There are several theories about why the witching hour occurs, including exhaustion from a full day of stimulation, hunger, overstimulation, and a natural increase in colic during this time. It’s not unusual for it to begin earlier or later, depending on your baby’s age, temperament, and feeding schedule.įor many families, the witching hour coincides with partners coming home from work, older children needing help with homework or evening activities, cooking and eating dinner, and trying to wind down for the day, … all while your baby is crying. The exact timing for witching hour can vary from baby to baby (and from day to day), but it typically starts around 5 pm and can last for several hours, often ending at 11 pm or midnight. but you might find that your baby also has a time during the late evening (7 pm to 11 pm or so - the “witching hour”) where she’s just kind of off.” Luke Voytas-a practicing pediatrician (and father of two young kids), writes, “Most babies start to cry more after two weeks, and not just when they are hungry or need to be changed. In his book Beyond the Checkup from Birth to Age Four: A Pediatrician’s Guide to Calm, Confident Parenting, Dr. It can be a frustrating and exhausting experience for parents, particularly if you don’t know what’s causing it. That said, babies can become extremely fussy and inconsolable during the “witching hour.” This period of fussiness can start in the late afternoon and can extend all the way through the evening meal to bedtime.ĭuring this time, your little one may cry, fuss, and refuse to sleep, despite your best efforts. But more often than not, babies are crying to communicate their needs - whether they’re hungry, need soothing, or are uncomfortable because of a soiled diaper. You already know that babies cry (sometimes a lot!). Rebekah Diamond, MD, pediatrician and author of Parent Like a Pediatrician, “When people talk about a ‘witching hour,’ they usually are referring to a period during the day where babies are especially fussy and difficult to console. ![]() What is the witching hour for babies?Īccording to Dr. While witching hour can be a frustrating and exhausting experience for many parents, understanding what it is, why and how it happens, and what you can do about it can help you manage the worst of witching hour chaos. ![]() This fussiness tends to coincide with a busy time of day for many families, with older kids home from school, mealtime, and the baby all competing for attention, right when parents are typically feeling tired and frazzled after a long day. “Witching hour” is often used in parenting circles to refer to a late-afternoon-to-evening period of peak fussiness for babies. But the reality might be even scarier □. For those not well-versed in the lingo of new parenthood yet, “witching hour” might sound like a fun Halloween tradition or a scary movie marathon.
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