Clothes sucking - do i just let her do it?

[EweHaveGoatToBeKiddin]

I don't know if this is something i should be addressing more or not.

6yo dd (HFA) has been clothes sucking for the past year or so. In recent months, it's gotten much worse.

I mainly notice it at night times, but she does it occasionally through the day as well.

Her pyjama top tonight, thick cotton, has had to be changed because it was so wet. It's always the same section she'll suck, the neck area, never sleeves or anything.

Anyway, i've been telling her every time I've noticed her doing it or every time i've had to wake her to change her top that she must stop doing it, as it'll ruin her clothes. She just says okay, ignores me/doesn't seem to be listening. I've said silly/jokey things like "I'll have to give you a baby dummy instead then" but she knows it's just a joke.

I'm wondering if it's a soothing thing, a boredom thing or a sensory thing. Apart from stretching the odd pair of pyjamas, i can't see any harm in letting her carry on. But i'm worried it might happen more during the day if i don't make a good attempt to stop it.

Any ideas?

Sounds like stress to me. Can you give her a muslin to use? Also a chew toy might be a good idea. I imagine her mouth gets very chapped.

Thanks for the replies.

Her lips don't really dry out but she does have some eczema spots on her chin from the saliva.

Ive tried getting her to divert the sucking elsewhere, such as to a toy or blanket. But she treats all soft cuddly toys like royalty and isn't interested in blankets. Although she will occasionally suck on the top of her duvet cover instead.

I'll check out that link just now thanks.

DS has a chewy thing (not as cool as the ones that Polter linked to) which seems to help. He's much worse when he's stressed/anxious about something - now it's the school holidays, he hasn't sucked his clothes for ages

Ds used to ruin all his clothes like this and would get a sore face from being constantly wet in the cold weather. I didn't really find a way of stopping him (or a reason for it) but he did give it up all by himself eventually and doesn't do it at all now. Probably not a lot of use atm but might give you some hope!

Ds did this too. We praised him for not doing it so instead of saying 'don't' or 'stop...' Try and catch her not doing it and saying how great her dry clothes are. Lots of 'wow' your clothes are dry. Even resort to rewards eg choc buttons for when not doing it (but try fade these out fast). Ds moved on pretty quick but there's always something else takes it place! I stopped this stim as he was sat in wet clothes at school etc. he wasn't anxious we stopped it but just finds a new thing. We stop the stims which are socially gross (squirting spit round mouth springs to mind) or harmful but leave other ones. If corrects herself eg goes to suck clothes and stops herself that justifies big praise / reward.

My ds also did this but has mostly stopped now. Just to give you some hope! He does try to chew my clothes when stressed though. At school he has a chewy bracelet similair to polter's link which he really likes. It sits on his teachers desk and he can get it when he needs to