Sleeping and Teething
“My baby won’t sleep. I think she’s teething!”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
My first question as a sleep consultant is always: Are you 100% sure it’s teething? Can you see red, swollen gums?⠀
Teething usually only affects babies for 2-3 days per tooth. If there are weeks of sleep issues, it might not be from teeth. But what if you DO see red swollen gums and you know teeth are coming through?
4 Tips for Teething
Offer lots of cold/frozen things to chomp on during the day. My babies love frozen wash cloths.⠀⠀⠀
With your pediatrician’s permission, you can give Tylenol (2+ months) or Motrin (6+months) before bed if needed.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Understand that teething, especially molars, can cause pressure in their ears while laying down. This can be painful! Don’t hesitant or feel guilty if you want to hold your baby upright while they fall asleep for a night or two. You can treat this short period as if your baby is “sick.” Comfort them when needed.⠀⠀⠀
If your baby is waking up from teething, I recommend not adding a feed if you don’t think they need it and haven’t eaten in the night for a while. Remember, it’s easier to get them back to sleeping after disruptions if we don’t create new, unnecessary habits.
Sleep Train Before Teething!
Teething is going to happen. It’s part of growing up! If you teach your baby to sleep before they start teething, you may never even notice they are teething until the tooth pops through.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If you do notice disruption of sleep from teeth, know that this will pass in the next few days and it’s okay to comfort your baby!