What to Do If a Baby Wakes Up Every Time the Pacifier Falls Out?

Pacifiers can help satisfy a baby̵7;s strong need to suck -- a need that often exceeds the sucking she experiences from breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. If you decide to give your baby a pacifier to soothe her and provide additional opportunity for sucking, there may be some unexpected drawbacks. The pacifier is likely to fall out of your baby̵7;s mouth while she̵7;s sleeping, warns the American Academy of Pediatrics Healthy Children.org website. When this occurs, you may need to help your baby retrieve the pacifier when she wakes up.

  1. Assess Independence

    • Watch your child during the day to determine how independent he is with his pacifier. Sometime between 6 1/2 and 7 1/2 months, a baby usually develops the ability to put a pacifier into his mouth independently, according to St. Luke̵7;s Hospital. If your baby can position his own pacifier into his mouth, you can train him to do this at night. If your baby cannot position his pacifier independently yet (less than 7 months of age), your options include continuing to help him or weaning him of his pacifier.

    Increase the Odds

    • If your child is going to learn how to use his pacifier independently while in her bed, ensure success by increasing the odds that she̵7;ll be able find a pacifier by herself. Provide between seven and 10 pacifiers in your child̵7;s crib to make sure that she̵7;ll succeed in finding one when she wakes up in the night.

    Initial Assistance

    • Visit your child̵7;s bed when he wakes up crying and place a pacifier into his hand to enable him to put it back into his own mouth. Make sure he can reach the other pacifiers you̵7;ve placed in his crib as well. Wait for your child to help himself by putting the pacifier into his own mouth. Repeat this process for two nights. If the crying continues after two nights, visit your child̵7;s crib to ensure that your child can reach a pacifier in his bed, but do not assist by putting it into his hand. Continue this process for two nights.

    Final Transition

    • If your child continues to struggle, it̵7;s time to insist that she make the transition. Wait for your child to help herself if she continues to wake. Before going to your child, allow time for her to help herself with the pacifier, waiting for between five and 10 minutes before you go in to place a pacifier in your child̵7;s hand, according to St. Luke̵7;s Hospital. Eventually, your child will learn that she can reposition her pacifier without help.

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