How Teething Affects Your Baby’s Sleep and What You Can Do About the Rough Nights
In this article
- What Research says about teething and sleep
- Teething disruption vs sleep regression
- Ways to help your baby sleep during teething
- When should you resort to pain relief at night
- How to get sleep back on track once the tooth is through
What Science Actually Says About Teething and Sleep
Most parents are surprised to learn that the evidence on teething and sleep is less clear-cut than they would expect. The Macknin et al. study, which tracked 475 tooth eruptions, found that increased wakefulness was statistically associated with teething. However, like other teething symptoms, it occurred in fewer than 35% of teething episodes and was only a little bit more common during teething than non-teething periods (Macknin et al., 2000).
A 2025 study published in the Journal of Pediatrics reinforced this further. Researchers used videosomnography to objectively monitor 849 infants over four weeks and compared sleep on teething nights versus non-teething nights. They found no significant differences in objectively measured sleep metrics between teething and non-teething nights. Importantly, although over half of parents reported sleep disturbances during teething, these subjective reports were not supported by the objective data (Mindell et al., 2025).
This does not mean teething never affects sleep. Rather, the findings suggest that parental perception of teething-related sleep disruption may be amplified because teething often overlaps with other disruptive developmental phases. What it suggests is that the link may be weaker than we assume, and that other factors happening at the same time, such as developmental leaps, illness, or changes in routine, may play a bigger role than we realise. For parents in the thick of it, the practical takeaway is that blaming every bad night on teething can lead you to overlook other causes that may be easier to address.
Teething Disruption or Sleep Regression: How to Tell the Difference
One of the most common questions parents ask is whether the sudden change in their baby’s sleep is down to teething or a developmental sleep regression. A sleep regression is a sudden decline in the baby’s sleeping patterns, for example, a child that has slept well has suddenly struggled to fall asleep. The confusion is understandable, because teething often coincides with the classic regression windows at 4 months, 6 months, 8-10 months, 12 months, 15 months, and 18 months.
There are some patterns that can help you tell them apart. Teething disruption tends to come and go over a shorter period, usually a few days to a week around each tooth. It is often accompanied by other teething signs such as drooling, chewing, and gum sensitivity. Your baby may settle with comfort measures like gum massage or something firm to chew on.
What parents often describe as sleep regressions are usually linked to developmental changes and new skills. These phases often last longer than teething discomfort and may persist for several weeks, and involve changes such as new difficulty falling asleep, shorter naps, or night waking that does not respond to teething comfort measures. If your baby is also learning a new skill like crawling or pulling to stand, a regression is more likely.
In practice, teething and regressions often overlap. When this happens, it helps to offer comfort for the teething while keeping your usual sleep routines as consistent as possible.
Practical Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep During Teething
When teething is genuinely affecting sleep, there are several things you can do to help your baby settle and stay asleep for longer.
- Offer comfort before bed. A gentle gum massage with a clean finger or a finger toothbrush, or letting your baby chew on something firm before bedtime, can ease the pressure building in the gums. Some babies find relief from chewing on a firm teething biscuit or other age-appropriate textured teether if they are over six months old, as the sustained chewing provides counter-pressure that many babies find soothing. Allow enough chewing time before putting your baby down so the relief has a chance to take effect.
- Keep the room cool and dark. The NHS recommends a room temperature of around 16°C to 20°C for infant sleep. Teething can sometimes make babies feel slightly warmer, so ensuring the room is not too warm helps them settle.
- Maintain the bedtime routine. Consistency is one of the most powerful tools during disrupted phases. Keep bath time, stories, feeds, and settling in the same order, even if your baby is unsettled. The predictability itself provides comfort and signals that sleep is coming.
- Try to avoid introducing sleep routines or habits that may be difficult to sustain once the teething phase passes. If your baby wakes, go to them and offer comfort, but avoid introducing new sleep associations you will need to undo later. A brief cuddle, a quiet word, and a quick check on their gums is often enough.
When to Use Pain Relief at Night
If your baby seems to be in genuine discomfort at night and comfort measures are not enough, age-appropriate pain relief can help. The NHS advises that sugar-free paracetamol can be given from two months and ibuprofen from three months, provided your baby weighs at least 5kg (NHS).
If your baby appears genuinely uncomfortable and other soothing measures are not helping, giving age-appropriate pain relief before bed may help them settle more comfortably. If they wake again and it has been long enough since the last dose, a second dose may be appropriate. Always follow the dosing instructions and speak to your pharmacist or GP if you find yourself giving pain relief for more than two or three consecutive nights.
Short-term use within recommended dosing guidelines is generally considered safe for most babies. If sleep disruption continues beyond a week or two, have your baby checked to rule out other causes such as ear infections or illness.
Getting Sleep Back on Track After Teething
Once a tooth has come through, most babies return to their previous sleep patterns within a few nights. If teething has overlapped with a regression, some new habits may have crept in, such as extra feeds or needing to be rocked to sleep.
The key is to gently re-establish your previous boundaries. Return to your normal bedtime routine, gradually reduce any extra interventions you introduced, and give your baby the opportunity to resettle independently. Most babies readjust within a few days once they are comfortable again.
If you were considering sleep training before teething arrived, wait until the tooth has come through and your baby has had a few settled days before starting. Beginning any new sleep approach during active teething sets both you and your baby up for a harder time than necessary.
