How To Get Twins on the Same Schedule: A Routine from Day 1

Bringing home twins is an incredible joy, but it can also feel like double the exhaustion, especially when their schedules are out of sync. One baby wakes up just as the other falls asleep, turning your days (and nights) into an endless cycle of feedings, diaper changes, and soothing.

The good news? Getting twins on the same schedule is possible, and it can make life so much easier! As a twin mom myself, I am sharing the strategies I used below.

With a little patience, consistency, and smart strategies, you can align your twins sleep, feeding, and playtimes to create a smoother routine for the whole family. Here’s how to get twins on the same schedule!

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When To Start Putting Twins on the Same Schedule

Sometime around 3-6 months your twins will be capable of being on the exact same schedule. Once your babies are at least 3 months old you can start getting more serious about putting them on the same schedule.

From my personal experience, at 3-4 months old I had a general idea of when my twins would need to eat and when they would sleep. But, it was not the exact same time every day. Around 6 months old your babies will be taking a reliable 3 naps per day and you will be able to establish the same schedule for them.

The good news is that even as newborns you can work to put your twins on similar schedules. Let’s review how to do that below.

How To Get Twins on the Same Feeding, Sleep, & Night Schedule

With two babies it is difficult to have them on a rigid schedule, but it is important for your sanity to keep them on similar schedules. Here are some tips for doing this.

1 – Start a Routine from Day 1

Newborns do not have predictable schedules. But, you can start creating sleeping and feeding cues. Use an eat, play, sleep routine to start working towards getting your newborn twins on a schedule when they are old enough.

2 – Create the Right Home Environment

Make your house bright and lively during the day. Don’t be afraid to have your house be noisy. At night your home should be calmer and quieter. This will help guide your babies to understanding day vs. night as they get a few months older.

3 – Use the 30 Minute Rule

In order to start and keep a schedule you will follow a 30 minute rule. The start of the day will be important. When your babies wake up, feed them at the same time.

If one wakes up early and the other stays asleep, this is where the 30 minute rule applies. To keep your twins on similar schedules, wake up the other twin about 30 min after their sibling woke up. You will need to use your best judgement too.

Follow these rules for a typical day. But, if your babies usually wake up at 8am and today one of the twins was up at 5:30am because he or she is sick, then it’s not worth messing with the other baby’s schedule. You will be able to get back on track the next day.

After one twin wakes up from a nap, if the other doesn’t wake up, wake them up 30 minutes later. By following the 30 minute rule, you will be able to keep your twins on the similar schedules each day. You will also find that your twins will get in a natural rhythm, as long as you stick to a predictable daily routine.

4 – Have a Quick Bedtime Routine

Having the same bedtime routine each night can help your little ones eventually understand that it’s time to go to sleep for the night. With two babies to put to bed, I recommend having a quick bedtime routine. Learn how to do a 5 minute baby bedtime routine here.

5 – Track Sleeping & Eating Patterns

You can use this daily Twin Tracker to record each of your babies eating and sleeping patterns all on one page. This will make it easy to compare their habits and find ways to move your twins towards similar schedules.

Sample Twin Schedules

To help implement the above steps for getting your twins on the same schedule, it’s very important to understand a typical baby schedule by age. Below you will find sample schedules for a newborns, 3 month olds, and 6 month olds.

I recommend paying particular attention to the wake windows. These are very important to use as a guideline when trying to stick to a schedule with infants.

Newborn Twin Schedule

Here is a sample newborn schedule. You can use this as a reference for your twins.

Sample Newborn Baby Schedule

For even more details, check out this post on how to handle newborn twin schedules.

3 & 6 Month Old Twin Schedule

Once your twins hit 3-6 months old, you will be in a great position to get them on the same schedule. Here’s a sample schedule for babies at both 3 months and 6 months old.

Sample 3 Month Old Baby Schedule

Sample 6 Month Old Baby Schedule

Now that you know how to get twins on the same schedule, it’s time to get to work!

Trying to get your twins on the same schedule might seem overwhelming at first. But, if you take the time for a couple days to use the tips above, it actually isn’t all that bad.

From one twin parent to another, good luck! And finally, if you need more help getting your twins to sleep, I recommend checking out the Baby DREAM System for babies that are 4+ months old and this Newborn Sleep Course for newborn aged babies.