Pacifiers + Baby Sleep - If, How, and When to Drop it

You finally got them down…only to be summoned 45 minutes later to pop the paci right back in….Sound familiar?

Pacifiers can be the magical sleep tool you love—until suddenly, they’re the thing keeping you up all night. So what fliippin’ gives?!!!

I’m gonna break down how pacifiers affect baby sleep, when they help, when they hurt, and how to finally decide whether to keep it or ditch it.

And if you’re stuck in the pacifier dance and desperate for more sleep, grab my Free Night Waking Guide to start seeing change tonight.

Why Pacifiers Work So Well for Newborns

The pacifier can be a fantastic tool for helping babies relax and fall asleep—especially in the newborn months. I actually encourage introducing a pacifier early on, and here’s why:

✶ Newborns have an instinct to suck—it helps them latch and feed, but it also settles them.

✶ This is called non-nutritive sucking—comfort sucking that isn’t about hunger. This includes fingers, pacifiers, and other objects. Totally normal, and it starts in the womb (as early as 12–16 weeks gestation!).

✶ Pacifiers have also been found to significantly reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

So, if your baby is a few weeks old and waking a lot, the pacifier might actually help them get longer stretches. Total win!!!

But Then... the Pacifier Becomes a Problem

Here’s what happened with my first baby:

At around 7 weeks, I introduced the pacifier and it was life-changing. She started sleeping longer, and I felt like I had figured out the secret code.

But by 4–5 months, things changed. She was out of the swaddle and wiggling around, and the paci? It just. kept. falling. out.

I was up every hour replacing it. And half the time she’d spit it out in frustration. 😩

If this sounds familiar to you….it may be your sign to let it go. Overall, the choice to keep it or drop it is entirely yours, so I wanted to give you a few pointers either way. 

If You Want to Keep the Pacifier

Totally valid! Just know it may take some work to make it sustainable.

✶ Start practicing: During the day, guide baby’s hands to the pacifier. Tummy time is a great chance to play “find the paci” together.

✶ Bedtime tip: When replacing the pacifier, put it in their hands and help guide it in—don’t do it for them. The goal is to teach independence.

✶ Pacifier party: At bedtime, toss 4–6 pacis in the crib so there’s always one close by.

This works better once baby has decent hand coordination (usually after 6 months).

If You Think It’s Time to Drop It

If you’re doing the paci shuffle all night and losing your mind… it’s okay to drop it. I promise.

I did it with my first at 5 months, and honestly…she forgot about it in a day.

She slept so much better after. And I never regretted the decision.

When’s the best time?

✶ Before 6 months, while there’s no strong emotional attachment
✶ OR after 2.5–3 years, when you can explain it to them or come up with some fun ideas (mroe on that in a bit). 

Usually the hardest time to remove it is like 7months to 2.5/3 years or so. 

Okay, But How Do I Drop It?

Here’s the truth: If your baby is under 6 months….the best way is to just go cold turkey. 😬

But here’s how to do it in the least painful way possible:

✶ Start at bedtime. Sleep pressure is highest then, so they’ll be more likely to fall asleep.

✶ Be consistent. Don’t take it away at bedtime but allow it during the day. That’s confusing—and confusing = more tears.

✶ Expect some push back. You might need to offer a bit more comfort for a few days (cuddles, rocking). But they will adjust, I promise!!

✶ Stick with it. The worst thing is going back and forth. Make the call—and stick to it. You’ve got this.

Tricks for Older Toddlers

If your toddler is older and emotionally attached to the pacifier, try one of these creative (and surprisingly effective) approaches:

✶ Snip the tip: Gradually cut the tip off the pacifier each day until it no longer works the same. Many toddlers lose interest naturally.

✶ Send it to paciland: Get a helium balloon, tie a pacifier to it, and let your toddler release it into the sky as a goodbye ritual.

✶ Paci fairy: Have the pacifier fairy “visit” at night to take the pacifiers and leave a special surprise or gift in exchange.

✶ Give it to a baby: If there’s a new baby in your life, help your toddler pack up the pacifiers to gift  it them, since they’re big now. – I will say this one is questionable, but I have seen it work!

Funny Story from My Dummy Days 😅

I had a dummy (aka British word for pacifier) until I was literally 5 years old. My mum STILL has it in my memory box. When I look at it I swear it makes me feel calm LOL.

Here’s how she got rid of it… she just waited until I was ready. She must have talked to me about it, but I specifically remember waking up on my 5th birthday, getting my dummy and throwing it in the bin in front of my mum and dad. I said, "I'm a big girl now, I don’t need my dummy,” and that was literally it.

(And my mum tells me she fished the dummy out of the bin because she wanted to keep it forever LOL. Such a mum thing to do.)

Anyways, you often hear about the parent side of things, but I thought I’d share my paci-addicted 5-year-old self’s perspective. 😄

Recap: Pacifier + Sleep

✶ Pacifiers are amazing... until they’re not.
✶ If you want to keep it, teach your baby to use it independently.
✶ If you want to drop it, commit and go all in.
✶ For toddlers, make it a fun goodbye moment.
✶ Consistency is everything—it builds trust and makes things easier.

And if you’re thinking: “Honestly, we’re just struggling with sleep overall”...

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

I help families every day go from waking every 2 hours to sleeping through the night—with emotionally attuned, realistic support that doesn’t involve hours of crying.

🎉 Ready to wake up rested? Start with my Free Night Waking Guide—it’s packed with simple steps that actually make a difference.

Want the best sleep help? Explore my newborn, baby, and toddler sleep classes to help your little one fall asleep independently and sleep up to 8-13 hour stretches!

Citations

• Feştilă, D., et al. (2014). Suckling and non-nutritive sucking habit: what should we know? Clujul medical.
• Franco, P., et al. (2000). The influence of a pacifier on infants’ arousals from sleep. J Pediatr.
• Li, D.-K., et al. (2006). Use of a dummy (pacifier) during sleep and risk of sudden infant death syndrome. The BMJ.
• Moon, R. Y., et al. (2016). Updated 2016 recommendations for a safe infant sleeping environment. AAP.
• Moon, R. Y., et al. (2012). Pacifier use and SIDS: evidence for a consistently reduced risk. Maternal and Child Health Journal.
• Weiss, P.P., & Kerbl, R. (2001). The relatively short duration that a child retains a pacifier in the mouth during sleep: implications for SIDS. Eur J Pediatr.