Eva (00:04):
Hey there, you’re listening to the My Sleeping Baby podcast, which is all about baby and child sleep. I’m so excited to teach you how you can get your little ones sleeping so that you can sleep too and enjoy parenthood to its fullest. I’m Eva Klein, your resident’s sleep expert, mom of three, founder of the Sleep Bible online coaching program, and lover of all things sleep and motherhood. If you’re looking for tangible solutions for your little one sleep woes or you simply want to learn more, this podcast is for you. For more information, check out mysleepingbaby.com and you can follow me on Instagram and Facebook @mysleepingbaby, and you can follow me on Instagram and Facebook @mysleepingbaby.
Eva (00:48):
All right, welcome back to the show. So today we're going to be talking all about introducing a stuffed animal or a levy to your little ones, specifically when the right time is to be introducing a levy as well as how to go about doing it. See, as parents, we are always trying to create this warm, safe, comforting sleep environment for our little ones so that they can sleep the best that they possibly can, right? And it's very common for babies and young children to have some sort of special toy or blinky to add that extra comfort and safety. In fact, you probably remember your favorite plush animal or security blanket that you slept with as a child. I know I remember mine, I had a pink elephant. My amazing pink elephant stayed in my bed with me for years as a small child growing up.
(01:41)
That being said, safe sleep guidelines have definitely changed pretty dramatically since we were children, and it's important to know when your little ones are allowed to be sleeping with a sub animal as well as how to make sure that whatever it is that you're putting in their crib or bed is safe. And so today I'm going to specifically be talking about when the right time is to be introducing a levy to your little one, as well as my top tips for how to introduce this levy into your baby sleep routine. So first of all, what is a lovey? A lovey refers to some sort of stuffed animal or comfort item that your little one forms a special connection with, and they usually offer your little one, a sense of security or comfort during transitions, new experiences, unfamiliar surroundings, as well as when they are just simply going to sleep.
(02:33)
Now, lovie are wonderful for so many reasons. They offer so many benefits for a child's emotional wellbeing and development. And here's a few of those benefits. So first of all, they are known to provide our little ones with a comforting presence when it's their bedtime. So when you're incorporating that levy into your little one's bedtime routine, it can cue them that sleep time is coming, which is always really helpful as well. The soft texture and familiar scent of a lovey or comfort item can really help soothe your little one and calm them when they're experiencing separation anxiety because it gives them that sense of reassurance and familiarity in otherwise unfamiliar environments or during transitions. So this could be when your little one is transitioning to daycare. It could be when they are traveling and sleeping in a new environment, having that familiar soft texture and scent is always helpful in these situations.
(03:32)
If your little one is under the weather, maybe they're sick teething, maybe they're both having a levy can provide your little one with that extra comfort that they need when they're just not themselves. The fourth great benefit of levies is that they can help play a crucial role in self-soothing skills and independence and toddlers. You see, as children grow, it's only natural that they begin to explore their surroundings and assert their independence, but yet they're still going to always crave that comfort and reassurance of a familiar object. And so having that special levy can serve as like a constant companion, their little best friend offering emotional support and companionship as they're navigating these new experiences and environments and challenges. And lastly, as your toddler's imagination expands and grows, a lovey or security blanket of some kind can serve as a comforting aid in alleviating these bedtime fears and nightmares.
(04:28)
See, when you snuggle with your little one and the lovey together, your little one can begin to associate the comforting presence of the levy with the security and warmth of your presence. So the million year older question, what age can babies sleep with a stuffed animal or a blanket? So the answer here comes from the American Academy of Pediatrics, and they recommend keeping soft objects including animals and blankets out of the crib during the first year of the baby's life in the name of reducing the risk of SIDS or suffocation. You see, this precaution is crucial because many babies under the age of one just don't have the motor skills to be able to move objects away from their face if they accidentally become covered. And so anytime anyone ever says to me, but shouldn't I be offering my baby a blanket at night? The answer is no.
(05:19)
And this is specifically why I recommend dressing younger babies in sleep sacks instead of offering a blanket. You see a sleep sack is sleep a wearable blanket. It sort of looks like a potato sack, a wearable potato sack that stays on your baby throughout the night, and it's safe for your baby to be sleeping in one because they cannot kick it off. And I will just mention as an aside that I am a huge fan of sleep sacks for babies over the age of one as well, because even though it might be safe to offer your baby a blanket by that point and perhaps offering them a blanket as a comforting like a levee might be worthwhile, it's not going to necessarily keep them warm because chances are they're going to fall asleep at one end of the crib. The blanket's going to get kicked off and fall asleep at the opposite end.
(06:09)
And the sleep sack is not a blanket that can be kicked off. They're wearing it throughout the night. And so we all sleep much better under blankets than we do without them. And so I always recommend that until a child is old enough to be in a bed to keep your little one in that sleep sack so that this way they can stay comfy and cozy throughout the night. Now, even though the risk of SIDS decreases dramatically after that first year of life, it's still important to exercise caution and be careful when you're introducing these soft objects into your baby sleep environment, you want to make sure to regularly inspect these stuffed animals for any loose parts or damage that can pose as a choking hazard. So for example, my beloved pink elephant that I slept with for years growing up does not pass any of these safety tests.
