A baby who used to sleep happily all night and suddenly begins waking or having a hard time getting to sleep probably has a good reason for it. One of the most common disrupters of baby sleep is teething. The pain of teeth just about to break through the gums will make it hard for a baby to get to sleep and stay asleep. In addition, teething is often accompanied by congestion, making it hard for the baby to breathe easily and even harder to get to sleep. The only sure cure for teething is time; once the teeth break through, sleep should get easier again. But in the meantime, there are steps a parent can take to help a teething baby sleep. Diagnose teething as the problem. Most babies are teething on and off from as early as three months until after age two. But if your baby is drooling at night, leaving a wet spot under his head, pulling at his ears or jaw, or has visible bumps or redness in his gums, then teething is probably the culprit. Mild congestion and runny nose is probably related to teething, but if it's accompanied by a fever, then your baby may be sick and not just teething.

Use cold to help the pain. Chewing on a cold, wet washcloth or a frozen teething ring may numb your baby's gums enough to help her get to sleep. Some babies prefer something harder like a cold spoon. Try counter-pressure on the gum. Pressing your finger on the gum or giving your baby a pacifier or chew toy to take to bed can help relieve the pain by countering the pressure under the gum with matching pressure on the gum.pillow top mattress seattleUse a humidifier to relieve congestion. baby crib mattress babies r usAdding humidity to the air may make it easier for your congested baby to breathe and fall asleep.1 inch memory foam mattress topper twinConsult with your doctor before using any medicine on your baby. used mattress for sale in singapore

If your pediatrician approves, then one dose of baby tylenol at bedtime may be all your baby needs to get to sleep. You can also try home remedies like diluted clove oil on the gums or homeopathic medicine if you prefer.Elevate the baby's head if possible. ikea crib mattress coverThis will help relieve congestion. best mattress in canada for back painIf the height of your crib is adjustable, you can raise one end and lower the other to place your baby on an incline. You can also use a baby sleep positioner designed to elevate the baby's head or a crib wedge designed to raise one end of the crib mattress. Never use a pillow under your baby's head as this can be suffocation hazard.Follow your usual routine, but be flexible. Babies feel more secure in a familiar routine, so you should follow your usual bedtime routine when your little one is teething.

However, be aware that the methods that usually get your child to sleep might not work when she's in pain. Be prepared to use additional comforting methods if necessary. Some babies will fall asleep more easily while being breast fed or having a bottle; some will be soothed by being held and rocked to sleep. While your baby is in pain from teething is not the best time to sleep train her. Once her teeth have come in and she's no longer in pain, you can go back to your usual bedtime routine.Learn How to Put Your Baby to Sleep Safely If you just had a baby, are expecting, or are taking care of a young infant it's important to create a safe sleep environment for your baby. Because babies spend much of their time sleeping, the nursery should be the safest room in the house. Take a few moments to learn about safe sleep. Watch the 12-Minute Safe Sleep Video New Crib Standard: What You Need to Know With any crib, bassinet or play yard, follow a few simple rules to keep babies sleeping safely. 

• To prevent suffocation, never place pillows or thick quilts in a baby's sleep environment. • Make sure there are no gaps larger than two fingers between the sides of the crib and the mattress. • Proper assembly of cribs is paramount - Follow the instructions provided and make sure that every part is installed correctly. If you are not sure, call the manufacturer for assistance. • Do not use cribs older than 10 years or broken or modified cribs. Infants can strangle to death if their bodies pass through gaps between loose components or broken slats while their heads remain entrapped. • Set up play yards properly according to manufacturers' directions. Only use the mattress pad provided with the play yard; do not add extra padding. • Never place a crib near a window with blind, curtain cords or baby monitor cords; babies can strangle on cords. For more information please visit the Safe to Sleep® public education campaign led by The Eunice Kennedy  Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) of the National Institutes of  Health (NIH) and in collaboration with other organizations.

