7 Month Old Wakeful During the Night

Was he sleeping through the night before, is this new? At 7 months, many babies can't yet sleep through the night. If he used to sleep thru before, you can try letting him cry a little to see if he can settle himself. He probably got used to you going in to help him fall back asleep. If you let him cry for a bit (5-10 mins), he will learn to go back to sleep himself. Also, how does he fall asleep in the first place? If it's with your help, he is more likely to need your help falling back asleep during the night. All babies/and adults wake up a few times at night, but we all learn to fall back asleep on our own.

Most pain meds only last about 4 hours, so it might be some teething pain.

More likely is that he has just reached another developmental milestone - sort of the realization that you are around somewhere but he can't see you (moving on from the out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality younger babies have). Just the slight comfort of knowing you're there might be all he needs.
Kids go in and out of the night waking & needing reassurance several times before they enter school (usually by 3, I think, depending on the child). From my own experience, it's best to give them the reassurance (yes, that means you lose out on some sleep, ugh) when they need it. They do eventually grow out of it, but it's a long-term process.

very normal for this age. i've found this age more challenging than when they are newborns. they are learning more things and harder to get to sleep and stay asleep. it sounds like he's doing awesome if he's only awake for ten minutes or so. it kind of is the new normal from now on with phases of getting better then worse again...they learn so many new things it messes with their sleeping now.

D....I am SO there with you! We have tried everything. My 8 month old started sleeping through the night at probably 8 weeks. We moved him from our room to his when he was 5 months old, and ever since he has not slept great. Every night he is so tired he falls asleep nursing, and then I lay him down, and sure enough he will wake up at least once if not twice before we go to bed. Then, most nights, he wakes up screaming in the middle of the night. It used to be we could give him a paci and rub his head and he'd fall asleep, but lately he will cry for 1-2 hours. Everytime you pick him up he falls asleep, but then a few minutes later he is crying again.

With both of my kids I read Baby Wise. I don't follow it to a "T" but I do follow the schedule and routine which I think is importnant. The problem though is that I work and I don't think he is in as good of a routine while at daycare. Last night he was exhausted and woke up twice before my husband and I had gone to bed, so we let him cry it out. He cried for 20 minutes both times but then slept through the night. That is the most I have ever let him cry. The second time he got Tylenol since I don't know if it is teething that is waking him up or not. I know he isn't hungry because whenever I nurse him he falls asleep the second he starts to eat.

I have also read that they start to do this at this age, so know that you aren't alone, though that doesn't really help when you are so tired.

I guess I really don't have an "answer" for you but thought I'd let you know what I tried, and that you aren't alone. Good luck!