You may like to sleep your twins in their own Moses baskets or cots from birth, or you may decide to co-bed them in the early weeks and months.

Co-bedding means siblings share the same sleep surface during any sleep period, for example by being in the same cot together.

Whichever you decide, all The Lullaby Trust advice for safer sleep should be followed for each baby, for each day and night time sleep.

This includes, for example:

Please have a read of our other safer sleep guidance for information on sleeping babies as safely as possible.

Safer sleep for twins: FAQs

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

The safest place for a baby to sleep is in their own clear, flat, separate sleep space, such as a cot or Moses basket. Sharing a bed with an adult is a significant risk for babies born prematurely or at a low birth-weight, which is common in multiples.

Co-sleeping is particularly dangerous if either you or your partner smokes (even if you do not smoke in the bedroom), has drunk alcohol or taken drugs (including medications that may make you drowsy), or are very tired.

If you choose to bedshare with twins or multiples we would advise not to bedshare with more than one baby at a time due to risk of accidents associated with bedsharing with more than one baby or child.

You can find further information on our co-sleeping page.

If my twins were slept close together on the NICU, shouldn’t I be continuing this at home?

Premature or low birth-weight twins are often slept in close proximity on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to model the intrauterine environment and improve the development of vital functions like heart rate and breathing.

Once your babies are discharged, they should be ready to be slept according to the safer sleep advice for all babies. You can also phone our information line with any queries on 0808 802 6869.

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

At The Lullaby Trust, we often will promote co-bedding your twins so that you can share a room with them, if you have restricted space. Sharing a room with your babies is a really important measure you can take to reduce the chance of SIDS.

However, there are other reasons you might want to co-bed your twins that you might want to look into. Various areas of research have suggested that putting twins in the same cot can help them regulate their body temperatures and sleep cycles, and can soothe them and their twin.

I’ve read that babies need separate sleep spaces once they can roll and move about the cot. What is the best thing to do if I don’t have space for two cots in my room?

Sometimes it can be tough in a practical sense to adhere to all of the safer sleep messages, particularly if you are short on space.

If you can’t fit two cots in your bedroom for your twins, make the advice work for you – you may like to leave doors open between your rooms, or perhaps take in turns with a partner to sleep with the twins in a nursery room.

If possible, you may even be able to borrow something smaller than a second cot for a couple of months, such as a crib. Give our information line a call to have a chat about any further options.