Sleep Schedules
Uma and Kana were both just over one year old when they joined Batelle. Their moms, Misty and Cathy, had been struggling with sleep for some time and had to each sleep in a separate room with one of the twins.
For so long we had wanted to have a family, and then we had these precious, perfect babies, and we were already exhausted from years of fertility treatments, postpartum depression, and the exhaustion of having multiples. The twins weren’t able to sleep in the same room because they kept each other up.
The only way that any of us could get any sleep was to each take a baby into a separate room. Uma could only nap for about 20-30 minutes at a time. They both struggled and had to be held and rocked to sleep for naps and at night. It took an hour or so of fighting sleep to get them down.
When we hit the breaking point, we were averaging about two hours of sleep per night. We just needed our children to sleep. Another factor was that I was seeing Uma starting to get a little more stressed during the day. I actually started to see her emotionally responding in ways that mirrored my frustration that she was starting to pick up. Her cortisol levels were at this point because I would get so frustrated trying to get her to sleep.
Initially hearing what the process would be like and what was expected to happen, I really didn’t believe that it would work. We were thinking we would get our money back, so there was nothing to lose. I felt like we were at the end of our options though. We were very skeptical when we were told that the twins would both be sleeping through the night by the end of the two weeks AND that they would be sleeping in the same room.
The first nights were super rough. It was intensive – we realised it’s actually like a school! We had homework, and it’s such an integrative method. As things progressed, it was amazing to see the transformation in the twins. Within a week, they were sleeping through the night in the same room.
“It was better than any therapy”
For us, the overnight coaching was one of the most important components of Batelle because we were able to get a lot of positive reinforcement. We were totally burnt out trying to support each other. We both needed support, and we got that from Batelle. They kept telling us in the chat, “You can keep messaging us – we’re here for you”. It’s a big investment, but really it is such good value. The response effort, both visually through the camera they sent us, and also through the chat, addressed issues right away.
The entire team is amazing, and the fact that so many of you have been through the experience, it just made it so relatable, and you can feel that in the way that we were supported. The process for Batelle is very well thought out, very mindful, and most of all, it’s very effective. Batelle had clearly done all the research. The way that she’s applied her knowledge and expertise and the way that she’s taught it to the team, while giving everyone the autonomy to be individuals in their support – it’s just amazing.
They take two and a half hour naps. They actually ask to go to bed in the evenings when they are tired. They typically don’t get up until 7:30am. They are different babies now, and we are different adults. It was better than any therapy.
We now have time together in the evenings. It’s changed our whole dynamic completely. We’re much more well-rested now, and I’m able working full-time again. We had to co-sleep with Uma one night because she was sick, butt he next night she went right back to sleeping independently. We’re cooking meals again! We’re not ordering take out every night. We were just too exhausted to cook. We’re saving money in a way because we’re not having to invest in outside tools just to get by. It really has just felt like a miracle.
