Safer sleep for twins and multiples: frequently asked questions

Whatever you choose for your twins or multiples' sleeping arrangement, follow the safer sleep advice for each baby, for every sleep.

Two young twin babies are having tummy time on a play mat with a toy. They have ginger hair and light skin with bright blue eyes.

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Co-bedding

Some parents co-bed their twins simply for practical reasons – if their bedroom will only fit one cot for example. But sleeping them together can soothe them too. Whatever you choose for your babies’ sleeping arrangement, follow the safer sleep advice for each baby, for every sleep to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

“Co-bedding” is where siblings share the same sleep space, such as being in the same cot together. You might like to co-bed your twins or triplets in the early weeks and months, or you might prefer to sleep them in their own separate Moses baskets or cots from birth.

If you choose to co-bed, your babies should be placed on their backs with the tops of their heads facing one another, with their feet at opposite ends of the cot. Or side-by-side on their backs, with their feet at the foot (bottom) of the cot.

Once your babies can roll and move about the cot, they will need separate sleep spaces. This is because there is a risk they could roll into each other, which means they could accidentally block each others’ airways (ability to breathe), or risk overheating.

Twins are co-bedding in the same cot. Their heads are facing eachother with their feet to the foot of each end of the cot. They are sleeping and have a blanket tucked beneath their armpits.

Safer sleep advice

Whatever you decide for your babies, follow all our advice for safer sleep for each baby for every sleep, day and night. In particular, take a look at:

Following the safer sleep advice will greatly reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). We know from research that babies who are most vulnerable to SIDS are often premature or of low birth weight, which is common in multiple births, so following safer sleep advice is especially important.

Here we answer your questions on how to sleep your twins safely, and the advice applies to triplets and quads too.

Frequently asked questions

Can twins sleep in the same cot?

Yes, newborn twins can sleep in the same cot. Research suggests that putting twins in the same cot (co-bedding) can help them regulate their body temperatures and sleep cycles, and soothe each other too. Many parents choose to co-bed their twins because they have limited space and can only fit one cot in their bedroom, but want to follow the safer sleep advice of sleeping in the same room as their babies for the first six months.

If you decide to co-bed your twins in the early weeks and months, there are a few key points to consider:

Only place them side-by-side in a cot in the early weeks. Make sure they’re not close enough to touch and potentially block each other’s breathing.
Once any of your babies start to roll, move them to their own sleep space so they can’t roll onto each other.
If you have triplets or quads, they could share a cot in the early days if they sleep with their feet to the sides of the cot.
Don’t use rolled up towels, pillows or anything else between their heads as these could wind up blocking their breathing. We also don’t recommend cot dividers.
Don’t place your babies in the same Moses basket. Moses baskets are too small to share and could lead to overheating.

Can I bed-share/co-sleep with my twins?

Bedsharing, also known as co-sleeping, is where babies share a bed or other sleep space with an adult. This is different to “co-bedding” which is where your babies share a sleep space, but not with a adult.

The safest place for a baby to sleep is in their own clear, flat, separate sleep space, such as a cot or Moses basket. However, some parents choose to bedshare and others sometimes fall asleep with their baby without meaning to, so it’s always a good idea to make your bed safer just in case. If you choose to bedshare with twins or multiples, we advise only bedsharing with one baby at a time to reduce the risk of accidents.

There are certain situations where you should avoid bedsharing completely as there is a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In particular, if your baby was born prematurely or had a low birth-weight, which is common in multiples.

Also avoid bedsharing

• Your baby weighed under 2.5kg or 5.5 pounds at birth.

• Anyone in the bed smokes or the baby was exposed to smoking in pregnancy.

• Anyone in the bed has drunk any alcohol or taken drugs or medicines that make them sleepy.

Find out more about safer co-sleeping

My twins were slept close together on the NICU/hospital, should I continue this at home?

Premature or low birth-weight twins and multiples are often slept close together on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This is to mimic how they were in the womb (known as the intrauterine environment) and support the development of their vital functions such as their heart rate and breathing.

Once your babies are discharged from hospital, they should be ready to sleep in line with the safer sleep advice for twins and multiples above, which is continued in further detail on our safer sleep pages.

If you have any questions or worries, you can call our information line on 0808 802 6869, email [email protected] or fill in our contact us form.

My health visitor told me it’s better for twins to sleep together in the same cot. Why is that?

We often promote co-bedding your twins or multiples so that you can share a room with them if you have limited space. Sharing a room with your babies is important for at least the first six months. This is because it lowers the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and means you can keep an eye on them.

There are other reasons you might want to co-bed your twins as well. Research suggests that putting twins in the same cot can help them regulate their body temperatures and sleep cycles, and can soothe each other too.

Once one baby can roll and move around in the cot, it’s time to give them their own separate sleep spaces to keep them safe. This is to prevent them from accidentally blocking each others’ airways (ability to breathe), or overheating.

How long can my twins sleep in the same cot?

Babies will need separate sleep spaces once one of them begins to roll or move about the cot. This is because there is a risk they could roll onto each other which means they could accidentally block each others airways (ability to breathe), or risk overheating, which increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

What should I do if I don’t have space for two cots in my room?

It can sometimes be tough to stick to all of the safer sleep advice for practical reasons, especially if you’re short on space.

If you can’t fit two cots in your bedroom, make the advice work for you. You could leave doors open between your room and theirs, or perhaps take it in turns with a partner to sleep with the twins in a nursery room. You might even be able to borrow something smaller than a second cot, such as a crib, for a couple of months. 

Two twins babies are being fed by their dad. They have dark skin and ruffled, dark hair. One wears yellow, the other pink and the baby in yellow is having a spoon of liquid food put into their mouth by the dad.

Remember

Whatever your twins’ sleeping arrangement, always follow safer sleep guidelines for each baby, for every sleep. Sleep in the same room as them to start with, and place them on their backs on a firm flat surface that’s clear of unnecessary items. These simple steps will help you reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and keep your babies safer while they sleep.

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