Since he was a baby, my 15 month old son has been reliant on his pacifier to go to sleep for naps and nighttime. I don't have a problem with it since he's still young, and he doesn't use it when he's awake.
Over the last week, he has been rejecting it violently - i.e., when we give it to him at bedtime, he pushes our hands violently aside and casts the pacifier away. This would be fine except for the fact that now he's having a seriously bad time going to sleep. He cries and whines and cries endlessly. There is nothing I can do to soothe him short of taking him out of his room to hang out outside.
Is this behavior with the pacifier odd? He's rejecting the one thing he loves to go to sleep with and opting to cry and cry instead. It's driving me crazy and I'm not sure what to do. Has anyone else experienced this? Any advice?
Thanks for all the helpful comments. Like a couple of people suggested, I'm pretty sure that my son's behavior is his way of asserting independence, and his way of rejecting bedtime because he equates his pacifier with bedtime. I'm almost positive he doesn't have an ear infection, and it's not teething because he already has his first molars and he hasn't been drooling like he normally does when he's teething.
Over the past couple of days he hasn't been screaming and crying as much, and is now doing more of a low-grade whining/babbling for a long time before falling asleep. I think he's learning to fall asleep without his pacifier. Things are looking up, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
mine does that sometimes, he's rejecting the paci as a means for rejecting bedtime. I give him the pacifier, he throws it accross the room, I let him cry for a little so he understands its not a game, then I give him the paci and he happily puts it in his mouth and goes to sleep. If I give him the paci right away, he just throws it again and cries after it; I have to let him cry about 4-5 minutes so he truly understands its not a game.
I concur with Mindy.
The pacifier, for him, could just be a thing that he associates with sleeping and so he doesn't want to sleep because he knows once he gets his pacifier, its nap/sleep time!
Smart baby! Not odd at all. He is just getting more independent as his cognitive skills are increasing and his sense of "self." At this age, they start to "decide" what THEY want/don't want. Just my take on it.
I would, leave SEVERAL pacifiers in the crib with him, as an "option." He is old enough where he can grab one at will if "he" wants to.
I would also keep some cuddly favorite child safe toys IN the crib WITH him. For my son, his crib is so comfy and cuddly and he has his little stuffed toys in the crib WITH him, and he naps well that way. He will entertain himself for awhile...then fall asleep on his own. He even talks to himself in the crib. Its "his" routine, and sometimes he will even bring a toy in with him, that he chooses, and then he will nap that way. Right now, my son loves bringing a toy car in the crib with him... and before he actually falls asleep I will hear him playing with it making car noises and giggling too. Its "his" way to wind down. Then he puts it aside, and falls asleep. My son LOVES his crib. Because it is "for him" and not for me. My son even likes to have his crib toys in a certain spot in his crib and will arrange things the way he likes. ALL a part of HIS routine, and how HE likes to nap. I also put a sippy cup of water in the crib for him. And he drinks it before sleeping.
Just some ideas,
All the best,
Susan
Could be his teeth bothering him, but it sounds more like an ear infection. Does he have any symptoms of one. Our dd did this at about 13 months of age and it was an ear infection. Right when we would lay her down she would cry. I caught it early because she rarely cries so it was just starting. I would check with your doc, it can't hurt. Hope your lo feels better quick. Try teething tablets first. : )
He's probably getting his 15 month molars, or possible ear infection? Check his mouth, and pay attention to whether he pulls or rubs his ears during the day. Either that, or he's just mad about bedtime and thinks that if he doesn't take the bink he doesn't have to go to bed! :) Toddlerhood and sleep don't mix... you just have to be patient and persistent, letting his know that binky or not, it's bedtime!
He might have an ear infection and sucking on the binky could be hurting him. You might want to see your ped, or just wait and see, as most ear infections clear up on their own. Good luck.
I agree with the other Mamas. Could be teething. If you're like me and don't like giving meds for that stuff try Clove Oil on the gums, it eases swelling and irritation and makes for a homeopathic way to get through it.
Or it could be ear infection or just sinus pressure from allergies due to pollen.
When in doubt call the doctor...
p.s. The opinion that the Pacifier is unhealhty is just an opinion...my son never had one, but my Godson loved his until he was 2 and then ditched it on his own. Whatever works!
maybe he is teething. Sometimes sucking on the pacifier can make it worse. Check his mouth and make sure.
I had a similar problem with my daughter when she was his age, and I think it was because she related the pacifier to sleeping, since that was the only time she got it. It was her way of saying "No, I don't want to lay down and go to sleep now!" I just ignored it, and after a few days, she realized that she could sleep WITH the pacifier, or WITHOUT the pacifier, but that she WAS going to sleep. Easier said than done of course, and there was a bunch of tears and I think one time she even spent so much time settling down, her nap time was practically over before she actually was sleeping, but hey, she was even more ready for bed that night. It's just a phase, or you could just wean him now from it if you think he is really done, but mine wasn't, just stating her independence, lol. Anyway, Good Luck!
He could be teething and the pacifier could be making it more painful. We used to take a washcloth and dip half of it cold water and then wring it out. Leave it all twisted up and put it in the freezer to freeze. We'd give that to our kids to chew/suck on and it felt really good and fulfilled the suckling need. You might try it.
Figure out how to substitute for the pacifier- its not healthy. Give him his own hand, but get rid of the plastic. Aloha
Your son could have a cold or ear infection or could be teething. However, my son threw his pacifier away around the same age so he may just not want it anymore. It's better that he gets rid of it on his own than you trying to force him to get rid of it later. First check out that he doesn't have any health issue and if it is not that, maybe a white noise machine would help relax him to go to sleep.
Hope this helps.
