Teething and Restless Sleep
Disturbed sleep is one of several aspects of teething and that's just for the parents. As a parent you will spend many a night comforting your baby as the symptoms of teething will cause him/her to lose sleep. One of the main causes of restless sleep is pain. Pain is a common feature of teething which is caused by the milk teeth pushing their way through the gums. The gums become swollen and sore as a result which causes this pain. Plus it is often accompanied by other signs of teething such as an upset tummy, crying, ear ache and a mild fever.
The effects of restless sleep caused by teething
And as you might have guessed this pain means a broken night's sleep. So, be prepared to feel like a piece of chewed string the next day! Your baby will also feel the same way. Your little one will become rather cranky due to a poor night's sleep and this coupled with the symptoms of teething means a very sad and sorry baby! He or she will sleep in the day which may allow you time to catch up on a few Zzz's but the problem is at night when your baby will be awake and crying due to the pain of teething. Some babies emit a few snuffles but don't actually wake up but most become restless as a result. The pain caused by their teeth breaking through and other symptoms such as sore gums or ear ache will result in baby becoming upset. Plus he or she may have lost their appetite as a result of these symptoms and this is also another reason for waking up during the night.
Teething and baby sleep patterns
The problem with disrupted sleep is that it disrupts your carefully ordered routine for your baby. You have probably found a routine which works for both you and your baby after months of sleepless nights and just when you think it is sorted " your baby then starts teething. Your little one has just got into a routine at bedtime whereby he or she ready to go to sleep at a particular time in the evening, for example 6 o'clock. And then what happens, your little one starts to get his/her new teeth and aargh! You are back to square one. In some cases this interruption only lasts for a short period of time and baby resumes his/her normal sleep pattern. But in other situations you have to go through the routine again. See this is a positive way as a step forward in your baby's development. The best way of dealing with this is to give your little one extra hugs and cuddles and see it as a normal part of their development.
