Who would have thought that such tiny teeth erupting could cause such major disruption to a new parent’s life! We asked Michelle from The Baby Sleep Experts to share some background on why teething causes sleep disruption.

“Teething can cause a variety of problems with sleep. There are fewer distractions at night so the pain and inflammation can make sleep much more difficult. In addition to that, lying down can increase pressure in the head. As a parent, it is hard to see your little one in pain and unable to make it go away. While you can’t stop their pain, there are some ways you can help to minimise their discomfort and promote sleep.

“During the day, as well as typical pain relieving gels you can try simple remedies such as chewing on a chilled flannel or frozen banana. This will help reduce swelling and take the heat out of the gums to make sleep more easy at night. As much as possible, try to prioritise sleep during this acute phase. Don’t worry about the location of naps and consider naps in a baby carrier to keep your baby upright. Being consistent and keeping to your normal bedtime routine will help your little one know that sleep time is coming. Finally, be ready to give extra hugs and cuddles and remember that this phase will soon pass.”

Read about the five stages of teething

We also found that this chart helpful to know and understand the order that teeth erupt and at what age this might happen.

Some more helpful features:

Five reasons why your baby wakes at night

The best baby sleep apps

The five stages of teething explained