How long to break a habit?

[itssangriaoclock]

My ds is 21 months has had a dummy since 7months (when he was going through a period of waking 1hrly) dentist at last visit suggested that his teeth were being affected by his dummy use. Only has it at night, apparently this is worse.
That night I tired to go cold turkey and take it away. The result was 3hours of screaming and him constantly asking for his dummy. Gave in and gave it to him. The. Decided to take his dummy out when he was asleep. That didn't work he would immediately wake.

So, I left him until he was older an ready? Over the last week or so he has been extremely congested and unable to have a dummy at night. He has rejected it. I've gone with it and hid all dummy's. We are now on night 3 of no dummy. Last night was def worse, not crying for dummy but only settling in our bed. He is still unwell coughing and struggling to breathe through the congestion. So think that's why he wants the comfort of our bed.

Now you have the very long story. My question is, how long until the habit is broken? And I can work on him sleeping without coming in our bed. I'm aware it's small steps. First one being break dummy habit. Second sleep in his cot.

Any experiences, 5night? A week? Longer?

Some [http://sarahockwell-smith.com/2014/06/30/self-settling-what-really-happens-when-you-teach-a-baby-to-self-soothe-to-sleep/ research]] into childrens brains suggests that young children are not able to self sooth as babies, toddlers or even pre-schoolers.

Some form of prop will help a baby self settle (self sooth) and this is where the dummy comes into its own. It is a tool that means babies and children can sooth themselves to sleep without adult input - as you have found.

I have not taken the dummy off my 3 older children until they were about 5 years old. I realise this is against recommendations from a dentist.

By this age though a child has the emotional capacity to self sooth without any external prop. They are also old enough to understand negotiation and praise (if you do not have your dummy for a week, we will buy you this as a present). When we found the special thing DC wanted at this age, not having the dummy did not involve any tears or tantrums and was entirely child lead and their choice (through some bribery).

You can drop the dummy now, as a dentist will recommend. Expect about a weeks worth of crying it out though since emotionally and psychologically your child still wants and needs the dummy.

Or you could just accept that dummy in for ten minutes until they drop to sleep is not that bad. Once in a deep sleep the mouth muscles cannot hold the dummy in the mouth so it will drop out.

We banished dummy to bedroom only from 12 months old, so it was never used at any other time apart from sleep.

Some research into childrens brains suggests that young children are not able to self sooth as babies, toddlers or even pre-schoolers

He does not drop the dummy out, it stays in all night.

He also goes to bed with a blanket and Teddy. They are both his comforters. So going to bed, without a dummy is not leaving him without anything to soothe him. He sleeps in the day without a dummy.

The last 4 nights he has gone to bed with no fuss, he wakes once or twice (this is normal for him). He is not suffering at all. If he was, I would give back the dummy immediately. I have done this because he has not wanted it due to being unwell.

So my originally question still stands how many nights until he has forgotten??