Take a look at your baby’s daily routine and see if they are getting enough daytime sleep.Īdequate naps are an important part of your new baby’s routine and trying to ensure your baby reaches the end of the day having had enough sleep, will go a long way to avoiding overtiredness. The good news is that as with many baby issues, baby’s witching hour is a passing phase. If your little one is suffering from the witching hour, there are some things you can try to ease the impact of this unsettling phenomenon.īUT whatever happens, just go with the flow. Young babies ideally need to wind down and have a quiet end to their day in order for them to settle nicely. You will also be busier at the end of the day by dealing with the needs of your family and, as a result, your baby will not be happy about not having your undivided attention at a time when they need it most (trigger a witching hour!) Many households get busier at the end of the day with older siblings and partners coming home, which can result in… When your baby goes through a growth spurt they can become grumpier and fussier than usual due to the fact they are more tired. Some say that colic and the witching hour are one and the same thing…Ĭolic is a completely separate condition that requires definitive treatment and needs to be diagnosed by a paediatrician. This does not necessarily have to be colic or reflux… Young babies have immature digestive systems and they can be more prone to gas and stomach discomfort at the end of the day. So although your baby may be feeding for the usual time they may not be getting the same volume of milk from the late afternoon and early evening feeds as they were earlier in the day. This can cause your baby to be restless at night and trigger a witching hour episode. Hungerīreastfed babies are more likely to suffer from being hungry at the end of the day due to the fact that…īreast milk has a tendency to slow down in production and volume at the end of the day. If your baby is suffering from overstimulation they will feel overwhelmed and their little brains will just not be able to cope so they will find it much harder to settle. OverstimulationĪlong with tiredness, overstimulation can also impact hugely on your baby’s ability to settle. Newborn witching hours are more often than not… triggered by baby being overtired. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but an overtired baby will feel miserable and will require some persuasion to settle. If your baby has not had enough daytime sleep then, by the end of the day, they will be absolutely exhausted. Overtired babies are prone to fussiness and an inability to settle. Most babies will have grown out of their witching hour phase by 4 months old.Īnd it will be a welcome relief for you both!īut if you’re little one is still struggling to settle at night beyond 4 months, you may need to visit a medical professional to rule out anything more serious. So what causes the witching hour and how can we try and avoid it? When Do Babies Grow Out Of The Witching Hour? This is a long time to have to deal with a fussy and crying baby at the end of a long and tiring day, especially when you are hoping to have some peace and downtime to recharge those parenting batteries. It can last for a couple of hours or longer and can escalate from grizzling and fussing to full-blown screaming. The witching hour can occur any time from 3 weeks of age, peaking at around 6 weeks and usually fading by 2-3 months of age.īut during this time, baby’s witching hour can happen any day between 5pm and 11pm. Then you’re experiencing baby’s witching hour! If your normally happy and content baby starts to get grizzly and difficult to settle in the late afternoon to early evening… So what is baby’s witching hour and is it really a thing?
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