How To Get Baby To Sleep Without Pacifier

Are you wondering how to get baby to sleep without pacifier during the night since your little one won’t fall asleep without it? Don’t worry, this article is for you.

Interestingly, this is one of the biggest questions for all new parents and sadly there’s no definite age. Some parents may wish to wean their baby off the pacifier as early as 5 or a half years; others let their toddlers cling to their pacifiers until age 3 or 4.

However, there’s no correct, dark or white when it comes to pacifier usage. It’s kind of baby prefers sleeping in that way – infants and toddlers figure out how to sleep unexpectedly, and at various ages.

In this article, we’ve listed a couple of hacks and strategies that you can use right away to get your baby to sleep without a pacifier. Remember, the earlier you do it, the easier it’s going to be.

What Is The Ideal Age to Stop Using Pacifier?

Pediatricians suggest weaning your little one from the pacifier before age one. The idea is that before a year, your kid hasn’t had the opportunity (or the psychological ability) to shape a profound connection to a pacifier, so taking it away may not be as difficult.

However, this is not the case if you try to wean a toddler off his pacifier. Starting around a year and a half, a toddler has likely formed a feeling of attachment to his pacifier. Attempting to remove it at this stage will be harder than if you’d done it earlier.

Not impossible, obviously, but with more anger and tears on the part of your toddler (and possibly on your part, too!). Past a couple of years old and you add the danger of causing a dental problem, too.

Proven Tips On How To Get Baby To Sleep Without Pacifier

Wean Baby Off Pacifier During The Day

If you have concluded that your baby is prepared to discard the pacifier yet you’re scared you will lose those quiet evenings of sleep once more.

If this is you, then maybe weaning your baby from their pacifier gradually from the age of six months might be the most ideal alternative.

At this period, pick when you feel that baby most benefits from their pacifier and times when they can live without it.

Begin removing the pacifier around those times your baby needs it, like during the day for instance. Continue this method gradually throughout the next few months.

For parents whose baby is coming up to the age of one and over, this period of weaning can be significantly more difficult. By beginning to wean it off during the day, you will gradually remove the habit from your baby’s daily routine.

This is why it is also important to maintain a good consistent routine for your baby. This way he will significantly understand that the pacifier isn’t a thing any longer, since it pops up less and less in your baby’s daily routine.

Try Going Cold Turkey

This is hack is especially for those parents with babies over 1 year old, possibly it will be harder to follow the guidance we give on the sections above. At one, a baby will be attached to their pacifier. They can respond and throw tantrums when they don’t get their binky during the day.

More terribly, they may directly associate it with sleep. In this way, the main step here is to show your kid other cues to realize that it is sleep time. For instance, introduce a special sleep time only teddy or security blanket.

Note, buy more than one as your baby may become attached and on the off chance that it gets lost or harmed, all hell may break loose!

So if this you, why not try going cold turkey?! Remove all pacifiers from your home and buckle down for a harsh few days ahead. At first, things get rough.

You will likely get some not all those quiet evenings of sleep. But do not give up, hang in there it will pass!

Additional Tips On How To Get Baby To Sleep Without A Pacifier

Whether you are weaning your baby off the pacifier or going completely cold turkey, you will need whatever additional help you can get to get your baby to sleep without the dummy.

Here are some simple practical tips that may make it simpler for your little one to fall asleep without relying upon a pacifier:

Try Cuddle: Babies love warm regular cuddle, and interestingly this is all it takes to soothe a baby or toddler. Some light influencing or rocking will frequently quicken up the process. For some babies, this is everything necessary to get them to sleep.
Make Sure The Baby’s Room Is As Dark As Possible: Just like adults, infants will consistently sleep better in darkness.
Background Noise: Contrary to what numerous individuals believe, babies sleep better when there is constant noise around, instead of complete quietness. It has been speculated by numerous doctors that babies thrive with background noise as it helps them to remember their time in the belly with the sounds of their mother whooshing around them.
Warmth: Make sure that your baby is dressed suitably in your family’s environment. This varies anywhere you go, so set aside the effort to conduct some research into the best layers to take care of your baby in. Ensure you include a swaddle or a wrap-up in your layers as this gives babies a feeling of solace when they are not in their parent’s arms.
When All Else Fails, A Practice Might Help: This might take some time, but your baby will figure out how to sleep (at last). Infants thrive with schedule, so develop a strict schedule that outlines your day, including scheduled nap time for the baby. This will assist babies with understanding when they are expected to sleep, and they will normally adjust their inner body clock to suit the everyday schedule.

Pros And Cons Of Using A Pacifier

Pros

They Are Soothing: Infants have a sucking reflex that encourages them to self-soothe. Pacifiers utilize this reflex to help the baby settle.
They May Help To Reduce The Risk Of SIDS: SIDS is probably the most frightening thing that you will come across as a parent. While no one knows precisely the cause for SIDS, considers have shown that the use of a pacifier in infants may bring down the danger of SIDS occurring.
They Can Be Distracting: Regardless of whether you need to remove the baby’s attention from something like a shot, or as a means to put your baby to sleep when they are battling against it, a pacifier can assist with providing the distraction that could stop their battle.
They May Ease Discomfort During Travel: For parents who have been on a plane, or on a vehicle trip that has gone over a mountain, you may recall the uncomfortable sensation of your ears needing to “pop”. While for grown-ups, this can be cured by “yawning”, infants don’t have this reflex, which means they may turn out to be very awkward during trips. The act of sucking on a pacifier can assist to reduce this uneasiness.

Cons

They Can Turn Into A Source Of Reliance: infants can turn out to be amazingly attached to their pacifier, especially if guardians or parental figures use it as the first line of defense. It’s best advised to use a pacifier as the last resort to help your baby acquire the abilities to self-soothe without his pacifier.
They Can Meddle With Baby’s Feeding Habit: Especially those breastfed children can think that its hard to separate between how to suck on their mom’s nipple, and how to suck on the pacifier, and as many breastfeeding mothers know, you do not want to make this experience any harder than as it is now.
They Can Cause A Dental Problem: Although general use of pacifiers has not been shown to harm the long-term dental hygiene of babies, many children who have delayed pacifier use may experience a change in the shape of their mouth in the future.
Infection: A pacifier can cause ear contaminations.

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Conclusion

I hope this article answers your question on how to get baby to sleep without pacifier. Normally, when it comes to sleep and babies, this can be a truly sensitive area for some parents.

Knowing that without sleep, everything in our lives gets more difficult. The decision on how to help your little one sleep is a major one and ultimately comes down to what works for you and your baby.

Keep in mind, there isn’t anything wrong with allowing your baby to make the most of his pacifier. However, if you feel that it is about time your baby or toddler loses the binky, bear in mind that the very first days will be the hardest.

Furthermore, by keeping the consistency and attempting the steps outlined above you should be able to get your little one to sleep without it. If you have any questions or you have some other suggestions on how to get baby to sleep without pacifier, drop your comments below. We would love to hear it.