The Witching Hour: Evening Fussiness in the Newborn Weeks

What it is

• The "witching hour" is a stretch of fussing and crying most evenings, often somewhere between about 5 and 11 p.m. It can last an hour or several, even when the baby is calm the rest of the day.
• It often shows up at 2-3 weeks, is usually worst around 6 weeks, and eases by about 3-4 months.
• It's normal and common. It isn't caused by anything the parents did, and it doesn't mean the baby is in pain or that the milk is wrong.
• It isn't the same as colic. Colic is crying more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 days a week, for 3 weeks or more. The colic guide covers that, the 5 S's and coping with long crying spells.

Why evenings are hardest

• Nobody knows the exact cause. A young baby's nervous system is still learning to settle, and by evening the day's noise, light and handling have added up.
• Overtiredness: a late-afternoon nap that was short or skipped makes the evening harder.
• Cluster feeding: many babies want to feed every 30-60 minutes in the evening, often before a longer stretch of sleep. That's expected and builds breast milk supply. It doesn't mean there isn't enough milk.
• Swallowed air or gas from fast, fussy feeds.

What helps

• Get ahead of it: protect a late-afternoon nap, and dim the lights and lower the noise from about 5 p.m.
• Feed on cue and let cluster feeding happen. With bottles, pace the feed, burp often, and offer a little more only if the baby still seems hungry.
• Hold the baby close: skin-to-skin, a carrier, or slow rocking.
• Steady white noise or shushing, and gentle rhythmic motion. A walk outside or a warm bath can reset a spiraling evening.
• Plan the evening around it: make dinner earlier or the day before, and take turns with a partner in 30-60 minute shifts so each adult gets a real break.
• Some evenings nothing works. Holding a crying baby in a calm, dim room still counts.

Keep everyone safe

• If you're losing your cool, put the baby on their back in the crib, step away for 10 minutes and call someone. Never shake a baby.

When it's more than the witching hour

Call the pediatrician if the crying is nonstop for more than 2 hours, the cry sounds different (high-pitched or weak), there's any fever (100.4°F / 38°C or higher) under 12 weeks, or the baby is feeding poorly, vomiting or has fewer wet diapers. The colic guide has the full list.