5 Year Old Still Sucking Thumb at Night

They sell a product at drug stores that is for thumb sucking. You paint it on the thumb and it tastes terrible. Maybe this will help.

Hi P.,

Sorry to say it, but I was a thumb sucker, and I didn't completely stop until my 12th birthday!!! Ugh, I know. But honestly, my parents and all of my family members tried to get me to stop, but nothing they did worked. Tape on the thumb, mouth gaurds, hot sauce, even bribes.

By the time I was 11, I really only sucked my thumb at night. But I, and I stress the I, made up my mind on my 12th birthday, that I would no longer suck my thumb. And I stopped, just like that. Cold turkey.

The damage? Well, I ended up having an "open" bite, becuase of the way that I sucked my thumb. As my face grew and developed it really didn't look that bad. But for vanity's sake, I decided to get braces when I was 19 years old. I wore them for 2 years, and go four teeth pulled. Even after the braces, I am not 100% satisfied with my smile, so I will eventually get some cosmetic dentistry done.

I am not sure how my teeth would have turned out if I hadn't sucked my thumb. Honestly, I don't have a family history of "good" teeth and dashing smiles. So I poroably would have gotten braces anyway. So, if this is the case with your family, let you daughter stop sucking her thumb on her own. Keep reminding her that it is not ok to do. But don't pressure her, because most likely she is going to continue to suck her thumb anyway.

Sorry if this was discouraging, but hope this helps. Take care.

give her osmething to suck on at night like a pasifier it helped my cusin it should help her

My daughter did this night and day, finally was able to control the day but had a hard time at night because it was an unconsious habit. We knew the braces were coming...her open bite was obvious and we'd gone to the dentist (she was 6 and still sucking) and had estimates that included an apparatus that would keep her from sucking her thumb, which added cost to the whole treatment. While we waited for a molar to come in before we started, she came down with a severe cold and had a hard time breathing. That was the end of it. I know this isn't something that can be duplicated, but there were somethings that we did that got her ready and helped her get the desire to quit.

1. We talked with her about and placed the notion that it would be good for her to stop.
2. We didn't totally shield her from comments from peers and relatives, though we tried to tell the nagging ones that it really didn't help.
3. I talked to her and asked if I could help her with this area...she agreed and we came up with a silent reminder (I'd put my thumb up to my cheek when I got her attention) and she'd stop. We prayed together about the thumb sucking. We read a picture book...something like Danny's Thumb Sucking by Tomie dePaola. We tried to have Kate put her thumb under her pillow and gave her stuffed animals to snuggle with. Then we'd check on her in the night to put her thumb out of her mouth.
4. The dentist and 2 orthodontists talked with her in a loving way about stopping (they knew she could do it) and one orthodontist wasn't so loving...he said flat out that she couldn't stop on her own (after I'd told him that she'd really decreased and I thought she was just about stopped)...we didn't go to him.

Thank God for that cold! She stopped 100% just before the first mouth piece went in and we could bypass the thumb sucking device (saved us money too.) She was seven. Her severe open bite is gone and though she still has four "mini" braces on the top teeth, her smile is beautiful and she feels good about herself. She's ten right now.
Good luck and God bless!

it may sound strange but you may try putting socks or thick glove on her hands at night for a couple of weeks if needed while she sleeps. This involes no meds. This is what I used to do for my daughter. she use to suck her fingers at night. After a couple of nights of her putting the gloves or socks in her mouth and getting a different feeling of dryness she quit. My mom also did this for me when I was younger for bitting my nails in my sleep. I hope this helps you. good luck

Well, all I can say is that if she continues she will DEFINITELY be in braces; but aren't most kids anyway at some point? My daughter is 15 yrs old and I can still go into her room at night and see her with her thumb (not sucking) just resting in her mouth. She is also currently in braces but we were already prepared for that anyway; however, she will be wearing hers a bit longer than most. She is still beautiful. Don't lose any sleep over it. Just try the best you can. You can also warn her of the "ugly" device some orthodontists use in top of mouth to prevent thumb sucking, that is NOT comfortable. Luckily, so far we haven't had to get that.

Hi P.,

I don't know if my story will help or hurt, but I am a finger sucker from way back. My parents nicked named it the Tsip Suck, since my Dad was an Aggie, and the jokes went on from there. From the time I was 6 until I was in Jr High my parents threatened, sent to to the orthodontis for applicances, shamed me and gave me fits over sucking my fingers, but the bottom line was - I didn't give it up until I was ready. I know the more my parents bugged me about it, the more I did it out of spite, and the more insecure they made me feel - It was a safety thing for me...I don't know why... Even once I quit, often I would wake up in the night with my hand in my mouth out of habit...and be puzzled (into my high school years).

The only thing I can suggest is if she's got it in her mouth in the night is to take it out while she's sleeping - its more habit and comfort than anything - over time as she starts to spend the night out with friends it will lessen because she won't want to be thought of as a baby - but ultimately - she'll stop when she's ready to stop - even dentists don't have that much control.

