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Hello...we have noticed recently that our DD has become dependent on her dummy during the day only, that is, if the dummy falls out whilst sleeping she wakes and starts crying until she gets it back. We don't have this problem at night, she sleeps well (usually 8-10hours) and actually spits it out. We don't know what to do about this as it means she doesn't sleep that well during the day. Has anyone else experienced this and have any suggestions of what to do. Any help would be appreciated.
Hi Rachel
I don't think I have any advice on this, except to say that they get better at not losing the dummy and/or sleeping without it. My DD still goes to sleep with a dummy but rarely wakes up with it and has been doing so for quite some time. If she isn't waking during the night I would suggest she can resettle without it and is probably just having shorter sleeps during the day or being woken for other reasons as well (light, noise, etc).
Thanks Jennifer. It is very bizarre. She always resettles once we give her the dummy back!
Night time Chelsea has her dummy and within 5 mins of being in bed will spit it out... or the rare occassion she will wake for it thru the night. Day time she does the same....but wont take the dummy once she is unsettled thru the day.
Rachel - Nicholas is exactly the same! He only has his dummy during the day, but not at night and he sleeps a lot better at night without it. I think when they have a dummy, then tend not to go into a deep sleep as they are constantly sucking. Then, when it falls out, they wake easily and cry for it. I have been considering trying to get rid of it all together, but haven't been dedicated enough to do it!
During his day sleeps, I give him the dummy, but I usually have to go and put it in a few times before he finally gets to sleep. In the last few days he has been sleeping really well during the day. I think I was putting him to bed too soon and he wasn't tired enough, so he would just nap. I now wait 1 1/2 - 2 hours after a feed to put him to bed. He has been sleeping up to 3 hours at a time during the day.
Hi all...well, spoke to a mothercraft nurse that runs a sleep school and she said the only way to really overcome it is to be rid of the dummy! She said it should take 24 hours of really hard work but that she would quickly get over it. Haven't gone there yet as too scared of mucking up her night sleep which I am happy with. Instead, we are weaning her out of the wrap so that she can access her hands.This has it's good points and bad points. Good points, she seems to like having her hands free and we will often find her holding hands or her dummy once she is asleep - very cute. Bad points is that until she is asleep she doesn't know what to do with her hands and keeps trying to put them in her mouth which knocks her dummy out so then she cries and around goes the cycle! She has been doing this thing where she sucks her dummy and her hand at the same time! Anyway, thanks for your ideas and advice and we will see how we go.
Hi Rachel,
This works for my little one and you could try it. For daytime sleeps only (he doesnt use is at night) he is allowed a dummy to fall asleep with. Once he is asleep, he goes through periods of sucking and not-sucking. During the first not-sucking period (usually within about 5 mins) I pull the dummy out. He doesnt even notice as his mouth hasn't loosened to let the dummy fall out. Generally he then sleeps quite well.
Good luck!
thanks - will have to try that one.
watching this thread with interest... am going to try that method krysalyss - that sounds like gold! *fingers crossed*
i also spoke to a nurse at our day stay program, and she said to look at the problem in a 24 hour period, ie, if the majority of the time it isn't a problem, she would perhaps advise not to worry about it just yet, but for example if it started happening in the nights and you were losing sleep, then to address it and try to get rid of the dummy.... i am trying to accept this theory and be thankful the nights are not too dummy dependent.... it IS annoying during the day though, and if i don't replace it asap, and she wakes a little, then thats it, nap is over and she is AWAKE.... i'm always watching the clock to make sure i know when that 45 minute period is coming up in her nap, to run in to replace the dummy. No wonder I am tense!