Sleeping FAQ: 4-6 Months – Daytime Sleep

One of my 5.5mth twins has begun to wake early at the lunchtime nap and seems tired and more clingy through out the day

Now that my twins are five and a half months old, their different personalities are really starting to show. My little girl is pretty sanguine about most things and cries very little. She can amuse herself for up to half an hour on her mat or in her chair alone and sleeps well. My boy, though, is getting more and more demanding. He has started waking up from his nap after an hour (despite my gradually almost completely dropping the morning nap) which leaves him grumpy and overtired. Two of the three days that this has happened I have put him back to bed after his 2.30 feed for an hour, but he has still then ended up zonking out for an hour in the afternoon when he only usually took 30 minutes when his lunchtime nap was working. So he is plainly still tired when he wakes up after his extra hour at 2.30. In addition (and most importantly), he is becoming more demanding. He used to be almost as good as his sister at amusing himself. Now, though, he cries as soon as he’s put down and is constantly a little bit whingey. He was always more spirited than his sister and although I’m more than happy to embrace that I don’t want to end up with a difficult and insecure toddler. As he has changed I feel it must be something I’m doing, but I can’t work out what I’m doing differently. What can I do with a baby this young to help him feel more secure? I don’t want to be negative, but he just seems a bit moody! Help! The food and sleep details below are for my little boy: my girl eats a little less and sleeps 16 hours a day and seems ok on it.

My son feeds at 7.45am 7ozs, 8am, 3 tsp porridge and 2tbsp fruit puree, 11am 5ozs formula , I have tried to reduce this to 3-4ozs but he isn’t happy without the extra oz. 11.30am, 5tbsp vegetables as per weaning guide 5-6mths. I have tried to move him on but cannot get him to wait beyond 11am for his milk so give solids at this time. 2.30pm 6ozs, 5.30pm 7ozs formula, 5tsp baby rice and 2tbsp of fruit puree. My son weighs 18lbs.

He naps at 9.40-10am, 12-1pm, 2.30-3.30pm, 4.30-5pm. He is settled by 6.30pm and sleeps through to 7.30am.

It can be difficult to cope with twins when they have two different personalities. A lot of siblings are different but, somehow, that seems easier to cope with than having to deal with two separate characters at once.

Accepting that your son is different from his sister will help you find ways to keep him happy as well, although it may take up more of your time until this clingy phase passes. Often a baby will go through a “difficult “ phase before they reach another milestone such as sitting or crawling. Your son may be frustrated by his inability to do much. He sees the world around him but, as yet, has no way of exploring it fully.

Take a look at the toy box and see if some of the toys in it are now boring your son. You may need to pack away those toys which your babies have grown out of. Whilst it is important not to give your son toys which are too old for him and beyond his capabilities, giving him things to play with which will encourage him to develop his hand to eye coordination, and refine his manual skills, should help. Your son will enjoy playing with a set of nesting cups now, especially if you show him once or twice how to transfer one object, such as a wooden block, from one cup to another.

Look around the house for different playthings. Giving your son the chance to explore safe kitchen tools, such as wooden spoons and plastic pots with lids, will give him plenty to discover. As babies of this age do gum everything make sure the things you give him have no sharp edges or corners and are big enough not to be accidentally swallowed.

If you have not already invested in a door jumper/bouncer it may be worth considering. Providing your babies had no diagnosis at birth of “clicky hips” this is an ideal way to amuse your son for around 15-20minutes at a time. Don’t leave him in a bouncer too long but use it at times when he seems to need distraction, such as coming up to his 11am feed time.

To get your son more used to playing alone for a short spell sit beside him on his play mat but don’t always involve yourself in playing with him. Encourage him with your voice so he tries to do things for himself rather than always having your interaction as well. Begin with letting him play alone for a few minutes, whilst you sit beside him, and gradually build up on that time. As he becomes more able to amuse himself you can remove yourself to a nearby chair so he can still see you but you are slightly removed from his immediate area. It can take time to get a baby to play alone but, in later months, you will be glad you persevered now.

Another way to help your son feel more secure about playing alone is to have regular games of “peek a boo” from behind cushions or newspapers. He will begin to learn that, although a person disappears, they can also reappear again.

Encourage him to have plenty of floor time, practising rolling with him if he is not already doing so himself, and placing him on his tummy with a mirror to look at which will begin to fascinate him at this age.

If you want to get on with chores and small jobs around the house, take your son with you. Talk to him about what you are doing so he feels involved, even though he is just watching you from his chair. Take his sister along with you too, so they each begin to get used to the other’s presence and will begin to be company for each other. It can take twins quite a while to realize that there are two of them but, once they do, you will find they will begin to occupy each other more.

Helping your son to sleep better at lunchtime may also help him be more content, especially in the afternoon.

Offer him his milk at 10.45am before he is really hungry for it. You may be able to cut back a little on the quantity and, as result, he will eat more solids at 11.30am. Make sure that this meal is always high in carbohydrates. Use at least 2 cubes of sweet potato or other high carbohydrate vegetable mixed with one or two vegetables such as carrot and beans. Offer him a top up of milk before he goes down for his lunchtime nap and this may help him to settle for 2 hours again. Once protein is introduced into your son’s diet, you may also notice an improvement in his sleeping at lunchtime. Hunger is often the cause of waking early and not being able to settle back to sleep again.