Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

3yo starter thumb sucking again...

5 replies

CookieCrumbleCrumbs · 17/02/2026 21:00

My DD tonight woke up (not unusual for a bathroom trip) and went back to bed peacefully. Seconds after laying down her thumb went in for about 5 minutes and then started snoring and it came out again.
I've searched everywhere for any similar stories like this and there's none that I can find.
The issue I have is she has already broken this habit, well I thought she had. She was exclusively breastfed and decided on her own at 1 to stop that and the thumb replaced breastfeeding which I was fine with because it kept her sleep pattern perfectly and that was the only time she did it. She had used her thumb as a comfort since then for almost 2 years, mostly at night but also in the day when she was tired or had a busy day. We painted her nails in October for Halloween (kid friendly stuff) and I asked her not to suck her thumb so she didn't eat it. And that was it. No thumb sucking for 3.5 months! But now tonight...maybe it was a 1 off, but I fear it will creep back in knowing my daughter. I have to say over the last 3.5 months her sleep has been broken, terrible, Co sleeping regularly unlike the thumb sucking days when she slept the whole night (except bathroom breaks).
What would you do? Paint her nails again to stop it again and risk broken sleep (for her, not me, ill get up and do what I need to do whenever she needs me, regardless) and know she will have great teeth, no hardened skin on her thumb or let it ride, enjoy her having more energy because she has better sleep and hope it just stops one day?
I'm very tired today and maybe overthinking, but where better to overthink and share than here!
Thanks in advance for any response. All thoughts and opinions welcome!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Nickyknackered · 18/02/2026 05:07

I still suck my thumb in my 40s. Literally cannot stop and dont really see the need to now I guess.

If you're really intent on stopping her then you'll have to take action because she wont just stop by herself. But can't say I really see the problem...

HappySpade · 18/02/2026 05:20

sorry, no advice on how to stop but do whatever you can. My DSis sucked her thumb well into her teenage years and only stopped once she got braces. She ended up with a terrible open bite (if I remember the term correctly) and DPs had to pay for a dental surgeon to realign her jaw/teeth.

Kosenrufugirl · 18/02/2026 05:23

I would let her continue until weather improves and paint her nails again for Easter without saying word of the true reason

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Minesril · 18/02/2026 06:34

The only thing that worked with DS was ‘stop n grow’. You have to paint the whole thumb though, not just the nail. It also worked when he started sucking his sleeve (I used it on his sleeves!).

ArcticSkua · 18/02/2026 06:37

My DD stopped when the dentist told her to - I guess it had more effect coming from an adult outside of her family.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread