Witching Hour: Why Evenings Feel So Hard With a New Baby

If your baby becomes fussy, unsettled, or difficult to soothe in the evening hours, you are not alone!

Many families experience what’s commonly called the witching hour, a predictable period of increased crying and restlessness that typically happens between late afternoon and bedtime during the first few months of life.

Despite how stressful it can feel, this phase is very common.

What’s Actually Happening?

We used to believe evening fussiness was mainly caused by gas, reflux, or hunger. While feeding challenges do exist, we now understand that most babies are experiencing neurological overstimulation.

Throughout the day, babies take in enormous amounts of sensory input including light, sound, movement, feeding, and interaction. By evening, their immature nervous systems can become overwhelmed, and crying becomes their way of releasing that overload.

Because of this, babies may seem hungry, but feeding alone often does not resolve the fussiness.

What Helps

Rather than trying to fix the crying, focus on helping your baby regulate.

Get outside.
Fresh air, natural light, and a change of scenery are incredibly calming for babies and parents alike.

Try babywearing outdoors.
Movement, closeness, and rhythmic motion often help babies finally settle and nap when nothing else works.

Lower evening expectations.
Early parenthood evenings are often about connection and survival, not productivity.

Reassurance

The witching hour is not a sign that something is wrong, that your baby is not getting enough milk, or that you are doing anything incorrectly.

It is a normal developmental stage, and it passes as babies mature neurologically over the first few months.

Until then, step outside, move your body, hold your baby close, and remember that this experience is shared by nearly every new parent. You are doing a great job!