Dummy's gone, ds will not settle at night. Advice needed please!!!

[ziopin]

DS has posted dummy to Santa's baby Reindeers ( they cant sleep without them!!)

He had been 3 weeks now without a dummy, and we just can't get him to settle properly at night.

He not complaining about the lack of dummy, but when he goes to bed, has his story etc, he will not settle, and is up and down the stairs for almost an hour before either myself of dh lays down with him to fall asleep.

I dont want this to develop into his nightime pattern, any advice appreciated.

He's just turned 3.

I would do the "super nanny" sleep technique where you go up and put him back in to his bed and say it's bed time now go to sleep, and everytime he gets up keep doing the same thing but then do it silently, just keep doing this I recko you could crack it in a couple of nights - good luck x

Why not lie down with him after the story so the up-and-downstairs thing doesn't happen?

Doesn't sound as if he's ready to fall asleep without comfort of some kind, either parental presence or dummy. I think it's usual for 3 year olds still to find comfort in sucking themselves to sleep.

Can you introduce a favourite bear or a comfort blanket, or is he too old to want a completely new kind of thing?

Had you cut down his dummy use before this so sleep times only etc or not?

Dummies are a comfort aid, he is replacing that with you which is completely understandable from his view point. I would introduce a teddy bear that he can cuddle and see if that helps.

I would do the same as DynamicNanny has recommended and do rapid return (I have recently had to do this with my usually brilliant sleeper of a 4 year old, they do get the message)

I am currently weaning my 17 month old off his dummy in the day so only trying to use it for sleeps (and then he goes and cuts a molar and is really out of sorts) joy.

A difficult one. Do you think he was ready to give it up? And also had you cut down on use to get him used to not having it? When you say not settling at night, is it all night?

If it was me, I might give it back to be honest and try when he's a bit older. But that's just me..