Baby Witching Hour: Why It Happens & How to Survive It

If you’re a parent, you’ve likely experienced it: that dreaded stretch between 5 p.m. and bedtime where your once-chill baby turns into a completely different creature. Fussiness, crying, refusal to nap, constant feeding—cue the meltdown.

Welcome to the witching hour. You’re not imagining it, and no, your baby isn’t broken. In fact, this is one of the most common (and exhausting) phases of infant life—and with a little understanding and strategy, it doesn’t have to wreck your evenings.

Witching Hour: What Is It, Really?

Witching hour refers to a period, usually in the late afternoon or early evening (typically 5–7 p.m.), when babies become unusually fussy or inconsolable. It often starts around 3–6 weeks old and can last until 3–4 months of age—but toddlers and even older kids can show signs of their own version of it, especially when overtired or overstimulated.

Some babies cry non-stop. Others refuse to sleep. Many want to feed constantly. And for many parents, it’s the hardest part of the day—because you’re also tired, hungry, and running on fumes from whatever chaos unfolded earlier.

Witching Hour: Why Does It Happen?

There’s no single cause of witching hour, but several things tend to come together at once, making this time of day especially tough for babies:

1. Overstimulation: Babies spend the day taking in everything. Sights, sounds, smells, lights, textures, faces—it’s a lot. By the end of the day, their nervous systems are tapped out. Even older babies and toddlers can be overstimulated by a busy day of errands, screens, or just life with siblings.

2. Overtiredness: If naps were short, skipped, or inconsistent, your baby may be heading into the evening running on empty. When babies get overtired, cortisol (a stress hormone) kicks in, making it harder to fall asleep—even if they’re exhausted.

3. Hunger or Cluster Feeding: Some babies will “cluster feed” in the evenings—feeding more frequently in short bursts to tank up before a longer stretch of night sleep. For breastfeeding parents, milk supply can dip slightly at the end of the day, so babies may nurse longer or more often.

4. Developmental Changes: Growth spurts, leaps, and sleep regressions can all intensify witching hour behavior. Your baby’s brain and body are doing a lot—sleep may be harder to come by, and fussiness is more likely.

Witching Hour: Signs to Watch For

• Short, restless naps all day

• Fussiness or crying that ramps up in the evening

• Clinginess or constant need to be held

• Feeding more frequently

• Fighting sleep, even when tired

• Seeming “wired” but clearly overtired

Recognizing these signs can help you get ahead of witching hour instead of being blindsided by it every evening.

Witching Hour: How Overstimulation Plays a Big Role

One of the biggest reasons babies lose it at the end of the day? They’re simply done. They’ve spent hours soaking in stimuli, and by 5 or 6 p.m., their brains need a break—but often, they’re still being passed around, played with, or kept awake because it’s not “bedtime” yet.

Even joyful, happy experiences—playing with grandparents, dancing to music, having fun at daycare—can tip them over the edge. When babies and toddlers are overjoyed and overstimulated, their nervous systems can’t reset quickly. What looks like an energy boost is actually a dysregulated state, and without support, it leads to a meltdown.

This is why some kids go from giggling to screaming in 10 seconds flat.

Witching Hour: My #1 Tip—Go Outside with the Carrier

If you take one thing from this blog, let it be this:

Put your baby in the carrier and go for a walk around 6 p.m.

Seriously. This changes lives.

This last “cat nap” of the day is often the hardest. The house is loud, everyone’s hungry, and your baby can’t settle. But stepping outside for a stroller or carrier walk:

• Reduces overstimulation (nature is calming!)

• Helps regulate your baby’s nervous system

• Gives them a chance to doze off for that critical last nap

• Buys you a break from bouncing around your living room like a sleep-deprived zombie

Walking in the fresh air is soothing for both of you, and even if your baby only naps 20–30 minutes, that can be just enough to carry them peacefully into bedtime.

Witching Hour: Other Ways to Soothe Your Baby

1. Prevention = Power: Try to avoid letting your baby get overtired throughout the day. Stick to age-appropriate wake windows and prioritize good naps (even if they happen in the car or carrier).

2. Low-Stimulation Evenings: Dim the lights, turn off loud music or the TV, and keep things quiet after 4 p.m. A calm, predictable routine signals to your baby’s body that rest is coming.

3. Offer a Feed—but Don’t Force It: If your baby is cluster feeding, go with it! But if they’re just comfort feeding to fall asleep, try offering other soothing methods too—like rocking, holding, or white noise.

4. Wear Your Baby: Babywearing is a lifesaver during witching hour. The contact, motion, and warmth help babies regulate emotionally and physically—and often help them sneak in that last nap.

5. Start Bedtime Early: Sometimes the best fix for witching hour is simply calling it a day. If your baby’s losing it by 6:30 p.m., don’t fight for another nap—just start your bedtime routine early and aim for a solid night stretch.

Witching Hour: What If Nothing Works?

If you’re doing everything right and your baby still seems inconsolable during witching hour, take a deep breath. Some babies just have a hard time with this phase—it’s a combo of temperament, development, and biology.

What matters most is that you’re supporting them. Hold them, walk with them, offer calm and comfort—but also take care of yourself. Put on a podcast, step outside for fresh air, or tag in a partner or support person so you can regroup.

Witching Hour: When to Reach Out for Help

If your baby is crying inconsolably for more than 3 hours daily, more than 3 days a week (and especially if it’s affecting feeding or growth), reach out to your pediatrician. It could be colic or reflux—or you might just need a little help decoding your baby’s cues.

And if you’ve been winging it for weeks and still feel stuck in the chaos, that’s where I come in.

I don’t do cookie-cutter sleep training or guesswork. I offer concierge sleep support—meaning I work with you, step-by-step, to get your baby sleeping independently. I tell you exactly what to do, how to respond, and how to adjust if something isn’t working.

No fluff. Just sleep. Most of my clients see results in three days—even when witching hour used to feel like an impossible beast.

Witching Hour: You’re Not Doing Anything Wrong

Let me say this loud for the tired parents in the back:

Witching hour doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.

It just means your baby needs help regulating—and you need tools to support them.

With the right approach, you can turn those dreaded evenings into a peaceful wind-down. And yes, you’ll still have dinner, your baby will still sleep, and you’ll finally feel like you’ve got this.

Need help making that happen?

Fill out my New Client form and to schedule your Expert Strategy Session. Let’s get your baby sleeping—for real.

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