In plain words
The witching hour is an informal name for a stretch of fussy, hard-to-soothe crying that many babies have, usually in the late afternoon or evening. It often starts around two to three weeks of age and peaks near six weeks. It usually eases by about three months. Doctors do not use the term as a diagnosis. The crying is normal, even when it is hard to hear. Feeding, holding, and a calm space can help some babies settle. If the crying is high-pitched, comes with fever, poor feeding, or vomiting, call your pediatrician today.
The deeper version
Late-day crying clusters in infants are the core of what clinicians call normal crying patterns. Brazelton (1962) described a at about six weeks, and Wessel and colleagues (1954) defined paroxysmal fussing in infants, the framework later applied to . The term witching hour is a lay description, not a clinical category, and it overlaps with the broader concept of unexplained infant crying. Evidence on interventions is mixed, and no single approach is supported across studies. Clinicians screen for feeding problems, infection, and other causes when crying is unusual in quality, duration, or accompanying symptoms.
Where it comes up
- Crying, colic, and the witching hourBaby Basics
- Soothing a newbornBaby Basics
- Fussy weeks and developmental changesBaby Basics
- BabywearingBaby Basics
What mothers here say about witching hour
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Sources
- Brazelton TB — Crying in infancy. Pediatrics 1962
- Wessel MA et al. — Paroxysmal fussing in infancy, sometimes called colic. Pediatrics 1954