What’s Witching Hour for Babies?
“Witching hour” may sound like a made up thing, but if you’re in the thick of newborn-land you may know it all too well. In the evening (usually around 5p.m, but possibly later/earlier) your baby becomes fussy, whiny, irritable, or just downright inconsolable. This fussy period may last an hour or even two or three, and all your efforts to feed, burp, change, etc. don’t make a difference in your baby’s mood.
This is known as the “witching hour”. It’s hard, it’s demoralizing, it’s exhausting, and it’s also extremely COMMON. Knowing that it’s common doesn’t necessarily help you get through it, but at least you can have some solace that you are not riding on the witching hour struggle bus alone.
What causes the witching hour?
There is not one definitive cause for what makes this happen, however there are some ideas about witching hour and tummy troubles. Babies have hunger cues, which are often taught in your standard newborn care class. One such hunger cue is the rooting to suck reflex. This is one cue parents are taught to look for when trying to determine when to feed their baby.
In this blog, the author discusses how babies don’t ONLY root to suck when they are hungry. The need to suck is soothing for babies, and it signals their digestive system to turn on. Parents may mistake this as a hunger cue and feed the baby more, which leads to what the author is calling “digestive overload”. The baby then feels uncomfortably full in the belly, et voila! You find your baby in full blown witching hour mode.
A lot of digestion happens later in the day, while serotonin is also higher which is produced in the gut.
Serotonin is thought to increase the contractions in the digestive tract and without melatonin (which newborns do not produce yet) to relax the gut, they experience the intestinal cramping making them more uncomfortable in the late evening hours.
This is why trying to get all of their burps out is so helpful!
Some research suggests that it is your baby’s way of “letting out steam” or getting out their extra energy from the day.
Witching hour or reflux?
The witching hour can look a lot like reflux. The baby may turn red, arch their back, and seem generally miserable. The difference between the two, is that the witching hour occurs in the late afternoon/evening, and reflux is commonly happening any time of the day, multiple times a day. Although, reflux can also be worse in the evening, after a full day of feedings.
Does witching hour happen every night?
The witching is known to be a daily occurrence for most babies. It first strikes when the baby is 2-3 weeks old, and peaks at 6 weeks old and then tapers off from there (ideally, especially as relaxing sleep hormones start to produce in their body— check out the day night confusion blog).. I know what you’re thinking- I can’t handle several weeks of this misery! Well, I am here to help you navigate this as best as you can!
How to survive witching hour?
Here’s a list of some things for you to try to help your baby through the witching hour. Remember, I am not your baby’s doctor, so always consult with your pediatrician for your baby’s health concerns.
Prevent overtiredness: newborns are very sensitive to becoming overly tired. They are usually only able to handle 45-60 min of awake time before 6 weeks of age which includes the time it takes to feed them. Hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, rise the longer we are awake, making it harder for babies to wind down once they have hit their limit. Watch for sleep cues, and try to stay on track with their naps, but it’s bound to happen so don’t beat yourself up if it does! If your baby is downright miserable by 10 pm every night try to nip it in the bud and put them down even earlier!
Get some fresh air: there is something magical about being outside, especially for a baby. Take your baby for a walk in the stroller or carrier, or just step out in your yard and let them take in the trees and sky. The different sights, sounds, smells, the feel of the wind, can all provide a calming effect on the baby and on you! It’s a great mental reset for you as well, and a chance to recenter yourself. Sunlight exposure in the morning and evening can also benefit your baby’s sleep overnight.
Movement: speaking of a carrier or stroller ride- movement is very calming for your baby! In the womb, your baby is rarely ever still. They are constantly being bounced, jostled, rocked and they still may crave that movement. You can sway with them, sit with them and bounce on a yoga ball, or try out that baby swing that’s taking up a huge chunk of your living room!
Limit external stimulation: it’s worth noting that your baby is so, so very new in this world. Although the womb is relatively loud, there really isn’t that much going on in there. They are not used to all the extra lights, beeps, people walking around, and dogs barking in the home. Take them to a quiet room, put on some LOUD white noise (to mimic the womb, it’s about 80 dB), dim the lights, and just hold or rock them. Bonus points if you wrap that baby up like a burrito in their swaddle!
Just add water: while you’re limiting external stimuli, consider taking a bath with your baby. Dim lighting, warm bath (about 100 degrees Fahrenheit is where they like it), and skin to skin time with mom or dad is just about the nicest thing you can do for you and your baby. There is a study about “kangaroo care” that states, “During skin to skin the body naturally releases stress-reducing hormones and as a result, baby’s vitals (i.e. temperature, breathing rate, heart rate) stabilize.” You can choose to use lavender essential oils in the bath for an even bigger impact. If your baby has been too fussy to eat during the witching hour, in the bath may be a great time to try again.
Cluster feeding: for breastfeeding dyads, the evening hours can be a difficult time for feeding in combination with the witching hour. Prolactin levels are lowest at the point in the day, and your baby may unlatch and latch over and over again. This is very normal, and just do your best to make it through with skin to skin and keeping yourself centered.
Infant massage can help to regulate your baby’s nervous system. There is a long list of benefits to baby massage such as improved digestion, improved weight gain and growth, longer sleep duration, and bonding with the parent. Follow your baby’s lead- if they are calm and receptive they are likely enjoying it! If they turn their head, continue crying, or stiffen their limbs in response, it may be best to try again another time.
Ask for help if it’s available to you. You and your baby are closely bonded and it can be even more difficult for you emotionally if you see your baby upset and nothing seems to calm them. Ask your partner or trusted friend/family member to take over for a while so you can clear your head. Rest up, take a shower, breathe, or whatever you feel you need at that moment. When you come back to your baby, hopefully you will feel refreshed and those mirror neurons will work their magic.
Stepping away is always an option. Place your baby in a safe place (crib, swing, etc), and just step away. You can collect yourself, and your baby will be fine for five minutes while you take a breath. You are not alone in this overwhelming feeling, it’s extremely common. I don’t know a single mother who has never had to step away for a minute or two to collect themselves.
Witching hour for toddlers
You may not have realized it, but toddlers can experience somewhat of a witching hour as well! At the end of the day, their little bodies have exerted so much energy in playing and exploring the world. They may not have the self awareness to think, “Oh man, what a day! I need to just sit down and recharge for a bit.” On the contrary! Those hormones, cortisol and adrenaline that I mentioned earlier? Oh yeah, they come into play here, giving your two-and-a-half year old a “second wind”. This makes them wired, and difficult to settle, in fact they may actively resist your efforts to settle them. Similar to a newborn, decreasing external stimulation, warm bath, and dim lighting can do wonders for your toddler.
Throw in some glow sticks with the bath and you’ve bought yourself at least 30 mins of quiet ;).
Hopefully this reaches you in time for the next round of the witching hour! Or even better, before your baby is even born so you’ll be armed with the knowledge of how to make it through.
