Choosing a Bedside Cot for Twins
Twins who are just born sleep best close to each other, but it's important to adhere to safe sleeping guidelines. Selecting the best crib arrangement can help your twins develop a consistent routine of sleep.
A double bassinet with the option of dividing it is a great choice for twins. These portable beds let parents keep their babies close for diaper changes and feedings at night. These beds are also great for babies who might outgrow their bassinets by the time they reach the age of toddlerhood.
Space-Saving
As long as you follow the safe sleeping guidelines, twins can sleep in a crib that is bedside side-by-side. They should be placed on their backs, with their heads touching and their feet on the opposite ends. When they're big enough, they may also sleep together in a Moses Basket or a regular crib.
We love this Delta double bassinet. It has a mesh divider to keep babies separate but close to each the other. It comes with a handy storage compartment to keep snacks and wipes in the vicinity, too. It is also foldable, making it easier to move around the house or take on excursions.
This EZ Fold Twin Bassinet, available at Walmart, swivels so that you can bring your twins closer to you to feed them and calm them. The sides can be raised and lowered to allow access and lock into place for security. It's a little heavier and longer than other options, but it's great for grandparents' or second-floor houses, and it comes with its own travel bag. It's also less expensive than the Halo Bassinest Twin.
Convenience
It is not recommended that parents of twins sleep their babies in the same crib or bassinet. Rednose recommends that twins have their own safe sleeping area (crib or portable crib or bassinet) in the room of the caregivers/parents until they reach the age of 12 months to lower the risk of SIDS. This is known as co-bedding. It has been shown that twins who grew in this environment have a more synchronized sleeping pattern.
A twin bedside cot like the Teknum FELLOW 2 is a great option to accomplish this. It comes with two sets of bedding so that each baby gets their own personal space. The bedside cot can also be easily moved from one room to another depending on the need. It is an easy and convenient way to check on your children without disrupting their sleep or waking them up.
Double bassinets are a different option. foldable bedside crib allow infants to sleep side-by-side and they're perfect for diaper changes or feedings during the middle of the night. The Halo Bassinest Twin, for example, has an air-tight mesh divider and an adjustable height to ensure that every baby can be observed and reached at all times, and the sides of the sleeper can be raised and lowered to make it easy to access. If you prefer a more affordable alternative, the Walmart exclusive Twin EZ Fold Double Bassinet is similar, with two sleep zones separated by a mesh panel that allows babies to see each other and the entire mattress can rotate 360 degrees to give ease of access for each infant.
Many parents have discovered that bedding twins together with moses baskets, or a small bassinette, is a great option for situations that are temporary, such as a hospital stay or a family visit. However, this should be done only under the supervision of a medical professional to ensure that babies are properly placed and with their feet towards the foot of the cot and all bedding properly tucked in to prevent them from suffocating.
Safety
When twins sleep together, the most crucial security feature is that each infant has his or her own sleep space. This will prevent every baby from being smothered, choked, or otherwise being choked by the other. It also helps to prevent the death of a cot, which is more common in single babies than in multiples.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that tritons, twins, and higher-ordered multis have their own space to sleep in. The best method to achieve this is to have a separate bassinet or twin bedside cots that could be positioned close to your bed when you're feeding or soothing one of the babies throughout the night.
While recent SIDS risk reduction guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics encourage room sharing with parents and avoid cobedding, the reality is that many families with twins and higher-order multiples have difficulty complying with these guidelines (1). In a previous study it was found that the majority of twin families that co-bedded their children in the beginning of their life at home engaged in unsafe sleep habits.
Parents of twins may not follow current SIDS recommendations due to the desire to sleep longer and lack of space at home to accommodate multiple cribs. Additionally, the socioeconomic status of a family could influence their decisions about sleep arrangements.
If twins are placed in a small Moses basket or crib, their bedding could easily get caught in their midst and they could choke eachother. If you're planning to sleep your twins together in the same cot it's important to place them in the feet-to-head position and with their bedding tucked securely into each cot to minimize their chances of smothering each other.
A bassinet for bed, such as the Halo Bassinest Twin, is one of the most secure and more convenient options for twins who want to sleep separately. This double bassinet has mesh walls to separate twins and give them their own safe, flat mattress to sleep on. It can rotate 360 degrees to bring your baby closer to you for feedings or calming without leaving the comfortable bed. Its side walls lower and automatically return every time you move. It is also easy to clean and fits into a standard twin-sized bed frame. Check out the Delta Children Twin EZ Fold Double Bassinet at Walmart. It has the same features as the Halo Bassinest.
Comfort
The arrival of twins or multiples into the world is a huge life altering. They require plenty of planning and consideration, not least in regards to where they will be sleeping and how they will get a good night's sleep. Parents often wonder what they can do to make their children feel comfortable at an early age.
When twins are young, they can be able to share one crib. This is called co-bedding and can provide wonderful comfort for newborns since it helps them remember the mother's womb. It is essential to make sure that the beds are large enough to allow babies to feel comfortable without touching each the other or move around. It is also important to keep in mind that the baby who awakes first needs to be fed. It can be beneficial to coordinate feeding times at night to ensure that you wake one up before the other.
However, it is important to keep in mind that twins can be very different and they might develop their own sleeping patterns. You may find that one baby is waking more than the other, or that they prefer to be nearer to you. In this situation it could be beneficial for the twins to share their own crib or bassinet in their room.
Look for twin bedside cots that have breathable mesh dividers for sleeping areas that are separate. This is especially important for babies who are more prone to overheating or families with c-section mothers. Reversible bases and wheels that are easy to move are also beneficial features. The Arm's Reach cot, designed for c-section mothers is a great option due to its large sleeping space and is easy to maneuver. The Graco Pack 'n Play or Fisher-Price's Easy Swaivel are both options, but offer a smaller sleeping space than the Arm's Reach cot.
Even if they're very close, it's not recommended to let twins share the bed with an adult. This can increase the risk of SIDS and cause strangulation or suffocation. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that twins should be in their own bassinets or cribs in the parents' rooms for the first six months.