Sandra Menoni, sleep consultant, reveals her tips for gradually getting your baby to sleep without his pacifier.
The sucking reflex is one of the seven archaic reflexes of the newborn. This need to suck can be more or less important from birth until around 6 months. Beyond that, the baby may use the pacifier to soothe himself, depending on how the parent uses it. “In fact, if the baby is used to having the pacifier put in his mouth as soon as he cries, he will develop an attachment to the pacifier, almost like a cuddly toy“, comments Sandra Menoni. The pacifier can become problematic when it represents a strategy for falling asleep for the baby, forcing the parent to get up to give the pacifier back if it is lost. In this case, our sleep expert offers several solutions.
During the day, Sandra Menoni advises against systematically giving the pacifier, whatever the age of the baby, because according to her, he does not need it during his waking phases. He needs to explore with his hands, put toys in his mouth, coo… Unless he asks for it from time to time to calm down of course. “The idea is not to make parents feel guilty, simply to remind them that there is nothing more comforting for a child than the reassuring arms of a loving adult“, argues the young child’s sleep specialist. In practice, the pacifier should be reserved for naps and falling asleep in the evening.
Sucking will provide a feeling of soothing to the baby who is trying to fall asleep. But, when falling asleep, there is a muscular relaxation which causes the pacifier to fall. “Some babies will need the pacifier to be able to go back to sleep following a micro-wake-up and start a new sleep cycle, requiring parental intervention several times per night.“, observes our interlocutor.
To help baby find his pacifier on his own at night, our expert recommends putting it in his hand during the day to allow him to work on these motor skills. You can also place phosphorescent pacifiers around the child’s head. Then, when the child is older, it is possible to use a pacifier attachment system on the comforter, which is more easily identifiable for him. Finally, in the evening, you can put your child in bed without the pacifier to see if he can fall asleep without it, and give it to him if it is difficult for him.
“As soon as he is asleep, you can remove the pacifier from his mouth. As he is in a light sleep, this gesture sends information to his subconscious that he is capable of sleeping without the pacifier.“, concludes Sandra Menoni.
Thanks to Sandra Menoni, sleep consultant and founder of la nuit des petits