Twin Sleep: How to Help Twins Sleep Through the Night (Even When They Share a Room)

Twin Baby Sleep Support | Parenting Collective

One of the most common and stressful, questions I hear from parents of twins is this:

“My twin babies share a room but sleep in separate cots. They wake two to four times a night. I don’t know what to do because if one cries, they wake the other.”

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Twin sleep challenges are incredibly common, especially when babies share a room. And yes, it can feel impossible to support one baby without disrupting the other.

The good news? Shared rooms do not prevent twins from sleeping through the night.

Do Twins Wake Each Other Up at Night?

The fear that one twin’s crying will wake the other often leads parents to rush in quickly, which is completely understandable. However, while one baby may wake the other initially, this short-term disruption is often part of the process of helping both twins learn healthy sleep skills.

Avoiding all crying at all costs can unintentionally reinforce frequent night waking for both babies.

Sometimes, a little disruption is part of the path to better sleep.

Start with Bedtime: Twin Sleep Foundations Matter

Before addressing night waking, it’s essential to look at how your twins fall asleep at bedtime.

Strong twin sleep foundations include:

• A consistent bedtime routine

• The same steps, in the same order, every night

• No feeding, rocking, or sleeping during the routine

The routine should lead to sleep, not include sleep itself. Once your twins are placed in their cots awake, that’s where the learning happens.

Teaching Twins to Fall Asleep Independently

If your twins share a room, one gentle option is a stay-in-the-room method, where you:

• Remain present

• Offer calm verbal reassurance

• Use minimal touch

• Allow each baby to work out how to fall asleep

This approach supports emotional safety while still allowing babies to practise independent sleep skills. Once twins learn how to fall asleep at bedtime, these skills naturally begin to transfer to overnight waking.

Why Rushing In Can Prolong Night Waking

It’s tempting to respond instantly every time one twin makes a sound, especially out of fear they’ll wake their sibling. But consistently intervening can teach babies that they need you to help them resettle.

Instead, aim to:

• Pause briefly before responding

• Allow space for self-settling

• Support learning without over-intervening

This is harder with twins, but also more important, because patterns are reinforced twice as fast.

Can Twins Sleep Through the Night at 6 Months?

In most cases, yes, or at least very close to it.

By around 6 months, many babies are developmentally capable of:

• Connecting sleep cycles

• Resettling overnight

• Reducing night waking

This applies to twins as well. While twins are often different sleepers, both are capable of learning healthy sleep skills, even in shared environments.

Should Twins Be Separated for Sleep Training?

If it’s possible to temporarily separate twins while supporting sleep learning, this can be helpful, but it is not essential.

With the right approach, twins can:

• Learn to sleep independently

• Sleep through noise

• Thrive in shared rooms

Every twin is a unique little human, and their sleep support should reflect that individuality.

Final Thoughts on Twin Sleep and Shared Rooms

Twin sleep is challenging, there’s no sugar-coating that. But sharing a room does not mean broken sleep forever.

With:

• Consistent routines

• Age-appropriate sleep strategies

• Confidence to allow learning

• Gentle, supportive boundaries

Twins can, and do, sleep beautifully.

And if you need support navigating twin sleep, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

Book you FREE 15 minute chat here to discuss your baby's sleep challenges