My 18 week old twins are not happy sleeping in their travel cots. Should I persevere or abandon out holiday plans?
My 18-week-old twins are good sleepers: they sleep in their cots in the morning, in their cots or buggy at lunchtime and their buggy in the afternoon. My problem is that we are going away for one or two nights over Christmas. I have bought travel cots for the twins and have put them down in them for their lunchtime nap (although it’s only nights they’ll need to sleep in them when we’re away) to try and get them used to them before we go away next week. Yesterday, Twin 1 slept fine for 2.5 hours in the travel cot, but Twin 2 woke up after 45 minutes and couldn’t re-settle herself. I tried some controlled crying, which often works, but she got hysterical and had to be got up after 30 minutes. She was then hysterical for another 30 minutes. She had a long sleep back in her proper cot in the afternoon to make up for her lost sleep at lunchtime but then woke up hysterical again and cried for an hour. This is not at all like her: she is normally an angel baby. Today, Twin 1 woke up after 45 minutes, wouldn’t re-settle and got very upset, waking Twin 2 in the process. I had to take them both out in the buggy to get them to have some sleep to get through the afternoon. I don’t know what to do: I haven’t even attempted to see if they’ll sleep a night in the travel cot yet and our first night away is next week. Should I carry on trying to get them used to the cot before we go away or should I just put them down in the travel cot cold the first night we’re away? Or… should I just cancel the plans?
At present they nap at 9.15-10-15am, 12-2-15pm and 4-4.45pm. They are settled by 6.15pm.
To help the twins become more familiar with this new sleeping environment, let them spend time in the cots during the daytime, whilst they are awake. You may like to put them both into one travel cot, to have a stretch and a kick. Stay with them for a short while until they seem happy and content, then leave their side for a few moments but remaining in the room. Reassure them with your voice and return to them fairly quickly, especially if they show signs of distress. Spend some time each day doing this and gradually extending the time you move away from them, especially if they are quite happy.
You should also give them a time of being on their own, one in each travel cot. You may like to sit them in their baby chairs and put these into the travel cots. They should be able to see each other if the travel cots have the usual mesh sides.
Move any toys or mobiles which may be on their main cots onto the travel cots whilst you are using them at home. Make a note to pack these toys as they will really help your babies when in a different room next week. If you can, use the same sheets and blankets as the ones on their main cots. These will have a familiar smell to them.
The mattresses of travel cots are often thin. Place several folded blankets or towels beneath the mattresses to pad them out a little. This should help the twins feel more secure and comfortable.
Try putting the twins in the travel cots for their morning nap for the next two days. As this is a shorter sleep, even if they do wake after 45 minutes you will not have to cope with tired babies until their next nap time. After two days of morning naps and daily play sessions in the travel cots, try putting the babies in for the lunchtime nap again. You may find that with the sight of familiar toys or mobiles, and having spent time awake in the travel cots, this nap is not such a disaster as it was this week.
One thing which may be linked to their distress is the direction the cots are facing. As adults, when we wake in a strange bed we can feel very disorientated. This is usually worse if the bed we have slept in is facing in a different direction from the way we sleep at home. Making sure they are sleeping in the same direction as the one they are used to could take away some of their distress when they wake. It may involve some moving around of furniture when you are away but it is really worth doing. The result may be far happier babies when they wake.
It would seem rather drastic to cancel your holiday plans completely. By thinking ahead you have at least realized that your babies do need some time to become used to a different sleeping place. Trying to make the travel cots as familiar as you are able, positioning them the “right” way and following your usual bedtime routine should help the twins sleep reasonably well for the two nights away from home.