Teething and Sleep Advise

I use Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets. You can pick them up at any health food store and even Public carries them if you are in a pinch. They just seem to calm my daughter enough to get her to fall asleep. And I feel good about giving them to her over Motrin or Tylenol because they are natural. Good luck!

Have you tried some homeopathic remedies? Hylands teething tablets have worked great for us.

Hi N.,
First, no, it's not bad to let him cry for a bit once you've been up that many times and determined that nothing is seriously wrong! Honestly... trust your gut! Crying it out can work wonders on infants and toddlers alike and at 8 months, it only took 3 days for my little girl to learn to soothe herself back to sleep... now, at 26 months, she's a champion sleeper, sleeping 7:30-7-8am like clockwork and ONLY crying when something is truly wrong, so I know to respond to her immediately! It's awesome. I read "On Becoming Babywise" and loved that book, it's routine saved me, as a working mom.

Teething time is tough... but if you are giving pain reliever, the symptoms should not be so bad that your little guy can't make it through the night. The trouble is... teething starts bad habits that then get reinforced long after the teething symptoms are gone. My little girl never stopped sleeping through the night just due to teething. But then again, she was a late teether and I had already let her cry it out to reinforce what was going to happen... so teething for us was really not an issue. By the way, even though I'm a "cry it out" mom, I ALWAYS check my girl to be sure she's fine, not ill, not stuck in her crib, not fallen out, etc. I NEVER just let her cry without making absolutely certain that she's fine first. Then, once I'm sure that she's simply crying for mommy's attention, I let her cry it out. It works and it's FAST and you will sleep again, which we all know you need!

Honestly... trust your gut!
K.

Try the Highlands Teething Tablets. They are homeopathic and worked well for my daughter who still takes them for teething. She is 14 months. As far as crying it out, I know how tiring it is but I would have a hard time letting him cry when you know he is in pain. It just isn't the same as crying just to get you back in the room. Teething hurts and teething tablets etc. will help but sometimes there's nothing better to cure what ails you then the loving arms of Mama.

During the day you can also try teething tablets. Some people say they help. I used Tylenol before bed and if I thought she was in pain when she got up in the night and it had been 4 hours I gave her Tylenol again. That made a big difference. Also, teething can cause sinus drainage and congestion, so sleeping on an incline (like in a car seat or a folded towel under the sheet he sleeps on) can also help that aspect of it. For crying it out, decide on a time that is reasonable for you. I give my daughter 10 minutes at night and 20 minutes for naps before I go get her. It's also possible this is coinciding with a growth spurt, so some of the night waking is for feeding. Good luck.

Hyland's teething tablets are like little miracle pills. The label litterally says that they child may sleep because the pain is releived and they can get some sleep. And it really happens.

You can find them near the vitamins in the big box store. Ask the pharmacist in the drugstore. Really, they are worth the money.

Oh and frozen bagels. I'm sure he's on solids now. They suck on them so long that they dissolve in the mouth but still stay solid. Hard to explain, but my little one loved it.

Hi N.,
The one thing that work for my child were these homeopathic teething tablets (he calls them teethers) he is 2 now and getting his two year molars (which have been an absolute nightmare) and still takes them. they are called highlands teething tablets and you can find them just about anywhere (publix, cvs) that really helped him too when he was little.
with regards to letting him cry, just put yourself in his shoes... you are very little and totally dependant on somebody else for EVERYTHING!!!! then all of the sudden you get this awfull pain in your mouth (it really is painful, specially for them) and your mom or dad wont come to confort you!!!! when a baby is in pain (or in need) they should never be let to cry... their needs need to be met otherwise they loose trust and the bond may be broken. our son was not a good sleeper and we had a hard time teaching how to sleep... and then he started teething too... so it really was a set back
then he slept very good until now (b/c of his two year molars) I find myself in his room many times at night trying to confort him as much as i can...
if they trust you and the bond is there, then you wont have a problem with him going back to sleep!!!!
good luck and hope those tablets work for you
CH

I'm a yoga teacher in Pensacola, Florida. I believe in holistic care for babies and children. I've seen the miracle results of gentle products such as Young Living Essential Oils and homeopathy. I would recommend the application of a diluted form of ginger ad lavendar oil. There is also a wonderful homepathic gel available at Everman's for teething. Have you tried having your baby sleep with you during this time of transition? Your baby may be desiring your touch. Your baby may cry because you respond. It may not all be attributed to your baby teething. Dou you breastfeed? Furthermore, persistant night waking can be related to an ear infection. Just some thoughts for your sleepless nights. This too shall pass. Good luck!

