5 week old trouble getting to sleep *Only at Night* Reflux question also

[LineUponLine]

My 5 week old has been consistently having trouble getting to sleep at night. Our routine is to change her diaper, then clothes, sometimes wrap her up depending on her mood, and we co-sleep (bedshare with side-carred crib) and we lay down and I feed her. But lately she has been very hard to settle. She cries for up to 2 hours sometimes. She will pause every now and then for a minute or so and then start right back up. I finally gave in and we tried Gripe Water b/c I knew that gas was a problem I guess...maybe it helped. Seems she doesn't cry for as long once we give it to her, but I guess she may have stopped at the same time reguardless. During this crying time DH and I take turns, swaddle-unswaddle, pacifier-none, at the breast-not, holding her up, down, on her side, on her belly, patting her rubbing her, bicicling her legs trying to help gas. Nothing work. Then finally its like she just decides to go to sleep. Tonight at 7:10 I realized she had been a little extra fussy for a little bit and decided to try to get her to sleep. (we had a theory that she was getting overtired) Well, I got her ready and she fell asleep easy...for 2 minutes. She was right back up. Less fussy that other days but still took until almost 9 to get her alseep. Oh and she sleeps fine during the day, and through the night she wake to eat and we go back to sleep. i do hear her all nigh waking for a few moments and fidgiting and going back to sleep, sometimes passing gas.

So what can I do? What could be the problem?

Oh and I am concerned with some of her crying and other habits surrounding eating that she may have reflux can you tell me what some of the signs of that are or any way to know if that is for sure am issue?

Thanks so much!

[lfpalmer]

Yes, reflux or other food-related issue is worth considering, especially if you think there’s a gas problem. This would be my first guess. We need to decide why she can sleep well by day. Is she, by chance, more upright? Such as sleeping in a carseat, swing, or carrier? Is there some potentially irritating food that you regularly eat in the later afternoon or evening that you wouldn’t have earlier in the day? I suppose you’ve tried a later bedtime? Do you (or her) take any meds such as an antihistamine, antacid, or anything else? Think very hard about differences between her nap environment and her night sleep environment. I’ve seen instances where a baby was irritated by mom’s fragrant night moisturizer or a neighbor’s barking dog.

Other signs that she’s reacting to some food(s) in your diet are rashes, watery stools, green stools, explosive stools, traces of blood or black in the stools, coughing, or spitting up.

Edited by lfpalmer - 9/4/11 at 10:27am