Sample Newborn Twins Schedule for Sleep & Feeding

Last updated: April 16, 2026

Giving birth to twins and then caring for twins is much different than with a single baby. One of the most difficult tasks is that newborns do not have a reliable schedule.

As a twin mom myself, a top priority was working towards getting my babies on the same schedule for my own sanity. However, until your babies are at least 6 weeks old this can be hard to do.

In this article I will be reviewing what to expect for a newborn twins schedule, as well as tips to put them on the right track for eventually being on the same schedule.

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Can Newborn Twins Be Put On a Schedule?

It is nearly impossible to have the same routine every single day with a newborn. So with two newborn babies it’s probably not going to happen.

But there are things you can do to start teaching your newborn twins about routines. The best way to go about this is to implement an eat, play, sleep routine. Setting up an eat, play, sleep schedule early on in your twins life is not only beneficial now, but it can also help with routines during the toddler years.

Sample Sleeping & Feeding Schedule For Newborn Twins

Newborns will sleep 14-19 hours a day and feed every 1-2 hours. Considering these requirements, here’s a sample newborn sleeping and feeding schedule.

Just keep in mind that each twin will do some of these things at the same and some of these things at different times during the newborn stage. This period of time is very hectic and exhausting. At the end of the day, you will need to do the best you can to survive these first 6 weeks with your twins.

I recommend getting as much help as you possibly can. And remember this is just a stage. Soon your babies will be old enough to establish a more reliable schedule.

Tips For Working Towards Getting Newborn Twins On The Same Schedule

Following a schedule for newborn twins is daunting. I do not recommend having an expectation that your newborns will be on the same schedule initially.

This will happen after the newborn stage, anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks old. For my twins, they were on similar schedules starting right around 6 weeks. In the meantime, below you will find tips you can implement now during the newborn stage, so that when your twins are capable they can get on the same schedule.

1 – Use an Eat, Play, Sleep Routine

During the newborn phase schedules change significantly. In this time span your babies will grow faster than any other time in their lives, and their breaks between naps will become longer and longer. You can start the process of teaching your babies a simple routine now.

What you will do is follow an eat, play, sleep routine. Sometimes your newborn twins will do this at the same time and other times it will not work out that way. But the idea is that you are teaching them they can expect certain things to happen in a certain order. This will make it much easier to put them on the same schedule when they are old enough.

I do want to point out that around 2-3 weeks and 6 weeks newborns go through growth spurts. Each of your twins might have these growth spurts at the same or different times.

They might need more frequent meals during this phase. That could mean shorter naps and showing hunger cues more often. Do not be alarmed if your very fluid routine is just off on these days.

2 – Don’t Let Them Nap Too Long

Longer naps might result in more disturbed nighttime sleep. It’s okay for naps to be long, but if my babies were going on past 3 hours of sleep I would wake them up. They needed to eat anyway.

This also helps prevent your babies from being awake the entire night. If you let them sleep a lot during the day, they might think night is the time to be awake more often.

3 – Wake Within 30 Minutes of Each Other

I generally followed this rule. It will be much easier as your twins grow, but you can still implement it during the newborn phase.

Whether it’s for naps or nighttime sleep, if one twin wakes up, wake the other one after 30 min. This will help them naturally get closer to the same routine.

Now, if you have one baby going through a growth spurt and he or she is only napping 10 minutes, I do not recommend waking up your other baby in that case. Use your best judgement and follow this rule when things are normal for both of your babies.

4 – Teach Difference Between Night & Day

Teaching your babies the difference between night and day is crucial if you want them to sleep train on the earlier side. Here are a few tips you can follow to teach day and night difference.

• Blackout shades: Use blackout shades to keep the room dark during naps and when the sun rises
• Sound machine: Soothing sounds help babies feel secure and fall asleep more quickly
• Sing lullaby only at night: This will help your twins eventually understand that this a signal for bedtime
• Keep house bright and lively during the day & quiet and darker at night

5 – Write Down the Routine

Setting up a routine is a good thing and writing it down is way better. I recommend tracking each twin’s daily routine and see if you notice any patterns. This printable Newborn Twins Tracker will help you get started.

By understanding your babies natural patterns you will be able to establish a flexible daily routine for your newborn twins. Think time ranges when things happen rather than strict, exact times each day.

6 – Develop a Flexible Schedule

Once you understand each of your twins typical patterns each day, you can look into creating a very flexible schedule. With this schedule, keep in mind that newborns develop faster. Their sleeping and eating requirements change over time. During growth spurts they will feed more. With time, their naps will get shorter.

Be ready to make changes in timings, but at the same time you will want to stick to a pattern. Next, you can also get these printable Sample Twin Schedules (including a blank schedule). I found that writing down a schedule made me more productive and allowed me to accomplish more tasks in less time. Moreover, you can share the schedule with a family or friend if someone is going to help you care for your babies.

7 – Fulfill Each Baby’s Individual Needs

Understand that your twins are two individuals. They may have different requirements. One baby might need more food. Or, one twin may hit a growth spurt earlier than the other. When following a schedule or routine, make sure both babies are fulfilled.

8 – Formula Feed at Night (For Combined Feeding Only)

If you are breastfeeding or pumping for your twins in combination with formula feeding, you will want to aim to formula feed at night. Formula is heavier than breast milk, meaning your babies will stay full for longer and wake up less often to eat.

More Newborn Twins Schedule Help

Caring for newborn twins can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re trying to create a consistent schedule for feeds, sleep, and daily routines. But, with the right plan in place, managing two newborns becomes far more doable.

If you want that extra support, the Essential Newborn Twins Guide eBook is designed to simplify this stage. It walks you step-by-step through building a realistic newborn twins schedule that actually works for real life. Inside you’ll find:

• Practical newborn twins schedule examples
• Simple feeding and sleep routines
• Tips for syncing your twins’ schedules
• $18+ in printable trackers, logs, and schedules

Everything is created to help you stay organized, reduce stress, and feel more confident during those early weeks with twins. 

There are things you can do for newborn twins to start establishing the same routine.

Caring for twins is different than caring for a singleton. Especially when both babies have different demands at different times.

For twin parents, getting their twin babies on the same schedule is a huge benefit that might just save their sanity. Use the tips above to get started on the right foot with establishing a newborn twins schedule and routine. Good luck!