The Newborn Witching Hour: Why Your Baby Cries Every Evening (and How to Cope)

Every evening, right around dinnertime, our sweet, calm baby transformed into a tiny, inconsolable siren. Nothing was wrong — she'd been fed, changed, cuddled — and yet the crying came like clockwork. If your evenings look like this too, welcome to the witching hour: exhausting, alarming, and completely normal.

Here's what's actually happening during the newborn witching hour, when it starts and (blessedly) ends, and a toolkit of gentle ways to get through it with your baby — and your nerves — intact.

What is the witching hour?

The "witching hour" is a stretch of predictable evening fussiness in newborns, usually somewhere between 5 PM and 11 PM. Despite the name, it often lasts longer than an hour. Your baby may cry, cluster feed, refuse to settle, and seem generally miserable — even though nothing is obviously wrong. It's one of the most common (and least talked-about) parts of newborn life.

When does the witching hour start and end?

It typically begins around 2 to 3 weeks of age, peaks around 6 weeks, and gradually fades by about 3 to 4 months. So while it feels endless in the moment, it really is a temporary phase with a clear finish line. Circle "3 months" on your mental calendar and hold on.

Why does it happen?

There's no single cause — it's usually a pileup of very normal newborn things all landing at once in the evening:

• Overtiredness. By evening, small missed wake windows add up, and an overtired baby cries more and settles less.
• Overstimulation. After a whole day of lights, sounds, and faces, a newborn's immature nervous system is simply overwhelmed and needs to discharge it — often through crying.
• [Cluster feeding](/mamabee/articles/cluster-feeding). Evening is prime cluster-feeding time as babies tank up and build milk supply, which looks a lot like fussiness.
• A dip in milk supply. Breast milk supply is naturally a little lower in the evening, which can frustrate a hungry baby.
• Gas and digestion. A day's worth of feeding and swallowed air can mean an uncomfortable evening tummy.

The reassuring theme: none of this means you're doing anything wrong. It's developmental, not a reflection of your parenting.

How to cope with the witching hour

No single trick fixes it, but stacking a few soothing tools usually helps. Think of the "5 S's":

• Swaddle — a snug swaddle contains the startle reflex and calms many babies.
• Side/stomach hold (in your arms, never for sleep) — the "colic hold" along your forearm can ease a gassy tummy.
• Shush / white noise — steady sound mimics the womb and masks stimulation.
• Swing / sway — gentle rhythmic motion is deeply soothing.
• Suck — feeding or a pacifier can settle an overwhelmed baby.

Other things that genuinely help:

• Get ahead of overtiredness. Watch wake windows all day so your baby isn't running on empty by evening.
• Dim the lights early. Lower stimulation before the witching hour hits.
• Go outside or change rooms. A shift in environment (a walk, fresh air) can reset a crying spell.
• Tag-team. Hand the baby to a partner and take ten minutes. A calmer parent soothes a baby better.

It's okay to put the baby down and breathe

Here's permission you might need: if you've fed, changed, and tried everything, and the crying continues, it is completely okay to place your baby safely in their crib and step away for a few minutes to collect yourself. A crying-but-safe baby is fine for a short break, and a regulated parent is better for everyone. Never shake a baby out of frustration — walk away, breathe, and come back.

Witching hour vs. colic

The two overlap, so it helps to know the difference. The witching hour is predictable evening fussiness that soothing can often (partly) ease. Colic is more extreme — the classic definition is crying for more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 days a week, for 3+ weeks — often inconsolable and not just in the evening. Colic isn't caused by anything you did, and it too fades with time, but it's worth discussing with your pediatrician for support and reassurance.

When to call the doctor

Evening fussiness is normal, but call your pediatrician if the crying comes with: a fever, vomiting, poor feeding, too few wet diapers, a change in the *sound* of the cry (very high-pitched or weak), or if your gut simply tells you something is wrong. You know your baby.

You are not alone in this

If nobody warned you about the witching hour, you are not the only one — it is one of the least-discussed parts of early parenthood, which can make it feel isolating at 7 PM with a screaming baby. Please know that countless parents are pacing the same evening floors, bouncing the same inconsolable baby, wondering the same thing: what am I doing wrong? The answer is nothing. This is simply what many newborns do for a few weeks, and reaching out to other parents, a support group, or your pediatrician for reassurance is a sign of strength, not failure.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the newborn witching hour last each night?

Often 2 to 3 hours in the evening, though it varies. As a phase, it usually starts around 2–3 weeks, peaks near 6 weeks, and fades by 3–4 months.

Is the witching hour a sign something is wrong?

Usually not — it's a normal developmental phase driven by overtiredness, overstimulation, and cluster feeding. It becomes worth a doctor's call only if paired with fever, feeding problems, or other warning signs.

How do I soothe my baby during the witching hour?

Stack soothing tools: swaddle, white noise, gentle motion, feeding or a pacifier, dim lights, and fresh air. Getting ahead of overtiredness during the day helps the most.

The takeaway

The witching hour is one of newborn life's great unspoken challenges — hours of evening crying with no obvious cause. But it's normal, it's temporary, and it's not your fault. Stack your soothing tools, protect daytime sleep, tag-team with your partner, and give yourself permission to take a breather. By around three months, those wild evenings quietly disappear — and you'll have earned every peaceful one that follows.

*This article is general information, not medical advice. Contact your pediatrician with concerns about your baby's crying or health.*