How To Teach Your Baby To Fall Asleep Even If the Pacifier Falls Out

Does your infant wake up every time the pacifier falls out? Some babies really struggle with this. (Others don't have any problems so it's not a guaranteed issue.)

Pacifiers can be an amazing sleep tool but if falling out wakes them… not so much! And if you have to keep running to the bassinet to put it back… that’s definitely not a win. 

I recently learned a technique to help with this. Just before your infant is fully asleep with the pacifier… pull it out. If she is nearly asleep, she should fall asleep anyway… and falling asleep without the pacifier in her mouth will help her put herself back to sleep without it.

As your baby gets better at this skill, try removing the pacifier earlier in the routine. You can still use is to soothe your baby and get her very relaxed, just not to the point of asleep.

This skill takes time to develop so don’t despair if it doesn’t work the first few times. Just keep trying!

If your baby doesn’t struggle with this problem, no need to adjust your routine. Using a pacifier to fall asleep at bedtime has been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS, and some babies sleep really well with them. 

Thank you, Mia, for introducing me to this technique!

Here’s a video from TCB to demonstrate how to do this. 

If you are having trouble sending your little one off to dreamland, schedule a free consult and see how we can help your entire family get the sleep you deserve. Even with a young baby.