Here’s what I suggest to limit dummy dependency and avoid the nightly ‘dummy runs’. Use it for sleep times only, including nap time. If it’s used for comfort during the day, take it away once your baby is comforted. Safety is essential. Look for potential hazards like buttons for the eyes which can come loose and become a choking hazard. It’s very cute! I love the idea that when it is time to give up the dummy, that he will still have a cuddly friend with him!” For some babies, this is no problem. They use their dummy to fall asleep and then sleep all night so everyone’s happy. For others, it’s a different story. At first, baby sleeps really well. Usually until she’s about three or four months old. And then sleep cycles start to establish more clearly and before we know it, we’re getting up 5 times a night to replace the dummy. We love our sleepytot, and it is without doubt the best thing we bought for our son. Wonderful product and would highly highly recommend.”

Bright colours are stimulating and help your baby develop and learn. But keep them for play time and make sure the nursery is pale and calm. This way your baby will be able to relax and shut down from the busy world around her. Simply open the paws and attach a soother or teether and close the paws again! Fully machine washable at 30 degrees. Sleepytot has little velcro paws that hold things like dummies and teethers to comfort and soothe your baby.

Some gender differences were also revealed in the results – a large number of males (36%) stopped using their comfort items at 4-7 years; earlier then the majority of females who used their item until they were 8-10 years old (29%). In adulthood, 9% of females still use their comfort items, compared with 7% of males. Also, 17% of females said they would find it difficult to get rid of or destroy their childhood item compared with only 9% of males. Although it is hard to determine exactly why these differences occur, a suggestion is that it’s a result of different social pressures placed on genders during childhood. The type of item each gender seeks comfort in also varied, with 10% of females owning a doll as a comfort item in contrast to only 1% of males. Our healthcare visitor recommended the sleepytot when I asked for advice because of having to wake up every hour to hour and a half to give him his dummy, he was 5 and a half months old and it was suggested that we put 4 dummies on and from introduction never give him a dummy give him the teddy … He soon learnt if he could find his teddy he could find comfort and he takes it everywhere!” Lydia Does your baby wake frequently at night because she loses the dummy? Do you have to get up to find the dummy for her many times throughout the night? If your baby is over six months, here are three tips to stop your baby waking for her dummy or pacifier.

Other developmental issues that may affect sleep are bedwetting and moving from a cot to bed. These are both preschool landmarks that some children will take to more easily than others. Be guided by your child; observe how excited or reluctant they are about going to bed without a nappy or moving to a bed. If they seem anxious it may be worth waiting a little while before making changes. New and improved velcro on all Sleepytot comforters - stronger grip and long lasting hold but still baby safe! Yay! I attached it to a dummy and gave it to him when I had my snuggles with him or let him sleep on me. So even when we were out and he needed to sleep, I’d just need to hold him, give him his Sleepytot and dummy and he’d settle and sleep easy.” Amberley

Here are four things to consider when choosing a baby comforter:

Sleepytot's award winning baby comforters have little velcro paws which can hold onto dummies, soothers or teethers. The Millpond Child Sleep Clinic recommend them as a way of helping little ones find their dummies easily at night and return to sleep without fully waking. Children seem to need their comforter most between about 1 and 3 years of age, before the’ve learned to feel safe when you’re not there. Your child will probably be ready to give up their comforter by 3 to 4 years of age – at least in the daytime. How many times do you get up every night and find yourself on hands and knees searching under the cot, in the darkness for the looking for those elusive lost dummies.

To do this, your baby needs to learn how to fall asleep by herself. This doesn’t mean leaving her to cry for hours, but to gently guide her towards this goal. You can do this by putting her down when she is drowsy but still awake. You may be surprised to find that she drifts off to sleep without your help. The risk posed by suffocation by the presence of soft objects in the baby’s sleeping environment outweighs any benefit to the baby from a soft toy. It is therefore advised not place soft toys and other soft objects in the cot for babies under seven months of age. Here at Sleepytot, a common question we get asked is how to introduce the Sleepytot Bunny to a little one.He’s a perfect pillow for little heads on hard surfaces like changing tables and supermarket trolleys! It might sound a little superficial but it does help if you your little one’s lovey is cute. After all, will be part of your family for years to come! The study of 1000 adults revealed that the most popular items UK residents had during their childhood were stuffed teddy bears (45%), toys (16%) and blankets (14%). Other popular objects included items of clothing, dummies, pillows and dolls.