How to Soothe a Teething Baby at Night

Teething can be a challenging time for both babies and parents, especially at night. Here are 6 tips and tricks to help soothe and comfort your teething baby during those restless nights.

“I only got two hours of sleep!” I vented to a friend.

My teething baby wouldn’t stop crying. He’d sleep for an hour only to wake up screaming, clearly from teething pain. And this wasn’t your usual crying, either—he seemed really upset and needed comfort to settle back to sleep.

The strange thing was, he seemed so much happier during the day, even though he was displaying the same teething symptoms. It was only at night when he would wake up crying hysterically, unable to sleep.

Thankfully, I discovered several tricks to soothe a teething baby at night. No more waking up multiple times or screaming in pain. He was able to sleep through the night once more, even as he was in the middle of teething. Here’s how:

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Massage your baby’s gums before feeding

Adding pressure to your baby’s gums can alleviate the pain she feels as her tooth is erupting. Massaging them with your clean finger can offer the relief she craves.

Now, here’s the trick: massage her gums before feeding.

You see, the discomfort she feels could prevent her from taking in a full feeding. She might quit midway or not take in as much as she usually would. And because she’s not taking a full feeding, she might wake up in the middle of the night hungry.

In other words, she may not be waking up at night because of teething pain—she might be genuinely hungry from not eating as much.

So, help her take in a full feeding by massaging her gums beforehand. You might even extend your nursing time to ensure that she has enough time to get her fill.

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5 Mistakes That Keep Your Baby from Self Soothing

Keep your baby’s face dry from drool

Another factor that could be keeping your baby uncomfortable, especially at night, is dealing with the inevitable rash from excess drool. You’ll often find babies with red and tender cheeks and chins because they drool so much from teething.

During the day, keep his face dry from drool to prevent a rash from developing.

You might keep him in a bib all day for easy wiping (just make sure to swap it out every so often so that the bib stays dry). You can also apply petroleum jelly to act as a barrier from moisture.

And pat, don’t rub, his face dry. Rubbing can feel uncomfortable and worsen the rash which makes it difficult to sleep comfortably.

Offer medicine before sleep, not at wake up

We’ve all heard of offering medicine to a teething baby, especially since these can be effective in easing the pain he feels. But what many don’t know is the importance of timing.

Give your baby medicine about 30-60 minutes before he sleeps for the night. This allows enough time for it to kick in and ease the pain or reduce the fever. Don’t wait until he wakes up in the middle of the night since doing so may not work right away.

The best medicine I’ve found is Motrin, followed by Tylenol. You’ll want to find the infant versions and follow directions, and of course, check with your pediatrician for the moist tailored advice.

Have an early bedtime

If nighttime sleep is disrupted because of teething, one way to make it easier is to put her down for an earlier bedtime. As in, much earlier than you normally would.

The early evenings are already difficult enough as it is, what with you and your baby exhausted from the day. Couple that with teething that could potentially be more painful at night, putting her to bed early could help you beat it to the punch.

In other words, help her get relaxed and avoid those “witching hours” to begin with.

An earlier bedtime can also mean more hours to catch up on lost sleep, especially if she had a short nap (or skipped it entirely).

Combine that with offering medicine beforehand, and hopefully, she can catch up on lost sleep and knock out for the night (or at least a long stretch).

Offer comfort while sticking to your routine

If your baby is teething, do you offer comfort because he’s inconsolable, or stick to your routine to keep things consistent?

I say… both!

The problem many parents face when comforting a teething baby is reverting to old habits, particularly with sleeping and feeding. Perhaps your baby will only fall asleep in your arms, even after he’s long past teething. But at the same time, you want to provide the comfort he needs.

The solution? Strike a balance between the two. Find a way to maintain your routine of feeding and putting him to sleep. For instance, don’t revert to helping him fall asleep like you did when he was a newborn as this can develop into habits you’d rather not keep. This means putting him down awake instead of letting him fall asleep in your arms.

At the same time, offer extra comfort that won’t lead to unwanted habits. Maybe you’ll let him nurse longer than usual (while making sure he doesn’t fall asleep), spend more time at home to cuddle, or carry him around the house.

You’re treating him as you would if he were a 5 year old who had come down with a cold. You’re not reverting to old habits that can set him back, but you’re also offering extra comfort within the confines of your daily routine.

Prepare your home remedies ahead of time

The middle of the night is not an easy time for anyone, least of all parents of a teething baby. If your little one happens to wake up needing your help, the last thing you need is to fumble sleep-deprived in the dark looking for a solution.

Instead, prepare your home remedies ahead of time so that you have them handy right when you need them.

Let’s say your go-to remedy is offering a cold, wet washcloth for her to gnaw on. Rather than walking to the kitchen to grab a fresh washcloth to wet it, have one ready to go in the refrigerator.

Perhaps teething toys are what best help soothe her sore gums. Stash clean ones by her bed so that you can offer them right away. And if she likes those toys cold too, you could even keep a cooler by her bed so that they’re ready to go.

Plan all these fixes early in the evening so that you have them with you right when you need them later that night.

Frequently asked questions

Why do teething babies cry more at night than during the day?

If you’ve noticed that your baby is more uncomfortable from teething at night than during the day, you’re spot on. There are several reasons why this happens.

For one thing, there are more distractions during the day to keep her occupied. She’s also alone and exhausted from a long day, which contributes to the general fussiness babies already have at this time. And finally, her gums are more likely to become inflamed when she’s lying down (if you’ve ever had gum sensitivity, you may have also had a difficult time falling asleep).

How long do teeth appear after the initial onset of symptoms?

Symptoms that signal that the teeth are about to appear include a fever, a bump underneath the gums, extra fussiness, and poor sleep. usually, teeth will appear about 3-5 days after these symptoms.

At what point is teething most painful?

Babies feel teething pain the most as the teeth erupt from the gums. That’s why your baby might be fussy even though her teeth aren’t visible yet, or are so tiny you can hardly see them.

Conclusion

It’s never easy when your teething baby won’t sleep unless she’s held at night. Thankfully, you now have a few tips to make it much easier—or at least to get more than 2 hours of sleep.