10 Benefits of Pacifier Sleep & FAQs

What are the Benefits of Babies Sleeping with a Pacifier?

When it comes to your child’s sleep safety, doctors and researchers both agree that it’s safe for newborns and babies to sleep with a pacifier.

Many parents encourage newborns to sleep with pacifiers to help their child sleep or to stay asleep. Pacifiers can also be offered to soothe a fussy baby before sleeping, after feeding, or when falling back asleep.

Here are 10 benefits of pacifiers for sleeping babies:

1. Pacifiers reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in newborns and babies
2. Pacifiers promote self-soothing skills essential for baby sleep cycles and routines
3. Pacifiers help get your baby to sleep or back to sleep
4. Pacifiers can soothe your fussy baby
5. Pacifier use among preterm babies may provide more weight gain and shorter hospital stays
6. Pacifiers satisfy your baby’s natural sucking reflex
7. Pacifiers have been shown to benefit colicky babies at night or during sleep routines
8. Pacifiers can be comforting to your child during stressful or painful situations, such as immunization shots
9. Sucking on an airplane can help relieve painful pressure in the middle ear
10. Pacifiers can be tossed away when it’s time to break the habit, vs. baby’s thumb or fingers

What’s the Best Pacifier For Newborns and Sleep?

As your baby grows, their sleep cycle will develop over time and progressively get longer.

If your newborn takes to a pacifier, it will be important to have one through every stage of development. Parents who encourage self-soothing skills and allow pacifier use for sleep have more success getting their newborn to sleep.

Since newborns have small stomachs, they typically wake every one to three hours for a meal. Often, you will find that getting your newborn back to sleep can be a challenge. Since night-time feedings continue for 3 to 4 months, using pacifiers can help both of you get back to sleep.

Babies who prefer pacifiers tend to use them as self-soothing tools for sleeping. You can help promote self-soothing skills early by introducing a pacifier and practicing the safety guidelines outlined above.

While developing the Chicco PhysioForma pacifier, we prioritized sleep safety at the top of our list. The pacifier’s nipple shape is uniquely designed to support infant breathing by positioning the tongue forward. This allows for an open-airway and an overall better quality of sleep.

Chicco offers a great pacifier that babies love and lets parents worry less. Try our PhysioForma pacifiers today that 9 out of 10 babies immediately accept!

Pacifier & Baby Sleep FAQs

Here are 5 of the most common pacifier questions answered below:

1. Can a baby sleep with a pacifier?

   A: American Academy of Pediatrics and Mayo Clinic both indicate that pacifiers are safe for your baby to sleep with. Studies have also found a connection between pacifiers and the reduced risk of SIDS.

2. Can a newborn sleep with a pacifier?

   A: Yes. It is recommended to introduce a pacifier to a newborn to help reduce the risk of SIDS. Sucking a pacifier may help them fall asleep and stay asleep longer. If the baby is breastfeeding, you may want to establish breastfeeding first.

3. How to clean pacifiers?

   A: Chicco recommends sterilizing all new pacifiers. When hand washing, use dishwashing soap that's free of harsh chemicals. Be sure to air dry and squeeze out any remaining water.

4. What are tips to lower the risk of SIDS?

   • Use crib fitted sheets and remove blankets or pillows from the crib.

   • Place your newborn on their back for sleep time.

   • Use a firm and flat sleep surface.

   • Offer a pacifier before sleep.

   • Keep the baby in your room on a separate surface designed for infants for the first several months.

5. How to get a newborn to sleep?

   A: Although this can be a challenge, it is important to pay attention to and identify your newborn’s sleep signs. This will allow you to quickly decipher if they are hungry, need to be changed, or are ready for sleep. Time is of the essence because as your newborn passes their window of wake time, they become overtired and agitated. This can drastically affect the quality of sleep your newborn receives.

Have you tried Chicco’s PhysioForma pacifier? Browse your options in clear, pink and teal. Order one now to start enjoying an even better night’s sleep.