HOW TO HELP A TEETHING BABY SLEEP: A GUIDE
- HOW TO HELP A TEETHING BABY SLEEP
- TEETHING AND SLEEP
- HOW THE SMART SLEEP COACH BY PAMPERS™ HELPS TEETHING BABIES SLEEP
Teething is one of your baby’s first big milestones - and one of the first potential sleep challenges. If your baby is showing signs of teething, here are a few things you can do to help your teething baby sleep.
HOW TO HELP A TEETHING BABY SLEEP
Teething can significantly disturb your baby’s sleep; here’s how you can help your little one, find teething relief for their sore and tender gums.
Clear Away Drool: While drool itself won’t disturb your baby’s sleep; excessive drool can lead to drool rash – a skin irritation that can disrupt sleep. Prevent drool rash by using a soft, dry cloth to wipe your baby’s chin and face.
A Baby Gum Massage: If your baby is teething, you can help them sleep by giving them a gentle gum massage.
Teething Rings: A tried-and-true method for coping with teething at night is a hard, rubber teething ring. In addition to massaging your baby’s gums, the teething ring lets your baby focus on the areas that bother them most.
A Chilled Washcloth: A cool, wet wash cloth pressed against your baby’s gums is also a trusted – and easy – way to alleviate teething pain to help your baby sleep. You can also let them chew on it while supervised.
Chilled Fruit: Refrigerated fruits like mashed bananas, apples and other soft fruits can also be used to ease teething discomfort. If you use this method, though, be sure to wipe the sugar from your baby’s gums before bed.
Metal Spoons: Some parents swear by a chilled spoon to soothe teething pain, others find it too – well, cold. A bonus of using the metal spoon though is that it helps build motor skills.
A Soothing Bath: Rather than soothing the teething pain itself, a warm bath soothes your baby, so they become more relaxed than restless, helping put them into the right state of mind for sleep.
Baby-Safe Teething Remedies: While there are safe over-the-counter baby teething medicines, be sure to consult your doctor before using one, and do not use adult-level medicine for your baby.
Calm, Consistent Bedtime Routines: Bedtime routines are the foundation for healthy sleep. By creating a calm, consistent bedtime routine, you do two things: one, calm your baby before bed; and two, lay the foundation for a habit that lasts a lifetime and has broad health benefits.
Creating a bedtime routine is easy with The Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™, a new, expert-designed app that helps you teach your baby to fall asleep during teething, and beyond.
TEETHING AND SLEEP
We want to take a moment to discuss teething and sleep. Sometimes teething babies fuss more at night, making it appear as if they’re more uncomfortable or in more teething pain at night. This naturally leads many parents to wonder, “Is teething pain more painful at night?” The short answer: no.
Experts believe a teething baby is fussier at night because they are less distracted; not because teething is more painful.
During the day, your baby has a lot of things to do and see and experience – all of which distracts their minds from teething discomfort. At night, in their crib, it’s a different story: your baby is much less mentally stimulated and therefore may be more aware of their teething. This may lead to increased crying, which in turn disturbs their sleep more – and yours.
This can create a difficult cycle: your baby can’t sleep from discomfort and then becomes frustrated from being overtired – which makes them cry even more. Luckily, there is a solution to this sleep problem.
HOW THE SMART SLEEP COACH BY PAMPERS™ HELPS TEETHING BABIES SLEEP
Sleep coaching, also known as sleep training, is a process that teaches your baby to fall asleep independently – the act of falling asleep is a learned skill and your baby needs the space and time to practice this, just like other things such as rolling, crawling, walking and talking.
That may sound unnecessary to some – “Why teach a baby to sleep? They do it already.” – but there’s a difference between being able to sleep and being able to fall asleep independently. Once your baby knows how to fall asleep, they will be able fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer (connecting sleep cycles) and fall asleep even while teething, while going through growth spurts, and as they hit their developmental milestones.
FAQs:
How can I tell if my baby is teething?
Common signs that your baby is teething include excessive drool, redness on one side of the face, or your baby is chewing on hard objects.
When is normal for babies to start teething?
Typically teething begins around 6 months, though for some babies teething begins closer to 4 months, others it’s more like 12 months. Remember, each baby is special and develops at their own rate, so don’t fret if your baby seems “behind” in any developmental milestone.
Can my 3-month-old be teething already?
Yes, it’s certainly possible your 3-month-old is teething already, though it’s more typical for teething to start between 4-6 months.
How long does teething pain last for babies?
Teething is a process that can take 2 or 3 years. Though babies often grow accustomed to the discomfort of teething, others are more sensitive. Therefore, teething pain can sporadically reoccur over the course of that time. The good news is, however, that by sleep coaching, your baby is far more likely to soothe themselves back to sleep should they experience teething discomfort at night.
Sources:
- “Symptoms associated with infant teething: a prospective study,” Pediatrics.
- “Baby Food and Oral Health: Knowledge of the Existing Interaction,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
- “Safely Soothing Teething Pain and Sensory Needs in Babies and Older Children,” The FDA.