How to Soothe a Teething Baby to Fall Asleep
As a new parent, you’ll be learning and growing together with your newborn. Your parent age is the same as your baby’s, so regardless of how old you actually are, you’re still new in the world of parenthood just as your baby is new to the world. Therefore, you might be having some trouble handling all the constant diaper changing, cramps and teething because they’ll all lead to insomniac nights and even more frustrating days that will follow. So, if your bundle of joy has reached the teething period, and you need just a wink of sleep, but can’t get any due to their crying, we’ve got a few tips that will help you soothe their pain.
Massage their gums
One of the best remedies for itchy and sore gums is massage. Use your finger and gently massage your baby’s gums to ease the discomfort. During the massage, you’ll be able to feel where the teeth are growing and pay special attention to that spot. Massage will especially help the baby during the night when they’ll probably have difficulty falling asleep. If the baby refuses to sleep alone during teething, keep them close to you and massage the gums through an entire night whenever they wake up to make them fall back to sleep. Apply natural topical gels that include ingredients like clove oil to their gums, if the pain persists even after you’ve been massaging it.
Give them teething toys
Chewing will cause the relieving pressure on your baby’s gums, which is why you should give them teething toys to chew on. Teethers have become very popular in Australia and all around the world because they’ve turned out to be one of the most effective ways to soothe teething discomfort. Therefore, if you come from the Land Down Under, look for the teething toys in Australia and provide your bundle of joy with necessary relief. Humans have an innate instinct to chew once their gums start hurting due to teething, which is why you should give your baby something to chew on.
Press cold to their gums
Cold is known to be one of the most effective pain reliever and nerve desensitizers, which is why you should use a clean frozen cloth and gently press it on your baby’s gums. By numbing the pain and reducing swelling, cold will help your baby fall asleep. A chilled spoon or teething ring can also do the trick, just make sure you don’t let them hold the object on their own. This can be dangerous because frozen rings and spoons can easily stick to the gums and cause more pain that way. Don’t press cold objects on the tooth if it has already broken through the gums, or you risk chipping it. Cold food before bedtime can be a good choice as well since a full stomach induces sleep and cold will relieve the pain. Cold fruits or vegetables and cold yogurt are some of the age-appropriate choices. Cold grapes and cold boiled carrots are easy to swallow and chew on, so feel free to offer them this type of food and see how they react.
Give them chamomile tea
Not only will chamomile tea reduce inflammation in the gums, but it will also help your baby sleep. Being a natural relaxant, your baby will feel tranquil after having chamomile tea. It will also boost their immune system. You can give chamomile tea to your little one through a feeding bottle, or even better soak a clean rag in chamomile tea, freeze it and give your baby to chew on it.
Use painkillers
Pain medications should be your last choice and you should always consult a pediatrician before giving your baby any type of medication. Don’t by over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, but make sure the pediatrician has taken a look at your baby and prescribed you an appropriate pain-relieving medicine. Ibuprofen is one of the medications with such properties, and it is made specifically to ease the discomfort in the gums, joints, and bones. However, do not use the same ibuprofen that you’d take if you were experiencing pain, but make sure a doctor prescribes you the one appropriate for a baby. It takes about thirty minutes for the pain reliever to work, so you’ll need to be patient and wait until it kicks in. To make sure you both have a good night’s sleep, give the medication to the baby half an hour before bedtime, or align the dosage with nighttime feeding to avoid waking the baby up afterward.
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Take them to visit a specialist
All babies cry and become irritable while they are teething – this is totally normal. However, if you have tried all the above remedies and still find that your child seems super uncomfortable, distressed or in pain, there might be something more serious going on. Visit a Kids’ Dental Services specialist who can take a look at your baby’s teeth and gums to ensure that there aren’t any infections or other serious health problems occurring during the teething process.
Your child might find having their mouth looked at by a stranger in a mask rather scary, so it’s normal if they kick up a fuss. In the long term, though, it is super important to get your child’s teeth checked out if you feel the problems are worse than you expected. If your child isn’t sleeping because of how much their teeth hurt, a specialist doctor or dentist can be instrumental in changing this and giving your whole family a better night’s sleep.
Final thoughts
Teething is one of the most frustrating periods for both the baby and the parents, but luckily there are several solutions that will help you relieve your baby’s pain. Try massaging their gums, give them chewing toys to nibble on, try chamomile tea, or gently press cold cloth to their gums. If nothing works a pain-killer can be your last option. Just make sure you consult a doctor before you give your baby any medication.
