Your baby took an unusually long nap today, you noticed a swollen gum this morning, and now you’re wondering whether the two are linked.

So, do babies sleep more when teething? In most cases, no, because teething is more likely to leave sleep unchanged or briefly broken than to add extra hours of rest.

As a certified pediatric sleep consultant, I’ve spent more than nine years helping families work out whether a sleep change is normal and what to try next. Teething raises both questions, and the answer usually starts with looking at your baby’s whole day, not only bedtime.

In this post you will learn what current research says about teething and sleep, why some babies seem sleepier, how to tell teething from a sleep regression, and which signs need your pediatrician.

How Teething Can Change Your Baby’s Sleep

Teething does not usually make babies sleep more, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) notes that gum discomfort can wake a baby instead.

A 2025 study using crib cameras found no significant difference in total sleep or night wakings on teething nights, so extra sleepiness usually points to another cause.

The 2025 Journal of Pediatrics study followed 849 infants aged 3 to 18 months in the US and Canada for four weeks.

Researchers used auto-videosomnography, a computer-vision tool that reads crib camera footage, to compare total sleep time, night wakings, and parent crib visits on teething and non-teething nights.

More than half of the parents reported worse sleep during teething, yet the video data did not back that up.

That gap doesn’t mean parents imagined their rough nights, but it does show how quickly teeth become the explanation.

The researchers encouraged looking for other causes when sleep problems persist, which fits what I have found in my years of sleep work: most sleep problems don’t start at bedtime.

Daytime routines, developmental changes, and family schedules often play a part.

Teething can still bother some babies at night. A large prospective study in Pediatrics (2000) linked tooth emergence with increased wakefulness, so you may see more night wakings, trouble settling, shorter naps, or a need for extra soothing.

A baby who seems extra tired after a rough night is recovering lost sleep, not showing a bigger sleep need. Before linking any sleep change to teeth, it helps to confirm a tooth is on the way.

Signs Your Baby May Be Teething

Teething discomfort can begin as early as 3 months, according to the AAP, while the first teeth usually appear between 6 and 10 months.

The two bottom front teeth tend to arrive first, and our guide to baby gums before teeth erupt shows the gum changes to watch for.

In that 2000 Pediatrics study, symptoms were only significantly more common across an eight-day window: four days before a tooth broke through, the day it emerged, and three days after.

No single symptom showed up in more than 35% of teething infants, so many babies teethe with only one or two clues.

Common signs include:

• More drooling than usual
• Chewing on hands, toys, and other objects
• Swollen or tender gums
• Fussiness and a wish to be held more
• A rash around the mouth from drool
• Less interest in solid foods

The AAP states that teething does not cause fever, diarrhea, or excess crying, and Mayo Clinic notes that a slight temperature rise is possible but a true fever is not part of teething.

If your baby is throwing up, our article on whether teething causes vomiting explains why that symptom needs its own look.

The next question is whether teeth or development is behind the sleep change.

Sleep Regression or Teething? How to Tell the Difference

Teething sleep changes usually come with physical clues, such as drool, swollen gums, and chewing, and they cluster in the days around a tooth’s arrival.

A sleep regression tends to follow developmental changes, like rolling, crawling, or new awareness, and it can last longer without any visible tooth.

Cleveland Clinic describes sleep regressions as temporary dips that can coincide with growth spurts and developmental milestones, and it cautions against assuming every sleep problem is a regression.

A one- to two-week log of naps, night wakings, and any teething signs usually makes the pattern clearer.

If wakings bunch up around a tooth breaking through and then ease, teeth are a likely factor, and if they continue with no tooth in sight, compare your baby’s age and new skills with these common baby sleep regression stages.

What If Your Baby Seems More Sleepy During Teething?

Parent forums are full of stories about teething babies who took longer naps or went to bed early, and those experiences deserve a real answer.

So, do babies need more sleep when teething? Current research has not shown it, since the 2025 crib-camera study found no difference in total sleep time between teething and non-teething nights.

Do teething babies sleep more during the day? Some do, and one likely reason is catch-up sleep, where a baby who woke more often overnight naps longer or needs an earlier bedtime the next day.

The AAP also points out that babies put almost everything in their mouths during this stage, so they may pick up more germs and more colds.

A baby who seems unusually sleepy and also unwell needs a closer look, not a teething explanation.

I encourage parents to look for the reason behind the change rather than rushing to stop it. If a longer nap follows a rough night, let it happen while keeping wake-up and bedtime close to normal so the schedule doesn’t drift.

Once you understand what is driving the change, the next step is making nights more comfortable.

