Witching Hour
What is It? Why Does it Happen? & How to Manage It …
What is It?
Witching Hour is a time in the evening, generally between 5 - 11 p.m., where a baby is much fussier than normal—and despite the name it usually lasts much longer than an hour (and feels even longer again). It mostly affects newborns, and usually begins between week 2 or 3, peaks around week 6, and then comes to an end around the 3 - 4 month mark.
It's an exhausting and difficult stage for parents, but with some helpful tips (keep reading below!) witching hour can be a little less dreadful.
Why Does it Happen and How to Manage It?
There are three main reasons why witching hour happens at this time of day:
Your baby may be tired
Overtired babies have a harder time falling asleep and staying asleep. It can be hard enough to get your little one down on the best of days, but when they’re overtired it’s even trickier. Overtired babies are harder to settle and then they often wake more throughout their night. This causes them to be even more tired and the cycle continues. Knowing your baby’s sleep needs and adjusting their wake windows is important when trying to short-circuit this cycle. For some helpful hints on managing an overtired baby, click here (overtired blog).
Your baby may be overstimulated.
New sounds, visitors and new people, and new sights and environments can lead to an overstimulated baby and sometimes it’s all too much for your little one.
Try to reduce stimulation: this includes dining the lights, going into a dark & quiet room. Additionally, a warm bath can really help to calm your baby. Try either a full bath or turn the faucet on and run the top of their head under the warm water.
Your baby may be hungry
If your baby is hungry, they’re naturally going to be fussy and unable to settle so I recommend cluster feeding. Even if you have just fed, try again.
What Else Can you Do?
Sometimes the best thing to do (for both you and your baby) is to take a deep breath and go outside in the fresh air with your baby in your arms/carrier/stroller. Getting out of your house will help to improve your mood, reduce your stress and frustrations, and help you both feel more relaxed.
Remember, the witching hour will not last forever. Recruit help from family members when you need it and follow the tips above to manage it as best you can. You’re doing great!