N.,
Get him something called teething tablets from Publix or Walgreens. They are all natural and work wonders. They dissolve quickly in their mouth. Hope that helps!

My baby girl is also 7 mos, she responds well to teething tablets-they also help with sleep. She has been teething for about 3 mos now, still no teeth!! (Also she developed an ear infection from the constant runny nose.) The ones I use are homeopathic and 100% natural. Goodluck!!!
N.

I have three kids 8, 4, and 22 months. I swear by this stuff. Very similar to you I thought I had tried everything until I stumbled upon what I affectionately call my "Top Shelf" the good stuff meds. It is a homeopathic product that I found in Publix on the baby isle. Hyland's Teething Tablets. They are very tiny pills that disolve very quickly and there is even a warning , can you believe it, on the bottle saying "your baby may fall asleep after using this product because the pain has been relieved and your child can rest." Let me know how it works for you!

Hi N.,
I know how you feel about letting the babies cry with teething--you can't really do it if they're actually in pain! My 4-month old is already starting, and I'm not looking forward to going through it again!
We've had great luck with Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets (they sell them at Honeytree Natural Foods in Market Square). They dissolve instantly under the tongue, and my little girl seems to like the taste. Also, they seem to calm her down after a few minutes, and don't feel like I'm having to give her a ton of drugs. As far as things to chew on, I've heard frozen bagels are great for kids who are already on solids. Best of luck to you!
E.

Hi N.,
Although I am a believer in "crying it out", I don't think we should EVER let our babies cry when their is a need. He is in pain, don't let him cry in pain. Poor baby! Hug him and love him. But as far as sleep, if motrin and oragel isn't working to get him calmed, then you probably just need to wait it out. Motrin has always worked for my teething babies at night. Maybe it is wearing off? Did you know you could alternate Motrin and Tylenol every two hours? This might help it to last longer.

I see there is a lot of talk on this web site about children sleeping. Unfortunately, Mothers are sleep deprived, but.....before you know it that period is gone and the babies are grown. It sounds like there could be something other going on besides just teething. Observation is a great tool but it takes a lot to learn how to observe without pre-judgements. Maybe something has changed in his room, maybe he senses the uneasiness or maybe he wants to be closer to you. There is a plethora of mis-information that is contrary to the biological needs of infants. It is important to his psyche that he feels when he cries that someone will respond. If he is left alone he will learn to distrust this new world he is in. Please look into books by Maria Montessori to try to understand what his needs really are and avoid getting caught in a trap of forcing a "schedule" on your baby and especially giving him to many medicines or focusing on getting him to sleep through the night for convenience.

I caution you on taking popular advice, as children today are having many psychological issues. Do a little research and take in contrasting points of view before deciding what is best for you and your baby. Ultimately you must decide among advice which method is for you.

Most importantly, know that you are doing your best. Love your baby and enjoy this time as in a blink of an eye it is gone. this sleep deprivation will be only for a short time. My daughters are 4 and 6 now, but I remember going through what you are going through. It's tough, but bittersweet when you look back on these times. ENJOY and SAVOR these moments.