Nap mats, changing pads and crib mattress pads may be comfortable places for infants to rest, but some contain dangerous levels of a known carcinogen, a local watchdog group has found. The Center for Environmental Health in Oakland said Thursday it is taking legal action against major national retailers, including Toys R Us, Target and Walmart, to force them to stop selling foam products that contain levels of chlorinated Tris that exceed those permitted by California law. Chlorinated Tris was banned in 1977 from children’s pajamas and has been linked with gene mutations and hormone disruption. Last year, California added it to its list of carcinogens, meaning that products with a certain level of the chemical must carry a warning label. But a growing number of studies, including the Center for Environmental Health’s, show that chlorinated Tris and other flame retardants used to meet a unique state law haven’t disappeared from store shelves. Starting in late October, the center bought and tested about 25 products from Bay Area retailers and online sources.

By then, manufacturers were required to comply with the law to eliminate chlorinated Tris from their products or attach a warning label about the chemical’s presence. Yet the group reported finding 16 children’s products and four general-audience products with significant amounts of the chemical – and no warning labels. “You can say, ‘Maybe I’ll luck out and go to the store and get a product that doesn’t have this chemical in it,’ ” said Caroline Cox, the organization’s research director. “But on the other hand, we found enough products that do contain chlorinated Tris that we would like to get this problem taken care of. I don’t want anybody to have to worry when they need to go buy a crib mattress for their kids.” The products included a changing pad and a nap mat from Target, and a portable infant sleeper, a changing pad, an infant recliner, a bassinet pad and a crib wedge from Babies R Us. Target spokeswoman Jessica Deede said the company “is committed to abiding by state and federal laws and regulations, and we expect our vendors to do the same.”

She deferred questions about specific products to their manufacturers. Toys R Us, which owns Babies R Us, did not return requests for comment. The companies were among nine that last month received legal notices, the first step in a lawsuit, from the Center for Environmental Health. Chlorinated Tris can be ingested or inhaled, and children are especially vulnerable because they often put their hands in their mouths and their bodies are still developing, Cox said. The center’s findings echo a Duke University study in May 2011, the first to examine flame retardants in baby products. Eighty percent of car seats, changing pads and other items had toxic or unknown flame retardants, and one-third had chlorinated Tris, the researchers found. The center said the companies appeared to violate California’s consumer protection law, Proposition 65, which says a product’s amount of chlorinated Tris must not exceed the level that would cause 10 additional cancer cases per 1 million people exposed to the product.

But the high doses in the studied products were probably used to satisfy another state law, the only one of its kind in the nation, that requires foam in furniture and some children’s items to withstand a small open flame for 12 seconds. Since the law took effect in 1975, manufacturers have doused their products in inexpensive flame-retardant chemicals to stay competitive in California’s large market, experts say. Tobacco companies quietly pushed for flame-retardant furniture, rather than fire-safe cigarettes, to protect their business, the Chicago Tribune reported this year. But tests by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission and other labs indicate the chemicals don’t cut down on fire risks, but will burn and emit toxic gases and smoke that cause most fire deaths and injuries. Gov. Jerry Brown has asked state agencies to revise the 1975 law to reduce chemical use. Tips to avoid exposure to flame retardants — Wash your hands and your children’s hands often.

— Consider products with wool, organic cotton or polyester fiberfill instead of polyurethane foam. Source: Center for Environmental Health Products alleged to violate California law Retailers appear in parentheses. — Children’s Factory Indestructible Folding Rest Mat (Lakeshore Learning) — Lakeshore Rainbow rest mat (Lakeshore Learning) — Peerless Plastics KinderMat (School Specialty) — Munchkin Contour foam changing pad (Target) — Babies R Us contour changing pad (Babies R Us) — Dexbaby changing pad (Walmart) Baby mattresses and sleepers — Baby Delight Snuggle Nest portable infant sleeper (Babies R Us) — Nap Nanny portable infant recliner (Babies R Us) — Babies R Us bassinet pad (Babies R Us) — dexbaby universal crib wedge (Babies R Us) — Sweet Beginnings bassinet pad (Kmart/Delta) — Isotonic mattress topper (Bed Bath & Beyond) — Atelier ottoman (Bed Bath & Beyond) — Threshold ottoman (Target)