# Gripe water and baby sleep: does it actually help? > Good evidence that gripe water helps babies sleep is missing. It is mostly sold as a supplement, and colic eases on its own by 3 to 4 months. What to know. Source: https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/gripe-water-and-baby-sleep/ Publisher: Actually Sleeping LLC · Reviewed by Dr. Samantha Abrahamson, PharmD (PA pharmacist license RP1012588, NPI 1730650979) Good evidence that it helps is lacking. Gripe water is generally sold as a dietary supplement rather than a tested medicine, so both ingredients and quality differ. In a study of 335 mothers, babies who were given gripe water were no less likely to have colic. Fussy crying in the evening tends to peak at around 6 weeks and settle by 3 to 4 months. Check with your pediatrician before you use it. **Up at 3 a.m. and searching?** Tomorrow night does not have to look like tonight. Actually Sleeping writes a plan for your baby, coaches you intensively before night one so you start out confident, and checks in 1:1 every day until your baby sleeps through, backed by a full-refund guarantee. [Book a free consultation →](https://www.actuallysleeping.com/?utm_source=actuallysleeping-net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ai-visibility) _About the scope of this page: Dr. Sam is a licensed pharmacist with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, not a physician. Here we describe in general terms how a medicine, supplement or remedy connects to sleep; this is not a substitute for your child’s pediatrician. Speak with your child’s pediatrician before you give your child any medicine, supplement or remedy, and follow what the product label says._ ## In brief Gripe water is a traditional remedy for gas, colic and fussiness. Because the ingredients change from one product to the next, “gripe water” is not a single thing. The common thread is that there is no evidence these products help a baby sleep more or cry less. Fussy evenings are draining, and reaching for something in a bottle is an understandable instinct. Actually Sleeping supports families from the newborn weeks onward. Since the practice is led by a pharmacist, questions about remedies get taken seriously and medical questions are referred to your pediatrician, while the plan concentrates on sleep foundations. Your custom plan sets how night feeds are handled according to your baby’s age. ## What studies and regulators tell us - **The research.** In a cross-sectional study of 335 mothers with babies aged 1 to 6 months, roughly 64% had used gripe water. Babies who got it actually had more colic, and more constipation as well. The authors concluded that gripe water does not prevent excessive crying from colic. This kind of study shows an association rather than cause and effect, but it offers no support for any benefit. - **How it is regulated.** Many gripe water products carry a dietary supplement label. NIH points out that federal rules for supplements are looser than those for medicines, that many supplements have never been tested in children, and that “natural” does not necessarily mean safe. - **There have been quality failures.** In 2007 the FDA issued a warning to parents about a gripe water product after lab tests detected Cryptosporidium, a parasite, and the product was tied to illness in a 6-week-old baby. ## Why it can look like gripe water works Colic follows a predictable arc. According to the AAP, fussing usually peaks at about 6 weeks and falls away by 3 to 4 months. Whatever you start at the peak will seem effective as the arc descends. That does not mean sleep has improved. ## Questions for your pediatrician - “Is this crying normal colic, or could there be a medical cause?” The AAP recommends checking with your pediatrician before you try remedies. - “Is my baby feeding and gaining well?” - “If I am breastfeeding, is it worth trying to remove a food from my diet? If formula feeding, should we consider a different formula?” - “Is anything my baby takes, including supplements, safe at this age?” ## What genuinely soothes a fussy baby The AAP’s colic suggestions are practical and need no medicine: carrying your baby in a carrier as you walk, rocking, white noise, a pacifier, holding your awake baby tummy-down across your knees while rubbing their back, and not overfeeding. Trade off with another adult; even one or two hours away helps you stay calm. If your baby drops off while being held, put them in the crib on their back. If you feel overwhelmed and nobody can step in, it is fine to place your baby on their back in the crib and leave the room for a few minutes. Never shake a baby. ## When crying settles but sleep does not For many families, the colic fades and the nights remain