N.,
I have a son that is 13 months and a 3 yr old daughter. No it's not bad to lethim cry after you've been up 5-6 times! I have been there and I know it feels bad to let them cry but when you've done all that you can do and you're so tired the best thing to do is try to close your eyes. I don't know if you have tried the mesh teethers but they are awesome. I put crushed ice in them and it really seems to help my son. When he gets a little older you can put frozen fruit in it. I would also suggest not feeding him during the night. I know that at times it was the only way I could get my son back to sleep but he got out of the habit of sleeping all night and the next thing I knew he was waking up to be fed. Just incase your doc hasn't told you....you can alternate motrin and tylenol every 6 hours. Try to give him the tylenol when he wakes up so that you can give him motrin 4 hours after the tylenol (for the afternoon nap). Motrin is better than tylenol because it helps with the inflamation of the gums but the tylenol is good so that you can give him medicine sooner than 8 hours. The schedule would look like this....
6:00 a.m. Tylenol
10:00 a.m. Motrin
4:00 p.m. Tylenol
8:00 p.m. Motrin
Generally teething goes in 3 day cycles....pain for 3 days, feels good for 3 days.
I would call your doc and have them look in his ears to rule out an ear infection. Ear infections would certainly keep him from sleeping due to the pressure on his eardrum.
My daughter has tubes in her ears. She had 7 ear infections in one year. I unfortunately know way too much about this subject.
She never had a fever with an ear infection. She never pulled on her ears. All typical symptoms of ear infections. The only symptom she would have is waking up several times during the night.
If you have any questions about any of this please feel free to e-mail me at ____@____.com
Good luck!
Sincerely,
A.

We don't use chemicals in our home. We use Hyland's teething tablets. It helps to calm them and takes away the pain.

Also, Calms Forte is excellent for bringing children (or adults!) back into balance their minds/bodies can let go and sleep. It doesn't cause you to sleep. If you're not tired, nothing will happen--it's not like a sleeping pill. But it does help you to chill out and relax so sleep will come when it's ready :-)

N., that certainly is a struggle. I think it is okay to let them cry a little especially after you have been up so much. The only thing I would suggest is that you make sure it is just teeth and not some sort of ear infection or something. I hope it passes quickly.

I think some of the old remedies are the best. For teething with my first son we tried the baby orajel, and it did not work. He would scream even louder when we put it on. For the next two children, I used my great-grandmother's solution to a teething baby--a little bit of Jack Daniel's on your pinkie finger and rub their gums. Seriously. It works like a charm.

N.:

You state that your giving him Motrin during the day but why not give him Mortirn then at night too so that it will provide some comfort for him?? Motrin will last him through the night until the early morning and then you could give him a second dose to him happier during the day.

My second guess is that he may have an ear infection that's causing him to not want to lay down therefore wanting to stay up. Just by chance have you had his ears checked? Many times with teething pain there is also ear pain-just a suggestion but just teething alone shouldn't make him stay up all night many nights in a row-he'd be exhausted and you would be too:)

A little about me. I am 41 with 4 kids 12, 10,5 and 2 and am a local business owner.

See if he will take a frozen pacifier when he wakes up in the night...if so, keep a few in the freezer ready to go. During the day you can rub his gums to help prepare them for the teeth breaking through. Give him Tylenol or Motrin right before bed time. And, yes, it's ok to let him cry it out a little. Teething times are rough. He must be getting a couple at the same time if it so hard. But if his gums become VERY red, you may want to take him to the dr. My mother-in-law told me that her oldest son had such a hard time teething that they ended up in the ER twice to have the gums lanced (cut open) because they wouldn't break through on their own. I don't know if that is something they would do now (things were different 44 years ago), but her other kids never had to go to the ER so maybe his situation was extreme. Good luck!!

Hi N.,
I have five kids and I have used the teething tablets....I cant remember the name...but go to Publix or Albertson's or a natural store...they are all natural, homeopathic...they disolve in their mouth, soothing the pain and soothing them! I have no idea what I would do without them...they are lifesavers and the kids LOVED them and actually ASK for them with moans and groans when they see the bottle....hope this helps!

Could he also be sick? I know my son has very little signs of ear infections when he gets them (no fever and sometimes no conejestion). So it may be that he's got something else other than teething going on.
Otherwise, we always used Motrin and Hylands Teething tables (I found the orajel was useless).
Good luck!

