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Do Babies Sleep More When Teething? 6 Easy Ways To Comfort Your Baby

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A teething baby can be quite a mystery to caregivers and parents alike because it seems like no two babies go through teething the same way. 

Some barely fuss, and you’d never know they were getting their baby teeth until you saw those little white teeth poking from their gums. 

Others teethe hard, fighting, crying, tugging at their ears, chewing on everything, and refusing to eat.

It’s long been an old wives’ tale that a teething baby sleeps more, but if you speak with your child’s pediatrician, you will likely be told that that’s not true.

When babies start teething, they usually sleep less. It can just seem like they sleep more when teething because their sleep patterns tend to change.

In this article, we’ll talk about how babies sleep when they are getting their baby teeth in. We’ll also answer the question: Do babies sleep more when teething?

Do babies sleep more when teething

Do babies sleep more when teething?

It seems to many parents that their child tends to sleep more when teething. However, there is only a little grain of truth to that. 

The reality is that your baby’s gums are in pain because their teeth are erupting, and this causes their sleep habits to change.

Swollen gums and irritation

Teething pain is a serious issue for many babies. Although babies’ teeth are always there, the erupting through the gums is a rather painful and uncomfortable experience for many infants, and it can affect your baby’s sleep.

Bedtime routines are thrown off course when teething babies are part of the equation. Because your baby’s teeth are causing a lot of pain, many babies cannot stop crying or get enough comfort to sleep like they regularly would.

Too much discomfort leads to exhaustion

Babies sleep less on their regular schedule because their teeth cause a lot of discomfort and pain. It may seem to many parents that when their baby finally goes to sleep, they sleep for a long time.

In most cases, a baby sleeping while teething has probably become exhausted from all the crying and pain and has gone to sleep due to exhaustion. 

They may sleep for quite some time when they do fall asleep because, at this point, most babies are sleep deprived.

Teething symptoms

If your baby isn’t sleeping well or is sleeping for long periods after bouts of crying and resisting their regular sleep routine, you may wonder if you have a teething baby on your hands.

It can be difficult to tell with some babies if they are cutting teeth. A good rule of thumb is that if not all teeth are visible in your baby’s mouth, they could be teething.

The following are some of the most obvious signs that your infant or toddler is cutting a tooth.

1. Skin irritation around the mouth

Excess saliva is common when your baby is cutting teeth. They try to gum and chew on things like their hands and teething rings to get relief, producing more slobber than usual.

Therefore, a rash or skin irritation around the mouth and on the chin is typically a tell-tale sign that your baby is getting a tooth.

2. Increase in your baby’s body temperature

Teething generally depends on the child as to how well they tolerate it. 

A baby’s life may seem unchanged by teething symptoms, or sore gums can really bother your little one.

One way to tell that your child’s teeth are coming in is if they are running a low-grade temperature. 

While fever is not typical of all children, the body temperature of a teething baby is usually a bit higher than that of a child who is not teething.

3. Swollen gums

The gums of teething babies swell as a tooth gets ready to erupt. This can cause it to look red and inflamed, almost like a blister. 

If your little one is crying and has their mouth wide open, and you notice a red or purple swollen bump on their gum, this is a tooth coming in.

4. Fussiness

Typical symptoms of teething include fussiness or irritability chewing. 

They may be sensitive to solid objects, meaning that when their mouth comes in contact with a solid object like a spoon, they get very upset and cry and scream.

If your baby’s tolerance for mouth pain is low, you’re in for a few days of a miserable baby.

Do babies sleep more when teething

Relieving discomfort caused by teething

Babies sleep through the pain sometimes because there simply is no better way to deal with it. 

Think about times when you’ve got a bad headache, earache, or toothache. Sleeping it off is your go-to remedy if you can’t find a way to relieve pain.

The following are some ways to help your child get through the discomfort of teething.

1. Clean the drool off your baby regularly

Drooling occurs because babies who are teething put everything in their mouths. Drooling likewise causes skin irritation and discomfort.

Regularly cleaning and drying the excess slobber off of your baby’s face, neck, and chest can help prevent a skin rash from occurring that is bound to make your child even more miserable if left unaddressed.

2. Use a cool, wet washcloth as a teether

You don’t need a fancy toy or teething implement to soothe painful gums. Simply soaking a clean washcloth in some water and putting it in the freezer can do just as well, if not better. 

Let your little one chew on the washcloth to help numb and comfort their gums.

3. Give your baby acetaminophen

Baby Tylenol or baby acetaminophen can be given if your doctor approves it. 

Don’t rely on this to be a cure-all, though. Pain relievers should not be taken around the clock to alleviate pain. 

Try to reduce discomfort in other ways when you can.

4. Avoid amber teething rings

Many products are marketed for teething babies, and all claim to be miracle workers. However, amber teething necklaces and jewelry are potentially dangerous to give your baby to reduce discomfort.

This teething jewelry is supposed to work by body heat to release specific pain-reducing oils inside the beads of amber. 

However, it has been proven to work only if your child’s body has to heat up to stove-like temperatures for this to work. If this occurs, you’ve got a problem worse than mouth pain.

These pieces of jewelry are also choking hazards and strangulation risks. The FDA, as well as many doctors, advise that you avoid the use of them and instead focus on other, safer ways of relieving discomfort.

5. Offer cold food

Cold foods like yogurt, popsicles, and even ice cream can help to soothe your baby’s gums and cheeks. 

Letting an infant gnaw on completely frozen carrots sticks, for example, can help soothe the pain of the first teeth coming in better than rubber teethers, in some cases.

Even cold food that isn’t typically cold, like applesauce, can help your little one deal with the pain of gaining those cute, full-toothed smiles.

6. Call the doctor for acute fevers

If your child has a high fever, is lethargic, won’t eat for a day or longer, and is just not themselves, it’s best to seek medical attention from your doctor.

Other symptoms are perfectly normal, but high fevers are not. If your child is running a high fever, it’s time to get medical advice and treatment.

Can teething cause vomiting?

Teething can cause vomiting in some children because when a child is cutting a tooth, they drool more. 

Even though you see a lot of that drool on the chin, mouth, and clothing, most of it gets swallowed.

When there’s a bellyful of saliva, the tummy can get upset. This upset can cause vomiting, especially if your baby has a fever.

The only time you really need to be concerned with puking while teething is if your little one can’t seem to keep any food down or is vomiting all of the time. 

In these cases, an underlying illness may be at play that needs to be addressed.

Do babies sleep more when teething

How long does teething fussiness last?

If your little one is fussy or loses sleep for more than a few days when cutting teeth, you may want to speak to the doctor about what else may be at play.

While it may take some time to get back into your set routine so that everyone can get more sleep, teething pain shouldn’t last more than the few days it will take for the tooth to erupt through the gums.

The pain should have subsided, and teething babies should be less fussy and more relaxed.

A final word on teething

Babies don’t sleep more, but their sleep patterns are thrown off when they get teeth. 

For example, your baby’s daytime naps may seem longer if they aren’t getting much sleep at night. This can lead some people to think that their little one is getting a lot of sleep when they simply sleep more during the day out of sheer exhaustion.

Identifying the symptoms associated with getting a new tooth will be very helpful in knowing how best to deal with the fussiness and sleep changes your child is having issues with. 

It’s essential to try to stick to a routine, but remember that your patience and empathy will go a long way toward a happy baby.

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