If you've never been up at odd hours for a job or when studying for finals, then it's going to be tough for you.
There's just no way around it - tiny tummies need to be filled every 2 or 3 hours, even when your body clock says "it's 11pm, and I usually go to sleep now."
If you add twins or triplets to the mix, you get to double/triple the sleep deprivation. The real challenge is when you gently rock one baby back to sleep, only to have that one startle awake again as the other is starting to cry. Now you have two dissatisfied customers on your hands at 3 a.m.! It's not for the faint of heart!
Are there any tips to make it easier? Yes, but don't expect miracles. The bottom line is, you just have to get through it.
Some babies stop waking up overnight after 3 months; some keep waking up until they are 2 years old!
My twins are 9 months old, and they still wake up at least once a night each, and never at the same time. As a single parent doing the night care myself, believe me, I feel your pain.
But I refuse to do the "Old School" method of "letting them "cry it out," or leaving them in their crib crying for as long as it takes to MAKE them break the cycle. I can't do it. I'm just too soft-hearted. My friends tell me I'm nuts. But I have a built-in need to soothe a crying baby.
Here are a few tricks of the trade, none of which I guarantee, but all of which I've tried. Good luck!
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1. Swaddle your baby at bedtime, and then again when they wake up. It gives them a sense of comfort.
2. Try not to turn on any lights or make eye contact... that signals them that it's time to get up, which of course it's not. (I don't even leave on a nightlight.) I just go with ambient light.
3. I leave a couple bottles out at 11pm so they're already the perfect temperature at 2 a.m. when my boys get hungry. You can use a bottle warmer if you wish. But even that minute is a long time to hear them cry.
4. Use rolled-up receiving blankets as bottle props. This way I try to keep both boys on the same feeding schedule by letting them self-feed. But often they want to be snuggled while they eat, that means their feedings are a half hour apart, because that's about how long it takes me to fully feed one in my arms.
5. Use footie pajamas with zippers not snaps, so you don't struggle trying to reconnect their clothing. (I don't like dressing gowns because then I can't plop them in their exersaucer for breakfast the next morning without changing their outfit first.)
6. Keep diapers, wipes and a diaper genie in several areas of your home, so you can let one twin sleep in the nursery while you take the other fussy baby elsewhere to change and comfort him/her.
7. Work in shifts if you have a partner or overnight nanny/baby nurse to help you. That way you each get 5 or 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Otherwise, you'll learn to live with two or three 2-hour "naps" for yourself at night.
8. Some books recommend putting your child in a diaper one size larger to keep them dry longer, or putting on extra diaper crème and not changing them in the middle of the night. I've found a larger diaper leaks with boys, making more work in the morning when I have to change the sheets every day. And often my children make a dirty diaper in the wee hours, so of course then they have to be changed. I just use the regular size diapers.
9. Put your baby down in the crib slowly and carefully so the sudden movement and downward motion don't startle them awake. Although my boys sometimes wake up no matter how slowly I go.
10. Try turning on the faucet. The sound of running water often soothes kids back to sleep in just minutes.
11. Keep a minifridge or ice packs nearby so you don't have to run up and down stairs with pre-made food.
12. Keep a digital clock in the babies' room so you can see how often they're waking up and how long it takes to soothe them. Some people even keep a sleeping/feeding diary so the parents/nannies/grandparents all know the pattern. I found that too much work.
The pediatrician tells me the boys should start sleeping better now that I'm feeding them solids. So far, that hasn't worked.
And we're trying to limit their daytime naps to just one hour in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. That still hasn't broken the awake-at-night cycle either.
Unfortunately, it is what it is.
Just start your own bedtime as early as you feel comfortable (mine is a very exciting 9:30pm nightly except weekends). That way I get 4 1/2 hours of uninterrupted sleep before they wake up about 2am. Any extra sleep time after that is a welcome bonus.
And when I get too sleep-deprived, I pay a nanny to stay over on an occasional weekend night.
It's survivable, but the key is for the mom and dad NOT to be so tired that they're grumpy with their children. Only you know what your body can adjust to.
Good luck!
Monica
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