Teaching Dummy Independence: Saying Goodbye To The Dummy runs.

Teaching Dummy Independence: Saying Goodbye to the Midnight Dummy Runs

Dummies can be a wonderful settling tool. They often help babies drift off quickly and calmly. But for many families, they also become the reason sleep is broken again and again. Instead of getting up to feed or resettle your baby, you find yourself getting up just to put the dummy back in, over and over.

If your baby is six months or older and keeps losing their dummy overnight, this will probably sound very familiar. You finally climb back into bed, only to hear them wake again moments later because the dummy has fallen out.

The good news is that this is a skill your baby can learn. With a bit of patience and some gentle practice, you can teach your baby to find their own dummy and resettle themselves, which usually means fewer wake-ups for everyone.

Why Dummy Independence Matters

By around six months, most babies have the hand-eye coordination and motor skills to start finding and grabbing objects in their cot. Many are also rolling, which makes it easier for them to move and reach for things.

This makes it a great age to start teaching them how to locate their dummy and put it back in themselves, rather than relying on you to do it overnight.

Step 1: Attach the Dummy to a Comforter

The first step is to introduce a small, safe comforter and attach the dummy to it. A Cuski-style comforter works well because the dummy can be tied securely to the end.

The comforter makes the dummy easier to find in the cot and gives your baby something familiar to reach for.

Step 2: Help Your Baby Get Familiar With It

Let your baby spend some time getting used to the comforter during the day and at sleep times. At this age, most babies can use their hands to grab and hold objects, which is exactly what we want to encourage.

The goal is for your baby to start connecting the dots. The dummy is attached to the comforter, and if they find the comforter, they can find the dummy.

Step 3: Stop Doing the Hard Work for Them

At naps and bedtime, try not to place the dummy straight into your baby’s mouth. That keeps you doing the work for them.

Instead, place the comforter so the dummy rests near their mouth or across their cheek. If they turn their head, they’ll feel or see it. This encourages them to start reaching for it themselves.

If that feels like too big a jump to begin with, you can start by dangling the dummy just above them so they can see it, reach up, grab it, and put it into their mouth on their own.

Step 4: Gradually Make It a Little Harder

Once your baby is getting the hang of it, you can begin placing the comforter slightly further away, for example over their shoulder or just above their head.

Now they need to reach, feel for it, and grab it. This is how they practise the skill they’ll need in the middle of the night.

Step 5: Give Them a Chance Overnight

When your baby wakes at night, try to pause for a minute or two before going in. Give them a chance to see if they can find the dummy themselves.

If they can’t, avoid putting the dummy straight back into their mouth. Instead, find the comforter and place it near their face so they can feel it and guide the dummy back in themselves.

Some parents also find that attaching more than one dummy to the comforter can help, as it increases the chance their baby will find one quickly.

With consistent practice over about a week, many babies learn to locate their dummy and resettle without needing you to get up each time.

A Gentle Reminder

Like any new skill, this takes a bit of patience and repetition. But once your baby learns how to manage their own dummy, it can make a big difference to everyone’s sleep.

If you’d like some support working through this, or if dummy dependence is only one part of a bigger sleep picture, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.