(07:02)
In fact, I remember that one of the eyes of the elephant fell off shortly after I got it, and so I had this one eyed elephant for years. That being said, the fact that the eye was able to come off of the elephant in and of itself is a choking hazard, is a safety hazard. So this is a perfect example of something that people did not know about that they were not aware of a number of decades ago. But now thankfully, we are much more aware. So just be careful now, even though levies should only be used for sleep time after your baby turns one, you can introduce a comfort item and any age to be used outside of sleep. So for example, you can introduce a levy as something to snuggle up with during your bedtime routine while you're reading your baby a book or feeding your baby.
(07:55)
You can take it out with you in the stroller for a walk or you can offer it to your baby or comfort when he's upset. And then what's great about introducing this levy before the one year mark is that this way your little one has a bond with it so that by the time they do turn one and you can safely put it in the crib with him, he's already attached to it and can already immediately get comfort from it at night. So here are my top seven tips for successfully introducing a lovey to your little one. Tip number one, choose the right stuffed animal. So this means choosing one that is specifically designed for infants and meets safety standards. It's made from soft, plush material. Avoid levies with small parts that could pose as a choking hazard, such as my pink elephant from back in the day who lost one eye, who could have just as easily lost the other one.
(08:49)
So specifically, watch out for toys with buttons, loose threads, anything like that that could easily undone. Tip number two, introduce a smaller toy. So make sure that it is small enough that your baby can pick it up and snuggle with it on their own. If it's too big or heavy for your little one to lift by himself, it's too big or heavy for it to go into their crib. You need to ensure that your little one is sleeping in a safe environment the whole time. Tip number three, get extras. Get extras. You guys remember that you will need a levy for when your little one is at daycare for when she's at grandma's house or for when the first levy is in the washing machine, and it's time for her to go to sleep. And specifically make sure that you're choosing a levee that is easily replaceable in case it gets lost.
(09:37)
You guys, there is nothing worse than your little one's, one special levee that has become discontinued, and there's only one of them around because the last thing you want is for your life to be over if God forbid that one special levy gets lost. Tip number four, associate this levy with comfort. So really try to encourage positive associations with the levy by using it during comforting moments with your babies such as cuddling or feeding. You can try wedging it between the two of you while you're feeding your baby so that she can learn to associate it with you. You can also try gently rubbing the levy against your baby's skin to transfer your scent, which can also provide additional comfort for when they sleep. Tip number five, monitor your baby's response. So pay close's attention to how your baby responds to the levy being in their crib while they're sleeping.
(10:29)
If they are mad about it, if they are restless and they are not a fan of this being in the crib, remove it and try it again later. Don't worry about it. Tip number six, encourage your little one to use this comforting item as a transitional object. So as your baby gets older, their little stuffed animal can serve as a comforting transitional object during times of separation or change, such as when they're napping at daycare or when you're traveling. Having that familiar object nearby can really provide your little one with a sense of security and reassurance when they're in this unfamiliar space. And tip number seven, be patient. Your little one might not warm up to this levy right away, and that's okay. Developing this bond can take some time. So keep offering opportunities to interact with the levy and eventually a bond or an interest of some kind should emerge.
(11:22)
Now, I want to make a very important note about those of you who are trying to introduce a levy to your older baby or to a toddler or a preschooler who is bed sharing and or nursing frequently throughout the night. I cannot tell you how often I see older babies and toddlers who are either bed sharing or they're feeding on demand throughout the night, or both who show absolutely no interest in a stuffed animal or a blinky. And this comes as no surprise to me. And the reason for that is because if this is you and this is your child, you are the levy. Your little one has no interest in bonding with a teddy bear or a loose blanket because they are getting all the comfort that they need at night from you. And so the good news is that this is very fixable with a proper sleep plan as we are weaning your little one off of you and your presence as a sleep prop, suddenly there is going to be room in their life for comfort from something else.
(12:27)
But until then, recognize that as long as you are your little one's levy, they might have no interest in getting additional comfort from something else. Now, before I wrap things up, I want to make one final quick note. If you have a baby, a toddler, or a preschooler who is still struggling with their sleep, maybe they have a lovey, maybe they don't. Either way I can help, I want you to know that we can get your little one regardless of how strong-willed they might be, no matter how many things you might have tried consistently sleeping through the night like a champ so that you can finally feel like a functioning human again. And so if you are ready to finally get a proper night's sleep, but you have no idea where to start, check out my free masterclass that will teach you everything that you need to know for how you can get there.
(13:23)
And finally, get your little one sleeping like a champ. The link to sign up is in the show notes or at the very bottom of this blog post. So go and click on that link and start watching that class right now. Alright, that is a wrap. Thank you all for listening in. I hope that this was helpful in terms of empowering you with how and when to go about introducing a lovey or a stuffed animal to your little one, so that they can have that special item of theirs, that special stuffed animal or blinky to give them the comfort that they need. Have a great day, everyone, and I'll see you soon.
(14:04)
Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with a friend who can benefit from it. I also love hearing from my listener, so feel free to DM me on Instagram @mysleeping babyor send me an email at eva@mysleepingbaby.com. Until next time, have a wonderful restful nights.