Hello!

He’s loosing his dummy and I pop it back in and he falls asleep. I’ve tried to get rid of the dummy but I’m loosing more sleep with no dummy than I am getting up and putting it back in. This has been going on for months. I was just dealing with it but now I’m really starting to struggle with the lack of sleep. Any tips?


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  • I hope you found some good advice, and was able to solve this issue and get some well deserved sleep!


  • You could try putting a few extra dummy’s in the cot so bub can easily grab another one? Or there are products out there to buy that are designed to attatch a dummy to for bub – either a fabric square that the dummy can be attached to and therefore easier for bub to grip and find when lost, or a small soft toy that does the same thing. If you go this way please ensure u buy something specifically designed for sleep and dummies. (Safety always)

    Personally I would start to limit dummies to get to using only at night – not day sleeps. Then work on taking the night dummy away completely. It is hard for a few days or even a week – depending on ur bub. But it’s so worth it when they self settle without it. You can replace with a comfortor. Much easier than replacing dummies all night plus sleep is so important.


  • Maybe put something through the part that holds it or get the special you clip onto his top where he can reach it easily. maybe he spits it out when his mouth gets dry, especially in the warm weather or he tends to breathe though his mouth when he’s asleep. Personally I think 7.5 months is a bit early to be taking it away from him. He is at the age where it is a comfort thing for him. He may miss more as he is at teething age. They say you should have toys or loose wraps in a cot. I suppose it is too risky at his age otherwise you could have given him one to cuddle. That was the next step Mum used with us. Maybe introduce something else then take the dummy. He’s not old enough to understand he could leave it out for Santa or the Easter bunny….like a friend of mine did. Maybe he is a bit thirsty too


  • That dummy is keeping you and your bub awake you have to hold him and try to let him sleep without the dummy, I am telling from personal experience in few days to a week would be hard but better than months and months of tiredness.


  • Only thing I can suggest is getting rid of the dummy, it may be a few nights of struggle but it will be worth it in the long run


  • Try weening her off the dummy and see if that helps


  • I went to the Ellen Barron Family Centre for sleep when my daughter was 9 months and having similar problems and it was amazing. We used comfort settling and took her dummy off her (she had a comforter given to her instead). It was the best thing I ever did. It was a couple of hard nights but after that she slept and could self settle and best of all, no more getting up and finding dummies at all hours. If you google it I think they have some videos on their website that may be helpful. All the best.


  • You may have to grit your teeth and power through getting rid of the dummy. Why don’t you ring Trevalion mother and baby services? I think that’s the name, anyway. The sleep school – they might have some suggestions.


  • Can you attach the dummy to a toy so it’s easier to find?


  • A friend of mine had the same issue and she said it took a week and that week was bloody hard but after that, dummy was gone. I think the earlier you do it, the easier it will be, otherwise it is just going to get harder and harder to ditch. Good luck!


  • I hear you, it can be so difficult. I am currently scattering dummies throughout her cot which has helped a bit. I’ve started off losing the dummy during the day, just taking it one step at a time. I just know when you’re not getting much sleep yourself the last thing you want to be doing is losing it during the night. I plan on losing the dummy at night when my husband has some time off work, so we can help one another out and catch up on sleep.


  • We used to scatter a few dummies around the cot so our daughter could grab a spare one when she lost one. It saved our sleep alot when she was 6-12 months old.


  • Please get rid of the dummy ASAP and then the baby will learn how to settle without it


  • I think it’s all jolly well to say toss the dummy and deal with some unpleasant nights but for that to occur you would have to set aside a week or so where you don’t have any commitments – such as no one in the household having to get up early to go to work or school. It’s a tough one!


  • Exact same issue my son and daughter in law had with my grandson. A dummy is a handy settling product, but when it pops out through the night or you deem them old enough to do without…….is when the issues start. I would toss it, make things harder short term, but better off long term


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