How to Help a Teething Baby Sleep

To help a teething baby sleep, keep your usual bedtime routine, offer a gentle gum massage or a chilled (not frozen) teething ring before bed, and give extra comfort without starting new sleep habits.

If your baby seems clearly uncomfortable, ask your pediatrician whether an infant pain reliever is appropriate.

• Keep the usual routine: Stick with your regular bedtime steps, because changing them for a few teething nights can create habits that outlast the tooth. In my experience, routines families can keep up long after the first few nights do more for sleep than any short-term change.
• Try a gum massage before bed: Mayo Clinic suggests rubbing your baby’s gums with a clean finger or wet gauze for about two minutes, and the AAP adds that light gum pressure can help settle a baby who wakes overnight.
• Offer something cool and firm: Mayo Clinic advises chilling teething rings or wet washcloths in the refrigerator, not the freezer, while the AAP allows a frozen damp washcloth but warns against anything frozen solid, so the fridge is the simpler choice. Pick solid rubber or silicone teethers, since liquid-filled toys can tear and leak.
• Comfort without new sleep habits: Extra cuddles are fine, but try not to start a brand-new habit, such as feeding to sleep, if it wasn’t already part of your routine.
• Keep the crib clear: Offer teethers during awake time and the bedtime wind-down, then leave them out of the crib. The AAP’s 2022 safe sleep recommendations call for placing babies under 12 months on their backs on a firm, flat surface that is free of soft objects, pillow-like toys, and loose bedding.
• Ask before giving medicine: If your teething baby won’t sleep and seems clearly uncomfortable, ask your pediatrician whether an infant pain reliever such as acetaminophen is right for your baby and how much to give. Mayo Clinic advises stopping infant pain relievers for teething after one to two days.

The AAP’s teething pain guidance and Mayo Clinic both advise skipping these products:

• Gels, rubs, or tablets with benzocaine or lidocaine, which have been linked to serious, sometimes fatal reactions
• Homeopathic teething tablets or gels, especially those containing belladonna
• Teething necklaces, bracelets, or anklets made of amber, wood, marble, or silicone, which pose choking and strangulation risks
• Liquid-filled teething toys that can break or leak

When Should You Call the Pediatrician?

Teething can usually be managed at home, but symptoms it doesn’t cause need their own explanation.

Call your baby’s pediatrician if you notice:

• A rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, and call right away for any fever in a baby younger than 3 months
• Diarrhea that lasts more than a day, or repeated vomiting
• Crying a lot or seeming far fussier than usual
• Trouble eating, drinking, or sleeping
• Sleeping much more than usual or being hard to wake
• Symptoms that get worse instead of better

Call 911 if your baby is limp, unresponsive, or struggling to breathe. If your baby swallows a teething gel, a medicine, or any product not meant for them, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

How Long Can Teething Affect Sleep?

Teething-related sleep changes tend to be brief, because symptoms gather in the days around each tooth’s arrival.

With 20 baby teeth to come in, and the American Dental Association listing the last molars between 23 and 33 months, those short windows can repeat well into toddlerhood.

If poor sleep stretches well past a tooth’s arrival, or continues with no tooth in sight, teething is unlikely to be the whole story.

That is a good point to revisit daytime routines, consider a possible regression, or check in with your pediatrician.

What Teething Means for Your Baby’s Sleep

So, do babies sleep more when teething? Current evidence says teething rarely adds sleep, and when a teething baby naps longer, catch-up rest after a broken night is a likely reason.

Teething symptoms gather in the days around each new tooth, while fever, diarrhea, or a baby who is hard to wake point to something else and call for your pediatrician.

Through each new tooth, a familiar routine, cool and firm comfort, and a clear crib give your baby the steadiest support.

Tonight, start a simple log of naps, night wakings, and teething signs, so you can see your baby’s real pattern instead of guessing.

This article is for general information and does not replace advice from your child’s pediatrician.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Hardest Stage of Teething?

Research hasn’t named one teething stage as hardest for every baby. Molars are the largest baby teeth, and the American Dental Association lists them arriving between 13 and 33 months, well past infancy.

Do Babies Get Clingy When Teething?

Some babies want more holding when their gums are sore, since irritability is a recognized teething symptom. Around 9 months, the CDC also lists clinginess around strangers as a typical milestone.

Why Is My Baby Suddenly Sleeping More?

A 2011 Sleep journal study of 23 infants found growth spurts in length followed bursts of extra sleep and naps. Some sleep bursts happened without a growth spurt, so growth is one possible reason.