When your baby is teething, their sleep habits may change one way or another. Some babies sleep more because their body treats teething like a cold. Other babies have disrupted sleep from discomfort. Try treating their symptoms with a teething ring, massaging the gums or pain medicine for some relief!
As your baby gets their first teeth, they experience several uncomfortable symptoms. Something that parents wonder about is whether their baby will sleep more when they are teething.
Parents also have questions about how teething may disrupt their baby’s sleep. Whether your baby is currently cutting teeth or you are preparing for this next step, it’s helpful to know what to expect.
Teething and Sleep
When your baby is teething, their sleeping habits may change. Unfortunately, this can be different for every child. There are two main ways that your baby’s sleep might be affected by teething.
Some children are disrupted by teething. They may stop sleeping through the night. They might be fussier at night or wake up several times during the night. The pain might be so bad that your baby will wake up.
Other babies sleep better while teething. This depends on how teething makes your baby feel. Some babies feel sick or like they have a cold when they are teething.
When a baby is sick, they naturally rest more so their body can recover from the cold. The same is true when they are teething.
Medicine Before Bed
As a parent, you can prepare for your baby to wake up more during the night or sleep during the night while teething. It can also help to provide pain relief before bedtime to help them sleep more soundly.
Stay Consistent With Their Bedtime Routine
No matter how your baby responds to the teething symptoms, it’s essential to keep your baby’s bedtime routine in place.
When your baby gets ready to go to sleep, they are used to the same routine. When you change that up, even for a short time due to teething, your baby’s sleep will be disrupted.
Your baby will get out of the routine and might not remember the same cues that mean it’s time for bed.
Can You Sleep Train While a Baby Is Teething?
Many parents have found sleep training to be successful. If you’re trying to sleep train your baby, it’s crucial that you continue, even if your baby is teething.
This is because babies get new teeth until they’re around two years old or older. If you take a break from sleep training every time your child gets new teeth, you will never successfully sleep train them.
Push through and try to stick to sleep training as much as you possibly can. To help your baby sleep through the night while sleep training, you can work on self-soothing methods and other teething relief.
7 Signs of Teething
Before your baby gets any teeth, you will probably notice a few signs that they are teething. These are the most common signs of teething.
1. Sucking and biting.
Babies will suck or bite more often as they begin teething. Sucking and biting can help relieve any gum pressure from their new teeth.
2. Reduced appetite.
You might notice that your baby eats less while they are teething. A low appetite can be the result of pain in their mouth. They might drink less for this reason too.
3. Drooling.
When your baby is getting their teeth, they will likely start drooling more than they usually do. Sometimes, babies can get diarrhea due to drooling, which might lead to diaper rash.
4. Pulling on ears.
If you see your baby pulling on their ears, it could be because they are trying to soothe their sore gums.
5. Mouth rash.
Because your baby is drooling more than usual, they may develop a rash around their mouth. This might also show up on their chin and chest.
By keeping the baby’s mouth area clean and dry, you can prevent the rash. Keep in mind that cleaning the area too often can cause irritation.
6. Irritability.
If your baby is crankier than usual, it could be a result of teething. Because your baby’s gums are sore as their teeth are coming in, they may be fussy from discomfort.
As a parent, it’s important to help reduce the pain and ease some of the symptoms.
7. Fever.
Babies teething sometimes end up with a teething fever. Be sure to take your baby’s temperature to ensure they don’t have an actual fever.
True fevers are over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Teething fevers are milder.
Stay In Contact With Your Pediatrician
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a variety of symptoms are blamed on teething. At this time in a child’s life, they are exposed to childhood illnesses. This occurs as a child loses maternal antibodies.
In some cases, what you think is a sign of teething might actually be signs of an illness. For this reason, it’s important to stay in contact with your baby’s pediatrician.
Contact the pediatrician if your child starts sleeping more or experiencing any other symptoms that aren’t normal.
For example, some babies experience a runny nose, diarrhea, or vomiting. Some parents attribute these symptoms to teething.
In reality, there’s no evidence that these symptoms are a result of teething. If your baby is experiencing those symptoms, it’s essential to monitor your baby’s other symptoms.
You may also contact your child’s pediatrician.
When Do Baby’s Teeth Come In?
Most babies start getting their first teeth between six and twelve months. Before your baby is six months old, they might begin exploring with their mouth.
This begins around the age of three months. You might notice your baby putting their hands and toys in their mouth. They might also start drooling more at this point.
This likely isn’t a sign of teething if your baby is younger than six months, but it does mean your baby is getting closer to the teething age.
It’s important to realize that babies all grow and develop at a different pace.
Don’t worry if your baby is getting their teeth earlier or later than you expected them to. If you have concerns, talk to the pediatrician.
In most cases, everything is okay, and your baby will get their teeth at the right time.
Here’s when the teeth typically come in:
- 6-10 months: lower central incisor
- 8-12 months: upper central incisor
- 9-13 months: upper lateral incisor
- 10-16 months: lower lateral incisor
- 13-19 months: first upper molar
- 14-18 months: first lower molar
- 16-22 months: upper canine
- 17-23 months: lower canine
- 23-31 months: second lower molar
- 25-33 months: second upper molar
Most children have all of their baby teeth by the time they reach the age of 3.
Teething Relief
There are a few ways that you can provide relief to your baby while they are teething. Of course, teething is going to cause some pain. You can make things slightly better with these tips and tricks:
1. Massage your baby’s gums.
To provide relief to the baby’s mouth, you can give them a little massage. It would be best if you washed your hands first. Then, massage the gums softly. Working in a circular motion is the most effective.
2. Talk to the doctor about pain relief medicine.
There are several infant pain relievers available. It’s best to check with the doctor first to ensure they are safe for your baby.
3. Let your baby eat chilled fruit.
If your baby has already tried a few solid foods, you can give them chilled fruit to suck on. Babies often like to soothe their gums with chilled mashed bananas. You can also use a mesh feeder, which allows them to lick or suck on the fruit.
4. Comfort your baby with a few extra cuddles.
Provide extra cuddles to your baby during this time. Sit quietly with them and rock them. Cuddles can help your baby relax a little.
5. Give your baby a teething ring.
Many different toys are great for teething babies. You can try sticking teething rings in the refrigerator, so the cold temperature soothes your baby’s sore gums.
6. Let baby chew on a cold washcloth.
Your baby might like chewing on a cold washcloth to soothe their gums. Put a clean washcloth under running water. Then, wring it out to eliminate any excess water. Let it cool in the fridge. Then, your baby can suck on it.
If you’re giving your baby any toys or food to chew on or suck on while teething, keep a close eye on them. Some of these items can be choking hazards, and babies should always be under adult supervision.
You can also talk to your baby’s doctor if you cannot seem to stop the teething pain. Teething can be difficult for both you and your baby.
Your doctor might be able to provide other solutions than the ones listed.