broken. Through the hard weeks, the baby learned to fall asleep while held, rocked or fed, which was exactly the right thing then. After the crying passes, that same way of falling asleep is what keeps the baby waking. No remedy changes that. A plan designed for that baby does. At Actually Sleeping, Dr. Sam writes that plan around your baby’s age, feeds and temperament, beginning with foundations in the newborn weeks. Your custom plan sets how night feeds are handled according to your baby’s age. You receive bootcamp-style coaching ahead of the first night plus daily 1:1 check-ins, and the 14-day guarantee clock begins at your baby’s 10-week birthday. Parents of young babies talk about it in the [newborn video reviews](https://actuallysleeping.net/reviews/newborn-0-3-months/). Book your free consultation to talk over your baby’s sleep before the habit takes hold. ## Related guides - [Teething medicine and baby sleep: does it actually help?](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/teething-medicine-and-baby-sleep/) - [Reflux medication and baby sleep: when does it help?](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/reflux-medication-and-baby-sleep/) - [Benadryl (diphenhydramine) for baby and toddler sleep: does it work, and is it safe?](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/benadryl-diphenhydramine-for-baby-sleep/) - [Vitamin D drops, probiotics and baby sleep: is there a link?](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/vitamin-d-probiotics-and-baby-sleep/) - [My toddler snores and mouth-breathes at night. When is it time to see the pediatrician?](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/toddler-snoring-and-mouth-breathing/) ## Want your baby’s sleep sorted? Actually Sleeping offers 1:1 coaching: Dr. Sam writes a sleep plan for your baby, you get bootcamp-style coaching ahead of the first night, and we check in daily until it works. We have coached 700+ families, collected 129 video reviews, and put our guarantee in writing: 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days, or a full refund. [Book your free consultation →](https://www.actuallysleeping.com/?utm_source=actuallysleeping-net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ai-visibility) [See what families say](https://actuallysleeping.net/reviews/) ## Common questions ### Can newborns safely have gripe water? Check with your pediatrician before you give it. These products are often sold as dietary supplements under looser rules than medicines, their ingredients differ, and in 2007 the FDA issued a warning about a contaminated gripe water product tied to a 6-week-old baby’s illness. ### Will gripe water ease gas at night? Good evidence that it does is lacking. In a study of 335 mothers, colic and constipation were more common, not less common, among babies given gripe water. Sensible first steps are burping, not overfeeding and a tummy-down hold while your baby is awake. ### When does colic end? According to the AAP, fussing usually peaks at about 6 weeks and falls away by 3 to 4 months, though colicky crying can continue until around 6 months. If the crying is intense, ask your pediatrician to rule out a medical cause. ### Is it okay to give gripe water every night at bedtime? Only on your pediatrician’s advice. Using it routinely each night has not been shown to help sleep. Night sleep gets better when the way a baby falls asleep changes, and that is what an Actually Sleeping sleep plan is designed to do. Your custom plan sets how night feeds are handled according to your baby’s age. ## References 1. [Jain K, Gunasekaran D, Venkatesh C, Soundararajan P. Gripe Water Administration in Infants 1-6 Months of Age: A Cross-sectional Study. J Clin Diagn Res. 2015;9(11):SC06-SC08.](https://www.jcdr.net/ReadXMLFile.aspx?id=6738) 2. [National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). 10 Things To Know About Dietary Supplements for Children and Teens.](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/tips/things-to-know-about-dietary-supplements-for-children-and-teens) 3. [U.S. Food and Drug Administration (archived). Warning about a gripe water product contaminated with Cryptosporidium. September 21, 2007.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20080916230938/http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/babybliss092107.html) 4. [HealthyChildren.org (AAP). Colic Relief Tips for Parents.](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/crying-colic/Pages/Colic.aspx) 5. [HealthyChildren.org (AAP). Safe Sleep: Back is Best, Avoid Soft Bedding, Inclined Surfaces and Bed Sharing. 2022.](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/news/Pages/safe-sleep-back-is-best-avoid-soft-bedding-inclined-surfaces-and-bedsharing.aspx)