I got lucky and my teeth didn't need braces, but my daughter who quit her pacifier at 4 will need them. Talk about the irony - I don't know if this helped - but the real question is what is she hurting?? really.
Just my two cents :o)
Steffanie

Now, before I tell you this, I want you to know that I am a GREAT step-mom and both of my step-kids would gladly tell you that (and not out of fear!...lol!).....And, I had no part in the decision of what I am about to tell you--their birth parents made this decision...mostly their mom....Just want to make it clear that I love both of my step-children and treat them as though they were my own. So, don't think I was the wicked witch that was wanting them to stop sucking their thumbs and set out to make it my mission no matter what the "pain"...... Both of my step-children were thumbsuckers. They both had an apparatus put in their mouth by the dentist that basically looks like a basket in the roof of their mouth. This keeps them from being able to have their thumb in their mouth because there is no room. My step-son was younger (age 6) and it worked for him as he no longer sucks his thumb and he had his "appliance" removed...... My step-daughter was older (age 8) and even after having this in was still sucking her thumb, so they took it out and put one with "pokies" on the front of it so that if she stuck her thumb in her mouth it would give her a little poke...... She is STUBBORN.... and both of her thumbs are "mushy" from sucking on them. She will be 10 years old next month and still sucks her thumb..... she had it for almost a year but a couple of months ago, the dentist finally took this out of her mouth because she complained that it was beginning to hurt (probably she because she is growing) and he said at this point she has to have braces anyway as she has an overbite that exceeds the width of her finger (she can put her knuckle in her overbite sideways easily). Personally, if it were me, I would try the basket apparatus, but, that's me...... It takes some getting used to for the first week or so, but, if it works, well it's worth it...... messing up their teeth is not the only problem from thumbsucking..... there is also the fact that it will become a social issue as they get older, and they pick up germs at school, the store, restaraunts and then suck on their thumb (I myself had viral meningitis about 5 years ago and when I asked the dr. how I could have gotten something like that he said, "It could merely have been a cold germ from the handle of a grocery cart that found it's way to host in your spine").....and, like I said, my step-daughter's thumbs are both "mush" and they crack and they just look terrible from her sucking on them.....

Good luck..... I hope this helps!

In the same boat and no I do not have a good solution for you but would like to say that I look forward to some of the responses that you'll get to see about trying them out here. I've been waiting for a super nanny episode that deals with thumb sucking, but have not seen it yet. The promising thing, does not work. Aside from bedtime, mine will do it when she's laying on the couch watching TV. But I've told her that if I catch her then I will turn off the tv. She still does it, and I still follow through. Her brother gets mad at her for making mom turn off the tv, but I'm thinking that maybe that pressure will encourage her to stop. But it hasn't. She'll cry that the tv is off but the next day, I give her the same warning b4 I turn on the tv and if I sneak back in, sure enough, she's sucking on that thing again. Growing up, I had two cousins on opposites sides of the family that both sucked their thumps relentlessly. But neither one could tell me how she stopped. I want to say that it progressed on until 8 or 9 years old for both of these cousins.

A.

P.,

I was a thumbsucker until the age of 11. I wore braces for 4 years due to a significant overbite. My family tried what seemed like everything to get me to stop, the breaking point was when my mom put away my favorite blanket (lg baby blanket) I used.

I also have a friend who placed mittens on her daughter's hands until she fell asleep, then removed them. This work after a few weeks.

If you have tried all of the conventional methods, I would wait and see if peer pressure once she starts school will help. My daughter went through the same thing. We tried punishment, ignoring it, nasty tasting stuff, wrapping it in a bandaid so it would taste and feel different and nothing seemed to work. We also told her when she was about to go to kindergarten that the other kids might make fun of her for doing it. After a couple of months in kindergarten and no change in the thumb sucking habit, we did end up getting a mouth piece that prevented her from sucking. The dentist recommended it because she was sucking so hard that not only was she messing up her teeth alignment but she was starting to mess up her jawline. If we didn't get it stopped not only would she need braces but she might have to have reconstructive surgery on her jaw. (don't worry, most kids don't get to that extreme point) The basket (mouth piece) that they put in her mouth prevented her from getting any suction. She had no problems with it and I think she was glad that she was finally able to stop sucking her thumb. One good thing about the basket is that it works 24/7 so you don't have to worry about them doing it at night or when you're not around. Also her first tooth that became loose got caught in it and pulled it right out with no pain or tears or fears and she has a great story to tell about losing her first tooth.

Insurance did not want to pay for it at first but our dentist did all the paperwork to show that it was medically necessary. She had to tell them about all of the methods that we had tried and that it was changing her jawline.

Needless to say when daughter #2 came we never thought that sucking her thumb was cute like we did with daughter #1. If she wanted something to suck on it was the pacifier because it could be taken away at some point, but thumbs are always there.

Good luck.

Also don't make it a stressful situation. That will only make her need to self soothe even more. Try to make it more of a rite of passage. Babies use diapers, big girls go in the potty. Babies sit in a high chair, big girls sit at the table. Babies have to stay at home, big girls get to go play at friends' houses. Babies suck their thumbs and big girls don't.