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Sleep

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Original poster

Anyone experience of weaning a 5 month old off their dummy at night ?

12 replies

mousemole · 02/12/2007 08:41

DS2 aged 5 months just has his dummy to get to sleep. I then take it out once he is asleep. He used to wake maybe once a night looking for it and ( now studpidly I realise) I would put it back in and he would go back off to sleep. Recently though he has started waking 4 times a night looking for it which is driving us insane. Its not a growth spurt or food related. Is is bet to go cold turkey with this and just let him scream it out ? Any advice gratefully received.

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Elfsmummy · 02/12/2007 08:48

We had to do this Although our DD peaked at waking 15 times in 1 night!

I couldn't do crying it out, So I did a sort of gradual withdrawl, with some head stroking for comfort to get her to drop off at the start of the night.

The very first night she slept through for the first time but I'd say it took her 48 hours to properly adjust.

I found her daytime sleep harder to crack - ended up taking her out in the buggy or car for about a week to get her to sleep during the day.

Within a week we'd both forgotten all about it and she was even much happier during the day - possibly because she slept better at night?-

I can't work out from your post if you're planning to drop the dummy completely or just at night? I'd say it'd be easier to drop it completely rather than confuse your DS with occasional useage but I have no experience of this.

Good Luck

needmorecoffee · 02/12/2007 08:50

Why not leave the dummy? If the baby finds it comforting and it gets you more sleep. My first 3 had dummies for 1-3 years.
Let the baby decide.

cornsilk · 02/12/2007 09:05

We tried to do this but ds got really distressed - wish we'd never bothered now. I would say just leave it - soon he'll be ablt to find it for himself.

Original poster

mousemole · 02/12/2007 09:31

Well ironically its getting us less sleep as he only used to wake once a night and now it is 3/4 times as he looks for it. I use it in the day as well to get him off to sleep but not at any other times and was planning to drop it completely. Are those clip things safe that you use to attach to the dummy and their clothes ?

OP posts:

Seona1973 · 02/12/2007 10:52

I got rid of ds's at the same age as he was waking multiple times looking for it. My advice is to start with the daytime first as it is easier to be strong then than in the middle of the night. Dont leave your lo to cry though - I stayed with ds and soothed him/picked him up for a cuddle if required and he did eventually go to sleep without it (it can take a while though - about 40 minutes the first time). After a couple of days he was settling without it and his sleep was much much better. Taking the dummy away was the best thing we did and he is a brilliant sleeper now.

p.s. we also substituted a taggy blanket (or 2) for the dummy so ds takes it to bed with him now and cuddles it at nap/sleep times, so you might want to find a comfort object to replace the dummy.

beegee · 02/12/2007 11:03

I went cold turkey with the dummy withdrawal. It's hard initially but she adapted within two days and definately slept better afterwards. What its all about really is teaching them to fall asleep without any 'aids' which will naturally take a few days. It's really up to you but I think earlier the better to take away dummy if that's what you're going to do. Once they get to 18 mths the habit is really entrenched.

Good luck x

Original poster

mousemole · 02/12/2007 11:12

Thanks - its reassuring to hear that some of you have managed the cold turkey approach. I am annoyed with myself for having got to this state. DS1 was never interested in a dummy so have never had this before. I feel cruel taking it away but as you say, he needs to be able to get off to sleep without any aids.

OP posts:

pulapula · 02/12/2007 23:33

mousemole- i'd be interested to know how you get on. DS is the same age and we are doing a gradual withdrawal as suggested in the 'no-cry sleep solution' book as we thought he was waking at night because of it. But i'm thinking of going cold turkey now, which is what we did with DD at this age. We still swaddle for daytime naps but am thinking of stopping this too so he can find his fingers or hold his comforter.

nuttysquirrel · 05/12/2007 00:43

Just to agree with what everyone else has said...........
We have just weened our DS from his dummy by going cold turkey. He had started to wake up looking for it at least four times a night. It has taken a few days with us soothing him to sleep minus the dummy but now on day five things are much better and he is back to sleeping through.......HURRAH! Another plus has been that his daytime naps are much better too and he is waking refreshed and smiley! So we are glad we did it now at 4.5 months.

clur79 · 06/12/2007 20:32

My ds is five months, and I really want to take his dummy away, but after one hour of screaming for it the other night I gave in

Will have to build up the courage to do it soon though....

Egg · 06/12/2007 20:34

Had this also with DS at five months. We went cold turkey. I actually threw the dummies away so we couldn't back down. He slept better than he ever had after a couple of nights. With the dummy he got to the point of waking 15 (yes FIFTEEN) times a night...

speak2deb · 06/12/2007 20:42

My 8-month DD has a dummy at night time. We managed to wean her off it for daytime sleeps (which involved lots of screaming), but I'm happy for her to have it during the night.

We tie it to her bed bag with one of those leash things and she sometimes wakes up in the night, finds it and goes straight back to sleep without waking us up.

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