Anyone use a dummy *purely* for bedtime & naps?

[peedieworky]

Hi all. My DS is 18 weeks old and EBF. He sleeps through about 4/5 nights out of 7 from 0730pm till around 7am. The remaining days he wakes around 4am but isn't hungry and although he sucks his thumb for comfort during the day, he doesn't seem to think to do so at night. Instead I had been holding him and letting him suck my little finger till he dropped off. This is also how I had been putting him down for daytime naps. I knew I should be putting him down awake but he screams and I prefer an easy life buckle. Last night when he woke I gave him a dummy instead & didn't pick him up & he sucked himself to sleep. Am now considering this may help the sleep issue in general. but! I really don't want him using a dummy during the day. He's a lovely smiley, chatted boy and has never shown signs of needing one when awake.

So! Can they be kept for sleep only? Does anybody use a dummy just for sleep - not for sleepy grumpiness too? I mean purely bedtime routine? Thanks!!

Oh - no, didn't mean it like that bigkid - just as a novice dummy user it hadn't occured to me! Think he seems to spit it out as falling asleep so not sure whether an issue or not. And at night I have to get up to settle him with or without one, so it makes no odds...

my 3 all had/have them and all only for naps and sleeping - kept in bedroom. Very, very occasionally when older toddlers for a few minutes if fell and hurt themselves or ill etc. Not a rule or anything, just how it worked out. Never had to do any replugging, they only ever needed it for 10 minutes while falling asleep and then they fall out and we pick them off the floor the next morning! Often not used at nap times if out and about as just fell asleep without in car/pram.

Think am sold! Worked well for yesterday's morning nap so will be trying the same today for both naps (was out yesterday afternoon so he slept in the car). Wish me luck!

Re. them not being able to find the dummy - you can buy little soft toy things you attach the dummy to so it's easy to find in the dark, which worked a treat for us.

With DD1, we used a dummy from about 2 months, because it seemed to help her settle. We took it off her at about 9 months when I realised she was waking up when she couldn't find it. She went cold turkey with no problems. I think removing it before they are 1 is probably easier than later.

Well... It seems to be working so far! I whip it out of is mouth the second he falls asleep and daytime naps are amazing!

Really interested by this conversation. I have a 19 week old and am desperately trying to get him to sleep in his cot for naps when I'm in the house rather than on me. I currently breastfeed so I think he just needs my comfort but it's very limiting to me having fed him and then having him sleep on me for hours - no food, drink or going to the loo which obviously ain't good! When I put him in his cot for naps he cries his eyes out every time I attempt to put him down. I've tried putting him down drowsy and then asleep but neither works. He hasn't mastered soothing himself using his thumb and won't use a blankie or anything else except mummy to suck on to help soothe to sleep. Like many of you, he sleeps perfectly fine in the pram and in the car and sleeps pretty much through the night in his cot too. Just wondering whether using a dummy solely for getting him to sleep during the day in his cot will work or whether he will need it forever then! (Obviously not literally!) I really can't stand the battling and crying anymore and I always end up having to give in and let him sleep on me just so he sleeps. Has anybody got any suggestions? Dummy related or not? Thanks.

Mine has dummy for naps and sleep only. Never ever had it unless the plan was for him to be asleep.

He always slept well. Never woke up for it. He still loves it now. He is when he sees a child walking around with one in as he is adamant they should be asleep!

We only use it for sleep time. It lives in her cot and is not allowed out! Works fine for us.

Thanks, advice very helpful. I have always been dead against using dummy's as I hate seeing parents just plonk one in everytime they cry - they are crying for a reason! But reading your comments, using one on the right way I.e. Only for sleeps in cot and only for settling and not all of the sleep, seems to be a pretty good option. It sounds much better than him constantly crying once put down. It would be much easier if he would go down drowsy and take himself off to sleep. Would avoid the whole feed to sleep of rock/bounce to sleep thing which I have done up to now - I know I shouldn't have started this but hey ho. Now trying to change things. You live and learn! :)

Ds's dummies live on a shelf by the cot and he has them for naps and bed. When he's woken up he hands then over to me with an "aaaawwww do I have to???" face that's really cute. I usually leave 2 in the cot and if he wakes up he throws then out of his cot to let us know he's awake (the nursery is directly below the nursery and has a wood floor so we hear them bouncing off it!)

Yes naps and bed only for my 8 month too

Yes, of course. When mine were little, that was what they were used for.
I'm sad how many people just use them as plugs during the day, and how many of those children consequently struggle with their speech.

OP be warned there is a sleep regression on its way and the dummy might not be enough to get you through or at least it wasn't in my case.

Is it advisable to give a baby a dummy and leave them to suck while mum sleeps?