3 years your kids were still in cribs. We had to take our cribs apart at 21months. They were climbing out and into each other's crib. Now their mattresses are on the floor. Would that be an option? I'm assuming their toddler beds aren't right next to each. Maybe if they were on one big mattress (or the two small ones pushed next to each other) on the floor they would stay there and just talk themselves to sleep without having to get up and out to see each other.

[egishere]

We are dealing with this too - my 3.5 yr old triplets share a room still. My girls are pretty good about staying in their own beds but DS is out of bed a million times and the girls are always complaining about him. Maybe you could try a trial separation? Maybe then they will understand you are serious that they can't share a room if the hi jinx continue. I have told DS that he is going to have his own room and he just tells me no! So really I don;t have any good advice just commiseration!

[fryjack2]

The boys are also 3-- which you know -- and still in their cribs.

The past week has been tough. Jack doesn't calm down and sleep until 3:30 in the afternoon. Basically when he is supposed to be waking up form nap time. From 1:30-3:30 he yells, jumps up and down and bothers his brother. He also started to shimmy his crib over to Henry's and climbs into it.

Bedtime used to go pretty smoothly but now is also tough. Even with pushing bedtime later.

We can't move them to separate rooms because we live in a 2 bedroom condo.

I have no advice since I was going to post about twins with different sleep needs and how to handle it

[Deleted]

My twins are only 14.5 mos and share a room so I don't have specific experience. My 3yo transitioned well to his bed around 2.5. But he is in his own room and just the sort of kid that doesnt get out of his bed. My girls will be a whole different story!

But, I'm not sure moving them to another room will solve the getting up. I could envision them just getting up and going into the next room to see their sibling. But you could try it.

I do think the move may have messed with them. Two big transitions, crib to bed and moving, can definitely shake things up a lot. Do you have a bedtime routine? How is that part going? Is it fine up until the lights out part and then it goes crazy? What happens if you don't fight it? Just let them talk, run around the room for a while? Is the room safe for them to be in there alone (furniture bolted to the wall etc?). I'd be inclined to just let them run around for a night or two and see what happens. Then you aren't exhausted fighting it and it seems they still aren't getting to bed any earlier despite you having to spend your evening hours battling it.

[floridakat]

We separated our girls when they were three. I thought the logistics would be hard, but they're really not. Some stuff is in one room, other stuff is in the other. They go get what they need/want from wherever it is (with regards to clothes, etc.) We do bedtime routine together in one room, then after stories I tuck one in and sing to her for a few minutes, while the other one reads a book in bed in the other room. Then I go sing to the other one.

Everyone sleeps better now.

fryjack2, we started napping them in separate rooms long before we separated them. Can you nap one in your room?

[breezy8407]

It took me a while to get back here...sorry. Thank you for your responses!

Things have calmed down a little and I think it's because I installed an additional black out shade.

Then just last night for the first time, I woke up to both of them walking down the hall at 1am. They hadn't gotten out of bed yet! And clearly it was a team effort...oh boy.