Sleep and your teething baby

Teething babies: the good, the bad and the ugly

I hear it so often: “My baby cannot sleep through the night because he is teething really badly!”

Maybe I was just lucky that my son took teething in his stride; the sore gums, the drooling, the runny nose, the horrible nappies – all the usual “teething symptoms” was something I just read in books. But then, I also have to be honest – he was sleeping brilliantly.

You see, the good news is – your child is getting teeth! Fantastic, he won’t be the only baby that looks like a toothless little shark.

The bad news is, it might come with some sleeping problems.

The ugliness of it all may be that you will use your teething baby as an excuse for everything that has ever gone wrong in your life.

Baby sleep training and teething

Now the question remains whether your little teething bundle of saliva can actually sleep, sleep train, be trained for sleep and sleep better, whilst teething.

The answer is a loud, very definite: YES.

If you are going to wait for your baby to stop teething before you actually train or teach him or her to sleep, you are going to wait more than two and a half years. Since sleep is a skill we need to teach our children, the faster we give them the gift of a good night’s sleep the better.

Teething and baby sleep problems

Teething can cause a slight regression in your child’s sleeping habits. HOWEVER, be careful that YOU are not the one regressing, using “teething” as an excuse. If your child wakes you up because of teething, go to him/her, provide some comfort, give the necessary medication and then allow your little one to fall asleep without any props: no dummy, no bottle, no rocking.

Helping your baby sleep through the night

If you want your baby sleep through the night, take restful naps, be healthy, happy and still have teeth, you can help your baby or toddler by teaching him or her how to sleep unaided.

Think about it, if your little one can put himself to sleep without your help, he won’t wake you up during the night the five times he wakes at night because of sore gums.

In my experience, I have found that babies and tots who have learned the skill of sleeping, handle teething and illness much better.

Lastly, a good way to test whether your child is restless because of teething, is to think about whether he is showing other signs of teething, and whether it is also bothering him during the day.

It is important to remember that if your child is truly teething, it won’t just bother him at night!

About the Author: Good Night is a child and baby sleep consultancy that specialises in helping parents with children who struggle to sleep soundly. For more information, visit: www.goodnightbaby.co.za