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When I put my 5 month old son to sleep, I turn on the white noise player and give him a security blankie with a teddy bear.

He is playing with the teddy bear and / or sucking it and falling asleep 10-15-20 minutes later.

I'm happy with it, but I'm wondering if I'm creating a bad habit. Maybe later when he becomes more mobile it may become difficult for him to fall asleep.

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    Seems perfect to me. Lots of parents wish they were in your predicament!
    – Marc
    Mar 2, 2014 at 16:44
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    @lili could you please clarify what bad habit you are afraid will result from your current routine? Are you afraid the baby will become dependent on the blankie/teddy bear, or are you worried the baby won't settle once he can sit/stand/crawl around in his crib?
    – Jax
    Mar 2, 2014 at 23:50
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    I'm afraid that he will get used to play in crib and won't settle once he can stand/sit/crawl
    – lili
    Mar 3, 2014 at 2:22
  • May I ask why you use a white noise player?
    – SQB
    Mar 3, 2014 at 14:59
  • Citation from happiest baby: "Dr. Karp recommends that parents use white noise whenever their baby is sleeping… naptime and all night. It is very helpful not only during the 1st months of life, but all the way up to the 1st birthday… and beyond."
    – lili
    Mar 3, 2014 at 19:44

1 Answer 1

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Having a comfort object that helps fall asleep is not a bad thing for a child. While it's certainly possible that he/she will play with that object more as he/she grows, for most children that's not a huge problem; in fact, the ability to quietly play while going to sleep is very helpful, as it helps the child calm down sufficiently to fall asleep.

My first never really learned to fall asleep with anything, and still has problems calming himself down at sleep time (almost 3 now). My second (almost 1) did learn to sleep with a blankie/teddie and will calm himself down most of the time without difficulty.

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