Do Toddlers Cry at Night When Teeth Are Coming In?

Babies suffering from teething pain often wake up crying and have to be soothed back to sleep, and toddlers sometimes wake up crying too. However, even though toddlers are still getting some of their teeth in, this may not be the reason your toddler is having trouble sleeping.

  1. Teething

    • A baby with a tooth coming in may display no symptoms at all, but most babies do exhibit one or more of the classic signs of teething. These can include drooling, chewing motions, a low fever, mild diarrhea, swelling of the gums, crankiness and waking up at night crying. Babies usually get their first incisors between seven and twelve months, but some of their molars will still be coming in as late as 33 months.

    Waking Up

    • Teething continues through the toddler years. According to the University of Michigan's "Easy Parenting 101," most of the molars and canines come in between the ages of 13 and 30 months. Teething symptoms can occur a few months before the tooth becomes visible. Teething pain can cause a child to wake up and cry, but this symptom is most common with the baby's first teeth. If your toddler is waking up crying, teething is only one of the possible explanations.

    Toddler Sleep Problems

    • Many toddlers have trouble sleeping through the night for reasons other than teething. According to pediatric sleep expert, Dr. Craig Canapari from Seattle Children's Hospital, toddlers can sometimes wake up crying because they have completed a full sleep cycle. When they wake up momentarily before beginning the next sleep cycle, they are upset to find that the caregiver who cuddled them to sleep is no longer present. Toddlers who are used to being fed at night may wake up and cry because they expect to eat. A toddler may also wake up crying due to noises or an illness.

    Toddler Teething Treatments

    • According to the Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker website, you can help a toddler experiencing teething pain by giving him a washcloth soaked in cold water, a cold snack such as applesauce, or a teething toy. Avoid teething toys with liquid inside them because toddlers have enough teeth to burst this type of toy. Avoid using frozen teething toys because they can hurt a toddler's gums, and avoid using harder foods such as raw vegetables because they can present a choking hazard.

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