The best way to get a gassy baby to sleep is by helping them release their gas. If one burping position doesn't work, try another position. If none of those options work, laying your baby on their back and bicycle their legs– they may cry and wiggle, but even that may help move the gas free.
At nighttime, there's less movement and the gas can build up and get trapped. Additionally, babies tend to feed close to bedtime, and air introduced during this feed can become trapped. Also, our digestive systems are still very active at night and the results of digestion can be… gas!
When a baby has trouble sleeping due to gassiness, it may be tempting to place them on their side or stomach to see if that helps their digestion. However, to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the best sleeping position for a gassy baby—and every baby—is on their back.
On the back. Place your baby on the back while moving their legs as if they were cycling. On the back is also the best sleeping position for a gassy baby (and the best and safest sleeping position for all infants until their first birthday).
Using a pacifier.
“Almost all babies will find some baby gas relief by sucking on a pacifier,” O'Connor says, because the sucking action releases endorphins that will soothe them.
Babies usually experience gas troubles almost right away, even after only a few weeks of life. Most infants grow out of it by around four to six months of age—but sometimes, it can last longer. Most infant gas is simply caused by swallowing air while feeding.
A gassy baby may have more burping or flatulence, or they may be screaming in pain from gas. They'll grow out of it as their immature system develops (usually around 4 to 6 months). In the meantime, to get rid of baby gas fast, reduce the amount of air your baby swallows before and during feedings.
Other things that can cause gas include normal baby stuff like crying, sucking on a pacifier or simply getting the hiccups. Anything that causes baby to swallow excess air can trigger gas.
Tummy time.
Placing a baby on their stomach while awake helps to relieve gas pains. By gently increasing the abdominal pressure, tummy time pushes gas bubbles up and out. Tummy time is also a great way to strengthen the head and neck muscles needed to reach early motor milestones.
Also, babies with colic may burp frequently or pass a significant amount of gas, but this is thought to be due to swallowing air while crying, and is not a cause of colic.
While the best sleep position for a gassy baby is still on their back, sometimes, gas pains make it harder for your little one to sleep. If this is the case, you may find that swaddling your baby before bedtime will keep them warm and comfortable during the night, as well as reduce any discomfort.
Excessive gas in babies is normally caused by air swallowing during feeding rather than a problem with the milk. You can prevent most excessive gas with effective burping.
Let the formula settle
Try using warm (but not hot) water, rather than cold or room temperature water, to help the formula dissolve more effectively and produce fewer bubbles.
SIDS is most common at 2-4 months of age when the cardiorespiratory system of all infants is in rapid transition and therefore unstable. So, all infants in this age range are at risk for dysfunction of neurological control of breathing.
Gripe Water is a gentle herbal supplement that offers relief to babies who suffer from gas, colic, hiccups, or general fussiness. Gripe water helps to settle the stomach by relieving gas buildup. Gripe water contains fennel, and ginger, which are historically known to ease nausea and discomfort caused by stomach gas.
But when your infant has painful gas, especially if it's frequent, it can cause your baby to cry or become fussy—until it's passed; unlike colic, which causes crying and fussiness that lasts for hours across days and weeks. Gas can have distinctive symptoms, too, such as a swollen-looking belly.
Colic is often defined by the “rule of three”: crying for more than three hours per day, for more than three days per week, and for longer than three weeks in an infant who is well-fed and otherwise healthy.
Gas discomfort from burps and farts typically peaks at six weeks and improves immensely by 3 months of age. At that point, even the fussiest babies tend to settle.
Gently massage your baby, pump their legs back and forth (like riding a bike) while they are on their back, or give their tummy time (watch them while they lie on their stomach). A warm bath can also help them get rid of extra gas.