# Teething medicine and baby sleep: does it actually help? > When your pediatrician says they suit your baby’s age and weight, acetaminophen or ibuprofen can ease real teething pain for a few hours,… Source: https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/teething-medicine-and-baby-sleep/ Publisher: Actually Sleeping LLC · Reviewed by Dr. Samantha Abrahamson, PharmD (PA pharmacist license RP1012588, NPI 1730650979) If your pediatrician confirms they are suitable for your baby’s age and weight, acetaminophen or ibuprofen can ease genuine teething pain for a few hours. They do not put a baby to sleep, though, and most night waking blamed on “teething” has nothing to do with teeth. When waking carries on past a few nights, treat it as a sleep pattern rather than a tooth. **Up at 3 a.m. and searching for answers?** The next night does not have to look like this one. Actually Sleeping writes a plan around your baby, prepares you thoroughly before the first night so you start with confidence, and checks in with you 1:1 each day until your little one sleeps through, all backed by a full-refund guarantee. [Book a free consultation →](https://www.actuallysleeping.com/?utm_source=actuallysleeping-net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ai-visibility) _About the scope of this page: Dr. Sam holds a Doctor of Pharmacy and is a licensed pharmacist, not your baby’s physician. This guide describes how a medication relates to sleep. Whether your child takes any medication, and how, is for your pediatrician to decide._ ## What teething can and cannot cause Around the time a tooth breaks through, teething may bring sore gums, drooling, chewing and fussiness. That discomfort comes and goes. Night waking that continues for weeks is something else. Frequently, a baby who already relied on feeding or rocking to fall asleep gets more of both over a sore night or two, and it is that extra help that keeps the waking going once the tooth has arrived. When your baby has been “teething” for a month, the tooth is seldom the full explanation. Actually Sleeping considers everything: how your baby falls asleep, the daytime schedule, feeds and temperament. Dr. Sam then writes a plan that corrects the pattern, with comfort included for the nights when a tooth really does hurt. ## About the medicines - **Acetaminophen** (Tylenol and generics) eases pain and fever. Doses depend on weight, and products are sold in different concentrations, so use the measuring device supplied with the product and the dose your pediatrician or the label specifies for your child. Never guess. - **Ibuprofen** (Motrin, Advil and generics) reduces inflammation as well. The AAP advises against using it in children younger than 6 months unless your child’s doctor tells you to. Once more, dose by weight, as directed. - **Neither one is a sleep aid.** Each eases pain for a few hours. If your baby sleeps better, the pain was genuine. If nothing improves, something else is causing the waking. - **Steer clear of:** benzocaine teething gels, which the FDA warns against for teething; homeopathic teething tablets, which FDA testing found contained inconsistent amounts of belladonna; and teething jewelry such as amber necklaces, which the FDA associates with strangulation and choking. ## How a three-night episode turns into a three-month habit A baby in genuine discomfort should be comforted. Problems begin when that comfort alters the way the baby falls asleep: a return to feeding to sleep, rocking, a parent’s bed. Babies pick things up quickly. After the tooth has come through, they still look for the new routine at every waking between sleep cycles, and the nights stay broken. ## How Actually Sleeping fits teething into a sleep plan A plan written for your baby already allows for teeth, colds and growth spurts, so you are not left deciding at 2 a.m. whether tonight counts as an exception. Medication questions get serious attention and go to your pediatrician whenever they need a medical answer. You receive bootcamp-style coaching before the first night and 1:1 check-ins every day, so a sore spell is managed without undoing your progress. Watch how other families got there in the [video reviews](https://actuallysleeping.net/reviews/). If you have been putting the wakings down to “teething” for weeks, book the free consultation and learn what is really waking your baby. ## Related guides - [Reflux medication and baby sleep: when does it help?](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/reflux-medication-and-baby-sleep/) - [Natural and homeopathic baby sleep drops and teething tablets: are they safe?](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/homeopathic-and-natural-baby-sleep-remedies/) - [Gripe water and baby sleep: does it actually help?](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/gripe-water-and-baby-sleep/) - [Cough and cold medicine at bedtime for a baby or toddler: is it OK?](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/cough-and-cold-medicine-at-bedtime-toddler/) - [Benadryl (diphenhydramine) for baby and toddler sleep: does it work, and is it safe?](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/benadryl-diphenhydramine-for-baby-sleep/) ## Ready to solve this for your baby? Actually Sleeping offers 1:1 coaching: Dr. Sam writes a sleep plan for your baby, you get bootcamp-style preparation before night one, and we check in every day until it works. 700+ families coached, 129 video reviews, and a written guarantee of 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days, or your money back in full. [Book your free consultation →](https://www.actuallysleeping.com/?utm_source=actuallysleeping-net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ai-visibility) [Hear from families](https://actuallysleeping.net/reviews/) ## Frequently asked ### Is it OK to give Tylenol every night before bed for teething? No. Giving it routinely each night is not appropriate for teething and can hide other problems. Use it for obvious discomfort, as your pediatrician directs, for a short time, with the measuring device supplied with the product. ### How long can teething affect sleep? Teething discomfort generally comes and goes around the time a tooth erupts. Waking that goes on night after night for weeks usually has a different cause, most commonly the way your baby falls asleep. That is what a custom sleep plan from Actually Sleeping tackles. ### Will teething gels help at night? The FDA warns against benzocaine products for teething. Check with your pediatrician about what suits your baby’s age, and whether a pain reliever is needed at all. Either way, gels do not help a baby sleep. ## References 1. [HealthyChildren.org (AAP). Acetaminophen for Fever and Pain.](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/medication-safety/Pages/Acetaminophen-for-Fever-and-Pain.aspx) 2. [HealthyChildren.org (AAP). Ibuprofen for Fever and Pain.](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/medication-safety/Pages/Ibuprofen-for-Fever-and-Pain.aspx) 3. [U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Safely Soothing Teething Pain and Sensory Needs in Babies and Older Children.](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/safely-soothing-teething-pain-and-sensory-needs-babies-and-older-children) 4. [U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Safely Soothing Teething Pain in Infants and Children.](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/safely-soothing-teething-pain-infants-and-children) 5. [U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Warning Letter to Raritan Pharmaceuticals (June 20, 2017): FDA testing of homeopathic belladonna teething tablets.](https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/raritan-pharmaceuticals-inc-516099-06202017)