Can't Figure Out Early Night Wakings

[M and N's Mom]

My DS is 7 months old and for the past week he has been waking after he goes to bed, sometimes at the 45 minute mark (first sleep cycle) and usually around 9 or 10:00 and he is absolutely screaming frantically!  He takes 30-60 minutes to settle down and there is almost nothing I can do to help so I end up sitting beside his crib with my hand on his chest and saying shhhh but just letting him cry.  He won't let me turn him on his side to pat his back.  I do pu/pd a few times but it doesn't seem to make a difference.  Once I finally get him back to sleep, he often sleeps through the rest of the night.

Here is our routine:

7:30 BF
8:30 Solids
10:30-11:30 Nap

11:30 BF
1:30 Solids
2:30-4:00 Nap

4:00 BF
6:30 BF
7:00 In bed...usually asleep by 7:30

Has a lovie, no props, no teeth, trying to crawl.

Any thoughts why this frantic screaming in the early night?  Thanks.

[Colin Macs Mom]

Could he be teething? Have you had any medical issues like reflux?

[M and N's Mom]

Thanks for your response 

I don't think he is teething, no white spots, no bumps, no drool, and in a fine mood during the day.

He does have reflux but he's always been a 'happy spitter' in that it never seems to bother him.  He's never been on meds.  Ironically, the spitting up has actually been less frequent for the past few days.

I have given him Gripe Water when he wakes (because I can't figure out what else to do), and that seems to help.  The only strange thing is, a couple of the times I have given him Gripe Water he has IMMEDIATELY turned onto his side to go back to sleep (so obviously the Gripe Water hadn't done anything to help yet).  Could Gripe Water be becoming a prop

I'd love to work toward solving these wakings...but I can't figure out what's causing them 

Thanks for any thoughts!

[Colin Macs Mom]

Hmmmm. Maybe he's just thirsty. You might try offering him a little bit of water (not gripe water) to see.

[M and N's Mom]

I think I'll try that, although last night I had given in and tried to BF him before the gripe water so if it was thirst, that should have done it. 
He is just learning to crawl, which I know disrupts sleep, but that doesn't explain the gripe water thing.

[Colin Macs Mom]

Yeah, I'm sure the crawling has something to do with it.. but who knows about that gripe water