I used teething tablets. They are all natural and I don't know what is in them but they are a god sent to me. The company that makes them is Hylands. Hope this helps.

One thing that I found you shouldn't do is give the baby oragel. My pediatrician told me that it will prolong the teething process. So...I wouldn't recommend that. I have been giving my son Tylenol and Motrin. Plus teething tablets really work. Even though it doesn't last as long as tylenol or motrin, it's a change for the baby. You don't want the baby to get addicted to tylenol. i guess I shouldn't say addicted as to, not reacting to the tylenol because he's had it so long. It's okay to let him cry for alittle bit, but if you know that he needs you go to him. He just might want to comfort of his mommy. I have a four month old and he is teething. He used to sleep through the night, but not anymore. I don't know if it's his teeth, but I am always getting up with him for a bottle or just his pacifier. Good Luck. Oh...another thing my pediatrician told me not to do was to put his teething rings in the freezer because they could get froze bite. Just keep several in the frig and be ready to replace the one he is using everyone in a while. Or go out and buy the vibrating toys that are made for teething. It vibrates their gums and it feels good for them.

N.-there are some really great teething tablets that dissolve on the tongue that we have used with all (4) of our children. They work very well for us. I keep them at bedside for our 10 month old who is teething and has been for about 2 months. They work great and he doesn't try to reject them. I get them at the grocery store. They are called Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets. They come in a little pink and blue wrapped bottle. You should be able to find them with the baby medicines.
Other than that, for the sleeping, I would say give him as much attention as possible and wear him out with physical exercise so that he will sleep more soundly and for a longer period of time. God Bless!

Hi N.,

This is my first time on Mamasource and I think it's a great website!! I have 19 month twin boys, who have are still teething (only now it's their 1 year old molars). We do the motrin thing and the orajel thing too. However, during the day, I have found that if the boys are really cranky and are practically shoving their entire hands down their throats, I give them small pieces of ice (we did do this when they were about 7 or 8 months as well, just much smaller pieces). The ice numbs their mouths and they seem to be in less pain for a while. I have also used gripe water. I used to put some in their bottles and it help to keep them calmer and help with the teething. I hope this is somewhat helpful.

M. M

Hi N...both of my kids have had a tough time with teething. My daughter, now 1, still only has 2 teeth and is up alot at night too. If you have done everything you can do to help, then yes, let him cry it out.

He'll go back to sleep. It may take a little while the first couple of times, but if you know he's not hungry or wet, then he is just extremely tired! It will be hard, but he needs his sleep too. Good luck and it WILL get better!

My friend swore by this necklace. I never tried it, but was thinking of buying the adult version. Otherwise it sounds like you are doing all you can do.

Here is the link: http://www.teethingnecklace.com/default.aspx

N.:

The 'cry it out' method is used on some children when moms know that nothing is wrong. In your case, I don't recommend this. You know your son is in pain with his teeth.

I recommend a small dose of tylenol just before bed and Hyland's Teething Tablets which you can pick up at Walmart. Hyland's is all natural, they are tiny soft white pills that dissolve as soon as they hit the saliva. You may use some of the same methods at night that you are using during the day - Let him chew on a teething ring.

Hi,
I used orajel with my five year old, but used Highlands (all natural) teething tablets with my 15 month old. The teething tablets worked great and can be picked up at Wal-Mart for about $6. I hope it can help you and your baby.

They sell teething tablets. They melt in the babies mouth easing the pain and knocks them out so everyone can get sleep. Ask the Rx to get you some. I am sorry I don't know where to get them my friend bought mine.

N., I have a 14 yr. old boy, your problem sounds so familar. I really don't think it is his teeth!! My son had ear infections alot--unaware of them until 7 or 8 months old. I had to keep taking him to the doctor, he was very cranky , didn't sleep very much at all. They had to put tubes in his ears for drainage. They both fell out around age 9 or 10 I believe. I don't want to worry you, but just trying to help, it may be something else wrong with your son.