Ditching the dummy in 22 month old- HELP

[practicallyimperfect]

After consulting with a sleep consultant, it has been suggested that we ditch the dummy for ds to try and prevent early waking. We have tried most everything else, and the reasoning is that if he learns to sleep without it, when he wakes in light sleep cycle early morning he can get himself back to sleep.

But do I just do it cold turkey? We already have tantrums when I won't give in during the day (he only has it for sleep, car for long journeys etc) I don't think he will understand the dummy fairy.

If we do it cold turkey, how long do you reckon it will take?

No-one?

Can't he just put his dummy back in? What time does he wake up?

We got rid of the dummy at night time for our2 and half year old. Did the whole dummy fairy thing (which I find quite unpleasant, but there you go!), and did it cold turkey. Worked for our DD. But she was a bit older I suppose. I did wait til I knew she would understand what I was on about.

He just doesn't, I do leave a few in bed but he can't find them.

He wakes around 4.30am. It is killing me!

We went cold turkey with DD1 (who'll be 3 next month) about 3wks ago. She only had it for sleeping, but she would go upstairs to get it and would then try and keep it in all day. It drove me mad when she talked through it so I decided the cold turkey approach would be the only way it would work, since she was so addicted!

I don't think the dummy fairy really had any effect (other than giving us someone else to blame so that I wasn't responsible!). She took an hour to go to sleep the first night, but the next night was up for 3.5hrs, until around 11pm, screaming and shouting. I kept going in and reassuring her until she eventually settled. I was on the verge of jacking it all in and giving her the dummy, but I didn't want all the stress to be for nothing. On the third night, she fell asleep after about an hour and has been pretty much okay ever since. She's certainly never been up in the middle of the night looking for it, although is a bit of a pain to put to bed, but I think it's just her age to be honest. When she goes to bed she's fine, it's the getting her there that's the issue just now. She realises she's missing something by going to bed and wants to stay up with us!

HTH

DS3 had his dummy tied onto a muslin - he earned how to find it for himself at about 6months

I think yours is a bit young to be losing the dummy TBH but I tend to do things for an easy life.....

Just a thought, could you put a muslin through the ring on the dummy to make it easier to find?

Brilliant x-post with Tommy there!

We went cold turkey when DS was 8 months old (he's now 17 months). He was waking several times during the night because he wasn't able to find it. So one evening he just went to bed without it, took him 20mn to go to sleep, woke up once during the night and since then, he is fine.
It is hard but worth it at the end.
Good luck

I've just remembered another thing I saw on Amazon called a 'Pacimal' (sorry, I'm posting from my phone and I can't do links). It's basically a soft toy that you can attach the dummy to, to make it easier to find. Then when you eventually take the dummy away, the child has the toy as a comforter. I suppose you could always rig up something yourself.

I could get some dummies with rings and do that. I didn't want to get rid just yet, but just didn't know what else to.do.

I think the issue is that by the time the dummy is found he is too awake. We are going to try a gro clock too.

We have glow in the dark dummies - MAM do them, ordinary dummies but the central bit glows.
I've used dummies with all 3 of mine, and we leave them for Santa the xmas they're 3. They tell Santa which type of animal they would like to comfort them in bed and then Santa leaves that when he takes all the dummies for the babies.
As someone said earlier, I think your DS is too young for that just yet.
YOungest here is now 20 months and when he wakes up from night time or nap time, he is told to put the dummy back in his cot which he's happy enough to do.

Thanks. We have decided he is too young. We are going to work on him finding it himself. I will look for glow in dark ones!