Quick answer: The witching hour (typically 5pm–11pm) is a period of intense, hard-to-soothe crying in the evening that affects most babies in the first 3–4 months. It’s driven by biology — cortisol peaks, low milk supply, and sensory overload converging at the end of the day.
Why the evening is hardest
Several physiological factors converge in the evening. Cortisol levels in newborns peak naturally at 5–7pm, producing a state of heightened arousal that makes settling significantly harder. Breastfeeding mothers’ milk supply is typically at its daily low in the evening — morning milk is higher volume, evening milk is lower. The baby has absorbed a full day of sensory stimulation and their tolerance is at its limit. And the adults are at their most depleted, which babies detect. The witching hour is predictable, universal across cultures, and not caused by anything the parent is doing wrong.
The cluster feeding connection
The witching hour often coincides with and overlaps cluster feeding — the baby feeding repeatedly in the evening for 2–4 hours. This is partly the baby’s response to lower milk supply in the evening (feeding frequently to boost supply and get enough calories), and partly a comfort behaviour. The two phenomena reinforce each other and together produce the exhausting evening gauntlet of most early parenting. Understanding that this is a biological programme, not a baby in distress or a supply failure, helps parents endure it more effectively.
What actually helps
The five S’s applied together and with intensity (Harvey Karp): Swaddle, Side/Stomach hold, Shushing (loud continuous white noise — louder than parents usually try), Swinging (rapid small-amplitude jiggling, not slow rocking), Sucking (breast, bottle, or pacifier). The key is combination and intensity matching the baby’s distress level. A half-hearted attempt doesn’t work — if the baby is at a 9 out of 10, the intervention needs to be at a 9 out of 10. A baby carrier worn through the witching hours contains the baby, frees the parent’s hands, and provides the motion and contact that settles most babies. Passing the baby between parents is valuable — a calm, fresh pair of arms is more effective than exhausted ones.
When it ends
The witching hour peaks at 6 weeks and resolves significantly by 3 months for most babies. By 3–4 months, the neurological maturation that improves self-regulation, the establishment of a stable circadian rhythm, and the improvement in feeding efficiency combine to make the evenings dramatically more manageable. If you are currently in the 2–6 week peak: the arc is heading downward. It is temporary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the witching hour the same as colic?
They overlap. Colic is defined clinically by the ‘rule of threes’ (crying more than 3 hours daily, more than 3 days per week, for more than 3 weeks). The witching hour is the evening clustering pattern that almost all babies show. Most colicky babies have a severe witching hour as a major component; many witching-hour babies don’t meet the clinical definition of colic. The distinction matters mainly for severity — management is similar.
My partner comes home during the witching hour and the baby calms down — why?
A fresh, calm caregiver breaks the stress feedback loop. By 5–6pm, the primary caregiver is tired, stressed, and possibly slightly cortisol-elevated — babies are extremely sensitive to parental state. A partner arriving home is in a neurologically different state and the baby senses this. It’s not personal. It doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. Tag out whenever possible.
Does formula feeding help with the witching hour?
Not consistently — formula-fed babies have witching hours too. The phenomena are neurological, not nutritional. Supplementing in the evening with formula when breastfeeding is not evidence-based for reducing witching hour duration and may reduce breast milk supply by reducing evening demand.
Related Reading
- Colic in babies: what it is, what helps and what doesn’t
- Newborn crying: decoding the 5 different cries
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