To get rid of the dummy or not? HELP.

[flapjackaddict]

Hi, for the past ... 3 months (my LO is 5 months today) my LO wakes up tons of times in the night for his dummy. Sometimes I can re-settle him back to sleep in a couple of minutes sometimes it takes me 15 minutes. This goes on for the entire night. I get about 30 maybe 60 mins of sleep if I am lucky in between dummy runs and it takes 3-4 dummy runs for him to stay sleeping. Its strange because often for his main nap of 2 hours he lasts without needing the dummy if its fallen out but this isn't the case at night. He doesn't feed at night anymore so its not hunger that keeps him so unsettled and he's not crying for food either - he more grizzles. Not wind either - as I burp him and always try getting farts out of him when the night awakenings are long and don't get anything. He has gripe water with each feed. He is formula fed if this makes any difference. About once to twice a week it can take me almost 4 hours to to get him into a deep sleep its so painful and I am so sleep deprived (as are all you mummies on here too I am sure). I would just like some advice on other mums who got rid of the dummy. I just need to add though that I do have to also gently hold my little one's arms down for him to fall asleep as they are very jerky at night but have been swaddle free for about 4 weeks now so don't want to go back to swaddling because he may start to roll over.

1. did it make a difference to night time sleep
   
2. how long did it take for your little baby to self settle
   
3. is the best thing you did? As in are you sleeping now?
   
4. do you just remove for night sleep or all sleep i.e. naps?
   
5. can you keep it as backup for day time melt downs?
   
   Sorry for all the questions - I have been recommended to see a sleep specialist but I just can't afford that and wondered if anyone could give me advice based on part experiences?
   
   Thank you so much in advance.
   
   X

[FATEdestiny]

something else is causing your LOs light sleeping in the night, the dummy is the symptom and not the problem.

Normal dummy use is sucked until in a deep sleep then it drops out - maybe takes 10 minutes of sucking and often less. Once asleep the dummy does (and should) fall out once asleep. It is never meant to stay in their mouth all of the time. The fact that your LO sleeps in this way for daytime naps suggests whatever the problem is happens at night and not during daytime naps.

It is entirely reasonable that a baby that was sleeping through without night feeds will pass that phase and move into a new developmental phase that does need night feeds for a time.

My suggestion would be that the reason for the light sleeping is hunger. I would feed. I find that without exception, when dummy won't do then the baby needs feeding.

Another issue you will have is that somewhere around 5 months babies discover their hands. They like taking the dummy out and inspecting it. Or chewing their hands. Or rubbing their face - all knock the dummy out.

Re-introducing the swaddle for a time helps through this. Otherwise, just accepting its another phase and get through it. Mine were past the hands around face thing within a month.

IMO way, way too early to be removing your babys source of sleep comfort. Also highly unlikely to solve any problem anyway, since the dummy isn't the problem or reason for light sleeping. The dummy is just the symptom of the fact that something is causing your baby to be a light sleeper.

Much of what you write in your most (losing the dummy, not night feeding when baby is clearly unsettled, not swaddling when baby isn't yet rolling) all seem like you are making like much harder for you and baby than it needs to be.

Be kind to yourself and your baby. Feed if your LO is unsettled in the night, you'll get more sleep. Use a swaddle rather than holding down her arms when sleeping - it gives a secure feeling. Let the baby have some form of sleep comfort, so from her dummy.