Witching Hour? What is it exactly? How to deal?

I think Paul has a witching hour.....and it tends to be rather late (9-11pm). He SCREAMS bloody murder, calms down, SCREAMS, calms down

goes from zero to freaking maniac in less than 1 second for no apparent reason.....it's quite frustrating.


What is a "witching hour"
How do you deal with it when they scream and their entire body is turning bright red from getting SO worked up???

DO I just let him scream...nothing seems to console him....boob, paci, walking, burping.

After about 30 minutes (or more) he'll settle down laying belly down on DH chest

Re: Witching Hour? What is it exactly? How to deal?

I think you just hold him and try to give comfort while waiting it out...

Have you tried swaddling yet?

Re: Witching Hour? What is it exactly? How to deal?

I heard the witching hour is a baby's way of letting out his/her "frustrations/stresses" of the day. What worked for me: running the water in the bathroom sink - she liked the noise and looking at the bathroom lights or playing her lullaby cd "A Mother's Love" by Carnie Wilson. The swing helped sometimes, so did swaddling and shhhh'ing right in her ear. Even my awful singing worked sometimes.

I hope it gets better soon.

Re: Witching Hour? What is it exactly? How to deal?

Shana - My DD had the same thing.... she was about 6 weeks old. At about 9pm every night she would scream and cry... I honestly thought she had colic.

What I did was move her into her own crib and started to put her down for bed at 8:30pm...With a bottle, low lights, and rocking in the glider. It made such a difference. The first night we did this, she slept until 5am and has been doing that consistently since. Looking back, I think she was just overtired and the noise from me and my DH getting ready for the night (plus the tv) was keeping her up.

Re: Witching Hour? What is it exactly? How to deal?

DS did the SAME thing. He seems to be starting to "outgrown" it though. When he did/does have these "outbursts" the only things that calmed him were 1-being in the kitchen with the floresent light on (He loves it) or 2- going outside, he LOVES being outside. I'd just take him out on the back steps.

Re: Witching Hour? What is it exactly? How to deal?

As soon as the clock turned 6.00pm my DD was off on her witching hour and I kid you not as soon as it turned 9.00pm she stopped...seriously..It started at about 6 weeks and only lasted about 3 weeks. I used to walk and sing with her. Laying her on her changing table for some reason seemed to help...a LOT of walking and cuddling...it was very exhausting and dh and I took turns although I was in my "no one can do it better than me" phase so I had to do the majority of the calming.

Its a phase, its hell while you are going through it but play some baby mozart and know this too will pass!! I know its harder when you have another little one looking for your attention too but hopefully he will outgrow it soon.

Re: Witching Hour? What is it exactly? How to deal?

My DD goes through this EVERY night from 2:30-4am....no matter what we tries she's screaming until she's red and just so unhappy....we've tried everything. (she's only a week old though)