Teething is an exciting time when your baby starts growing up and forming his or her mouth. However, it can be an uncomfortable situation that affects the baby’s sleep and yours. Here’s how:

It Causes Pain

Dentists say the most prevalent of the signs of teething is the pain. It hurts for a tooth to erupt through the gums. Just talking about it can feel painful. Teething hurts for adults too, so your baby is likely to fuss and have trouble sleeping because of the soreness. Teething rings can help with the pain. The cold feeling that they get when they chew on the teething rings is quite soothing. You can also purchase some numbing agents that you can rub on the baby’s teeth, as well.

The Baby’s Temperature May Rise

Researchers explain that the teething process may also slightly raise the baby’s temperature, which will also make him or her uncomfortable. Your little one may have trouble sleeping because of that, as well. However, teething will only elevate the baby’s temperature a little bit. If you notice a massive increase in your child’s temperature, he or she may be sick. The illness probably has nothing to do with the teething if the temperature is above 101.

It Causes Irritability

Irritability is another sign of teething that may affect your little one’s sleep. The baby may cry a lot during this time because of the pain and discomfort. According to children’s medical experts, your child may also be angry and seem generally fussy during the entire time. Teething has a variety of symptoms that will affect a child’s sleeping patterns. Irritability is just another one of them. You can try to use love and comfort to combat the problems with irritability. For example, you can embrace him or her for a little while or sing a warm song to help calm the child down.

Restlessness Occurs

Your baby may be generally restless during the teething process without any accompanying symptoms. He or she may just have difficulty falling asleep. The teething period is just a trying time. Parenting experts explain, trying to distract the child or giving them something cold can help them relax enough to fall asleep. Patience is a necessary skill while a child is teething because most of the time there isn’t anything that you or your child can do but wait it out. It will pass, it will end, it just takes a bit of time, so hold out until then. That being said, playing some soothing music in conjunction with a cold treatment may help the baby to fall asleep faster.

Those are some of the ways that you can tell that your baby is teething. Be patient and loving, and this difficult stage will pass. Make sure to take measures to protect your baby’s teeth as soon as they erupt. Use a damp, soft washcloth to gently wash your baby’s gums every day. As the teeth become more prominent, use an infant toothbrush and a tiny bit of fluoride-free toothpaste. Once your baby has more teeth, gentle flossing will become necessary.

If you’re looking for more information on infants and other small children, make sure to check out our blog!