Quick and Easy Solutions for Teething + Sleep

When it comes to teething many parents have questions and concerns. Some will wonder what effect if any, teething has on sleep and if it does have an effect what can they do about it? These are valid questions and concerns and I want to address them in my blog this week. I am also going to add in some pro tips at the end that I know you will find helpful, so read on!

Should I Still Sleep Train?

This is probably the number one concern that parents will have when it comes to teething and sleep training. It was a question that I had when I was sleep training my son as well and it is definitely a legitimate concern. The simple answer to this is YES! You can most definitely sleep train your child while they are teething. The truth is that if we were to wait until our little one was done teething to either start or continue sleep training then we would be waiting an awfully long time. If your baby is teething and you are sleep training, you can most definitely continue on with the sleep training as is. The only time I would suggest pausing sleep training would be if your child is really sick or if they are getting vaccines, or have just been vaccinated. If your child is sick, but they just have a small cold, you can be the judge on whether or not to continue with the sleep training.

How Long Will It Last?

It’s the million-dollar question: how long will my baby be teething for each time they get a tooth? I’m sure most parents are asking this question every time they see a tooth come out. When a baby is grumpy and not sleeping well, teething can be the first thing that parents blame it on when in all reality it is more than likely due to sleep issues rather than teething. The teething issues seem to miraculously go away once the sleep troubles have been resolved. Research shows that many babies aren’t even affected by teething, and those who are only experience discomfort for 4 days before the tooth erupts and 3 days afterwards. It is a myth that a baby will experience teething pain for weeks on end as many parents might believe. So if your baby is one who may be affected by teething discomfort, try to push through those few harder days because it will be over before you know it!

What Can Be Done?

There are a few things that can be done if your baby is one that experiences teething pain and you are sleep training. First of all, you will want to make sure you are keeping their routine and schedule the same. Veering off the schedule while your baby is teething is going to make both of your lives much harder than they have to be. There is no need to change their naps or feeds or anything else while they are teething. Stay consistent and keep naps, feeds, etc. the same because this will actually help things move along much smoother. Secondly, it is important to not begin assisting your little one to sleep (by feeding to sleep, rocking, swaying, etc) and create a sleep habit by accident or revert back to an old one that was used in the past. If you start doing that, then you will find that once the teething is over you will still be dealing with disrupted sleep because your little one will have gotten used to you assisting them to sleep and will want that every time they wake. Lastly, if you truly do believe your little one is suffering from teething discomfort then make sure to talk to your pediatrician about what you can give your child for pain relief. It is very important to talk to your doctor first, and not take the advice of someone else, because your doctor will know best.

PRO TIPS:
* Put a clean, wet cloth in the freezer until it is slightly frozen and let your baby suck on that, they will love it! It’s especially good for hot summer days.
* Grab your baby one of these. You can fill it with breast milk, juice, purees, etc and stick it in the freezer. A perfect snack, plus teething relief all in one!
* You can also buy a teether like this one, to put in the fridge and give to your teething baby to chomp on and help relieve any discomfort.

If you liked this blog, then you would love my Facebook page called Sleep Little One where I give advice, tips and tricks to parents who are desperate for sleep. I help them to improve their child’s sleep so that everyone can start getting the sleep they need! Come join us!!

Talk soon,