Sleeping With Dummies and Comforters

Dummies

Deciding whether to use a dummy for your baby or not is a personal decision. Some people hate the idea of using a dummy, while for many parents, a dummy, with its unique baby-soothing powers, provides a much needed lifeline! Babies like dummies because they satisfy their need to suck. Some parents find that a dummy is the only thing that will calm their baby down when he gets distressed. There are added benefits to using a dummy, other than them being comforting to babies, which is that studies have shown a link between dummy use while sleeping and a decreased risk of cot death.

There are however downsides to using a dummy while your baby sleeps. Although babies usually settle to sleep quicker with a dummy, dummies often fall out of the mouth in the night. This causes babies to wake up and cry for it to be put back in as they are reliant on the dummy to get them back to sleep. Babies normally go straight back to sleep after the dummy is put back in again, but parents have to decide whether getting their baby to go to sleep easier and more quickly at bedtime is worth waking up (often several times) in the night to put the dummy back in! For some parents with babies who are particularly 'sucky', this trade off works. The dummy soothes their baby, which means mum and dad can get back to sleep quickly after waking up and don't have to rock/sing/cuddle baby back to sleep. It's up to you to decide if your baby sleeping with a dummy works for you. If putting the dummy back during the night is becoming disruptive to your sleep, it's time to consider weaning your baby off the dummy. Taking a dummy away from your baby means he will have to teach himself how to get back to sleep, a skill called self soothing, which is something all babies have to learn at some point.

Comforters

Some babies soothe themselves to sleep using a toy called a comforter. Many experts actually believe babies (and children up to pre-school age) sleep better when they have a comforter, as they feel safe and more relaxed when they have their special toy with them. Not all babies are interested in comforters however, so don't feel you need to foist one on your baby if they don't seem to want it!

If you want to give your baby a comforter to help soothe him to sleep, and during the night, make sure it's safe for your baby. Here are some things to look out for when choosing a comforter:

• Avoid non-cotton fabrics as they make it harder for your baby to breathe if the comforter goes over his face during the night. Choose cotton ones.
• Be sure that the comforter doesn't have any ribbons, ties, or loose threads in it, or anything else that could get wrapped around your baby's neck.
• Avoid toys with bean fillings, as these could come out and be a choking hazard.
• Give the comforter a good tug and try tearing it. Check that nothing can come off or be pulled loose, including fur.
• It's best to avoid soft toys with fur as babies can breathe in fur and bite it off, which can cause discomfort and coughing.
• Make sure you avoid anything too large or heavy; anything that could obstruct your baby's breathing if he put it over his face.

Comforters aren't recommended for babies under 6 months because of the risk of suffocation. There are comforters however that have hooks and loops on them so you can attach them to the bars of the cot.

Only give the comforter to your baby at night time, if you want to use it as an aid to sleep. This way your baby will associate it with going to sleep. It will also stop your baby getting too attached to their comforter, which can interfere with playing (essential for your baby's development). It's hard to build a tower of bricks if you've got one hand on a comforter the whole time!