The witching hour.
Intense evening crying that resists soothing, usually between 5pm and 11pm. It typically starts around 2 to 3 weeks, peaks near 6 weeks, and fades by 3 to 4 months. It is normal, it is temporary, and it is not caused by anything you did.
If you feel yourself reaching the end of your patience
It is always safe to put your baby down in a safe place and walk away for a few minutes. A baby crying alone in an empty crib, on their back, is safe. A baby being held by someone who has run out of coping is not.
Never shake a baby. Shaking can cause permanent brain injury or death in seconds. This is the central message of the Period of PURPLE Crying program from the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome: the crying is normal, it will pass, and stepping away to breathe is the right thing to do — not a failure.
If you are struggling, call someone. A partner, a friend, your pediatrician, or a parent helpline. Reaching this point does not make you a bad parent; it makes you a tired one.
What PURPLE stands
for.
Each letter describes a feature of normal infant crying. The point of the acronym is that all six are expected, and none of them mean something has gone wrong.
The timeline
| Age | What to expect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0–2 weeks | Usually quiet | Most newborns are sleepy in the early days. Evening fussiness has not started yet. |
| 2–3 weeks | It begins | Often coincides with the first growth spurt and the start of cluster feeding. |
| 6 weeks | The peak | Generally the hardest point. Crying is at its maximum and least responsive to soothing. |
| 2–3 months | Easing | Episodes get shorter and more predictable as self-regulation improves. |
| 3–4 months | Largely resolved | Most babies are through it. Persisting beyond this is worth mentioning to your pediatrician. |
What sometimes
helps.
- 1Motion — walking, rocking, a carrier, or a pram
- 2Consistent sound — white noise, a fan, or running water
- 3Skin-to-skin contact, which settles both of you
- 4A change of scene, including stepping outside
- 5Dimming lights and cutting stimulation early in the evening
- 6Offering a feed, even if it seems too soon
Nothing on this list works every time, and that is the defining feature of the phase rather than a sign you have missed something. Evening crying frequently overlaps with cluster feeding, so a baby may want to feed constantly and still be inconsolable.
Witching hour, colic, or something to check
The witching hour is shorter, milder evening fussiness. Colic is more intense and longer lasting, often described as crying for more than three hours a day, more than three days a week, for more than three weeks.
Either way, contact your pediatrician if crying comes with fever, vomiting, poor feeding, fewer wet diapers, unusual lethargy, or a cry that sounds different from usual. Any fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher in a baby under 3 months needs same-day advice.
Proof it's a phase, not your whole life.
When you are inside it, the witching hour feels permanent. A few weeks of logged evenings show the episodes getting shorter — which is the single most reassuring thing available at 7pm on week six.
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Common questions
What is the witching hour in babies?
The witching hour is a stretch of intense fussiness and crying, usually in the late afternoon or evening between roughly 5pm and 11pm, that resists the usual soothing. Despite the name it often runs for two to three hours. It is a normal developmental phase rather than a sign that anything is wrong.
When does the witching hour start and stop?
It typically begins around 2 to 3 weeks of age, peaks near 6 weeks, and fades by around 3 to 4 months as a baby's nervous system matures. The related Period of PURPLE Crying is generally described as starting around 2 weeks and ending around 3 to 5 months.
What is the Period of PURPLE Crying?
PURPLE is an acronym used to describe normal infant crying: Peak of crying, Unexpected, Resists soothing, Pain-like face, Long lasting, and Evening. It was developed by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome to help parents understand that a period of inconsolable crying is normal and time-limited, and that it is never a reason to shake a baby.
Is the witching hour the same as colic?
No. The witching hour is shorter and milder evening fussiness. Colic is more intense and longer lasting, and is often defined by crying for more than three hours a day, more than three days a week, for more than three weeks. If crying fits that pattern, or you are worried, speak to your pediatrician.
Why do babies get fussy in the evening?
There is no single agreed cause. Commonly cited factors include accumulated overstimulation across the day, an immature nervous system that is least able to self-regulate by evening, overtiredness from short or missed late naps, and natural variation in feeding. Evening cluster feeding often happens at the same time, which compounds it.
What can I do during the witching hour?
Approaches that commonly help include motion such as walking or rocking, white noise or other consistent sound, skin-to-skin contact, a change of environment such as stepping outside, dimming lights and reducing stimulation, and offering a feed. Nothing works every time, and a baby who resists soothing is not evidence that you are doing it wrong.
When should I call a doctor about crying?
Contact your pediatrician if crying is accompanied by fever, vomiting, poor feeding, fewer wet diapers, unusual lethargy or floppiness, or if the cry sounds different from usual — for example unusually high-pitched or weak. Any fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher in a baby under 3 months needs same-day medical advice.
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic — the Period of PURPLE Crying
Clinical explanation of the PURPLE acronym, its timeline, and the shaken baby safety message.
- Healthline — witching hour in babies
Timing, duration, and soothing approaches.