Once your baby reaches the age of 6 months and beyond, it is not uncommon for you to start yearning for more sleep! When your baby starts waking up frequently due to teething or other causes, you start sifting through parenting magazines, reading books, and buying anything that can help soothe your baby’s teething pain, so they can sleep better and consequently help you rest better at night. You probably feel so sleep deprived that you would do anything and everything to get it.
That’s why we’re here to share some of our top tips to help your little one sleep better, even when teething, which can help let you get some much-needed shut-eye.
Some babies start sleeping well and continue to do so, while others start well and then stop sleeping well. The secret of getting your baby to sleep through the nights are their daytime naps. If your baby doesn’t have good naps throughout the day, they go to sleep overtired at night which can result in them waking often. Adding teething into the mix can mean when they wake in the middle of the night, they’re likely to also be in discomfort.
To get your baby used to napping, look out for their ‘tired signs’ – when you see them yawning or rubbing their eyes, put them in their cot in total darkness with blackout blinds/curtains, and play a soothing melody. If teething discomfort is putting a stop to your baby being able to nap, give them a chilled teething ring or other gentle teething soother shortly before nap time.
If you’re struggling to get into a napping routine, this ‘spaced soothing’ method may help:
- Listen for quiet gaps and leave them to settle themselves. If they are making any rhythmic sound “Mmm, arrr, bbbaabba”, this is them trying to settle themselves.
- Respond if they become upset.
- Soothe them by stroking, patting, or rubbing them for a few minutes until they’re calm. Cuddle if needed then leave the room again.
- Do the same at night.
If teething is stopping your baby from sleeping well, then soothing their painful gums is key to allow you and your baby to both get some sleep. Soothing gums with teething gel during the daytime can help reduce swelling and take the heat off the gums, so discomfort is lessened which will help. Offer them a cool teething ring to bite on during the day and before bedtime to help them be able to drift off easier, and your baby’s gums can also be soothed by rubbing a clean finger over them.
