Sleep Really Disturbed by Teething

As a dentist and a mom of 3, I have to tell you that teething is way overrated! What you're atributing to teething is more likely a growth spurt.
ALSO, some babies just sleep 2 hours at a time. (My second did just that!)

As a yoga teacher working thru a challenging pose, think about what you would say to your students. Just breathe! Don't judge. This will pass. This is the Yoga of Parenthood!

What I always used to say was, once you think you've got it all figured out with little ones, they go and change the pattern. There is no "training" when it comes to sleep schedules! The first year is full of these little shifts in patterns.

PLEASE do not load up on tylenol for your baby's "teething pain". Tylenol is very liver toxic! You'd be surprised about the dangerous side effects of this OTC med!
I'm not a huge fan of loading your child up with benzocaine ( anbesol) either. Stick to natural remedies ( homeopathic) which have a safer track record. But also please consider that this may not be "teething" at all that is shifting your baby's temperment and sleep cycles.

I think you should just keep doing whatever your doing. Eventually he will feel better. Regardless what you do, don't go back to nursing him at night - it'll just start the cycle all over again. Good luck.

sounds familiar! have you tried motrin instead of tylenol? it seems to work better for my kids. hang in there!

Try Humphrey's 100% natural homopathic teething pellets. I picked it up from Rite Aid. I use it occassionally and it worked for my 9 month old. (Started teething at 4 months on...) He now has two top & bottom front teeth. We co-sleep and like others have mentioned, it is hard to set a schedule during this painful period of their lives. I give lots of comfort at night and I am a single mom at the moment (husband is in Iraq) and also work full time. So, I understand completely! While he is at home with nanny during the day, she doesn't give him anything, but I do give him the pellets at night time to help him.

And yes, his sleep schedule is back to "normal" but still he occassionaly wakes because he is still teething and just growing!

Good luck!

Wow - you're giving him all those products??! And he's still not sleeping? I think you should have the doctor see him. There's no way the teething pain can be so bad that tylenol et. al. is not relieving it. Especially if it's just his bottom tooth - those are the least painful of all.

Stupid question perhaps, but I assume you're also giving him cold, hard things to bite on, like frozen bagels or a cold teething toy or washcloth?

Also, I would stop using the anbesol. My doctor strictly forbid that, and I know other doctors do too. It can actually be dangerous for them, because if they swallow any of the gel, it will numb the throat, and that's not a good thing!

Hang in there. We just got finished with this exact same thing and I am happy to tell you that things do go back to normal once the two bottom teeth have pushed their way through the gums.

I did not do well in the early days with the no sleeping but at least I was at home. I am back at work now and I thought that I was going to die when the every three hours started again. My daughter wanted to eat ever time she woke up, a good 6 oz at least, so I wasn't sure if she was hungry or in pain or whatever.

My husband and I are very anti-medication, but after two weeks of no sleeping, we decided one dose of infant Tylenol (regular, NOT the cold medicine) before bed was warranted. It helped her sleep through the night which was awesome.

Good luck and remember, it will end just as quickly as it started.

Namaste, E.

We recently went through the same thing. Babies at this age are going through so much, its hard to stick to a strict schedule. Once this tooth is in another will be on its way, or there will be a growth spurt, or your baby will have a day where he was over stimulated, ect. I have made a personal decision not to sleep train. I try to stick to a schedule as much as possible for sanity's sake, but I have found that my whole family is happier when we listen to the baby. When he is calm and tired I put him in the crib and he drifts off to sleep by himself, but he usually falls asleep nursing. When a tooth is coming in he needs a lot more comforting. He woke up every two hours, like your baby did. I nurse him or give him a few ounces of water in a bottle. He loves cold water, I think it helps ease the discomfort of teething. For the last few nights he slept straight through the night, so its not all bad. I made this decision because I believe the CIO method is torture, for baby and for the rest of the family. If my baby cries its because he needs something, and its my job as a parent to figure out what it is.

You will get through this rough time. When your baby knows he is loved and he feels secure he will sleep through longer stretches naturally.

Good luck!
R.

Wal-mart has a great item for teething. Teething tablets..it's all herbal. I wish I would've known about it when I had my other three children. Works like a charm.

The funny thing is, the "warning" on the label says "may cause drowziness if your child is crying". Like that's a bad thing....lol

Nanc