Question:
My 18-month-old daughter was sleeping through the night prior to her teeth erupting but she began waking in the middle of the night due to teething pain. Now that her teeth are in, I don’t know why she is still waking at night. Please help!!!

Answer:
A body is a funny thing. We are creatures of habit. If you wake at 3 a.m. for a few nights in a row and receive soothing and maybe even a nice warm bottle because that is the only thing that soothes that ‘ol achy tooth, then the mid night waking can be a hard habit to break even when that tooth isn’t so achy anymore. Rest assured, however, that going back to the old routine of sleeping soundly all night can be rediscovered again within a few days. Assure your child before bedtime (they understand MUCH more than we give them credit for!) by explaining to them how you will see them in the morning. Tell them daddy, mommy, brother, and sister are all in bed too and that we will see everyone in the morning when the sun comes up. Explain to them it’s okay to wake up but then to hug their bear really tight and go back to sleep. Tell them you won’t be coming into the room anymore until morning but that you still love them and will look forward to seeing their bright face again in the morning. Then, do your best to allow your child to soothe themselves back to sleep with no intervention if and when they wake in the middle of the night. The first night will be the hardest but by the third night most have easily gone back to their good old ways and welcome an uninterrupted full night’s rest.