Baby fussy night feedings

Why It Happens and What You Can Do

Fussy Baby at Night: Why It Happens and What You Can Do

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Medically reviewed by Carissa Stephens, R. N., CCRN, CPN — By Catherine Crider on April 30, 2020

“Waaahhhh! Waaaahhh!” Just the thought of a crying baby can make your blood pressure rise. Nonstop crying is especially stressful for new parents who might not know how to make it stop!

You may have been warned about the dreaded “witching hour” — those late afternoon and early evening hours when your baby just can’t seem to settle down.

For many parents, it seems like the hours stretch on forever. But rest assured, your baby is not the only one who seems unsettled in the evening. Nighttime fussiness is common for babies.

Still new parents want to know: Why is it happening? How long will it last? And perhaps most importantly, how do you get it to stop? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with the information you need to survive (and dare we say thrive?) during this challenging time.

The following might be causes your baby is suddenly fussy in the evening:

Growth spurt hunger. As your baby goes through phases of intense growth (common growth spurts occur around 2 to 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months), they may be hungry and want to cluster feed.
Slower milk letdown. While many moms assume a fussy baby isn’t getting enough to eat, that may not always be the case. Still, your milk composition changes at night, and you may experience a slower milk flow. The change in milk volume might make for a cranky baby.
Gas. If your baby is feeling gassy, and they can’t seem to pass it out of their tiny digestive system, they may feel very uncomfortable!
Overtired baby. It’s a common misconception that keeping a baby awake longer will make them sleep longer. By the end of the day, if your little one has gone too long without a good nap they’ll be very tired. An overtired baby will have a hard time settling down.
Overstimulated baby. A baby’s underdeveloped nervous system is more sensitive to bright lights, sounds, and changes in their environment. For instance, you may notice the light of the TV in a dark room, or maybe the volume alone, makes your baby cry.
Colic. While all babies cry, if you find that your baby is crying for three hours or more, for three days a week, for three or more weeks, it’s time to see the doctor! Your pediatrician should do a thorough exam to rule out other conditions.

You may first notice your baby getting a little fussier in the evening hours when they hit 2 to 3 weeks of age. This period will likely correspond with a growth spurt and some increased cluster feeding.

For many babies the peak of evening fussiness occurs around 6 weeks. If you’re reaching that point, hold onto hope that it’s about to get better!

While there is no guaranteed time when babies outgrow the “witching hour,” it often ends around 3 to 4 months of age.

Calming a fussy baby can seem like an intricate dance that you’ll never be able to master. You may find that a technique that works today won’t work tomorrow. Fear not, though. We’ve got you covered with plenty of suggestions to try calming your fussy baby.

Wear your baby. Not only does babywearing free up your hands to finish those end-of-day tasks, but being close to your heartbeat is extremely comforting for your little one.
Take a walk. Not only can a change of environment be good for your baby, but the rhythm of walking is often a game changer. Bonus: meeting up with another adult to chat as you walk will help you keep your sanity!
Reduce stimulation. Turn down the lights, reduce noises, and swaddle your baby to make it easier for their nervous system to calm. Doing so might even convince your baby to take a short cat nap.
Give baby a massage. Touch is a great way to relax and bond with your baby. While you could incorporate oils or specific types of touch, massage is still effective when it’s very basic.
Start bath time. Water can be extremely soothing for little ones and a great distraction. Even better, you’ll have a clean baby afterwards!
Soothe with sound. Ssshhhing, soft music, and white noise can all be effective ways to soothe your little one. Don’t be afraid to experiment playing different types of music and different types of vocalists. You may be surprised by what your baby likes, and it may change from day to day!
Vary breastfeeding positions. If your baby is hungry and keeps wanting to feed, try switching up positions. Even simple changes to your position can impact milk flow and your baby’s comfort.

If your baby seems to have gas, you may want to:

Spend extra time burping baby. If your baby doesn’t burp after a few minutes of trying, it’s OK to move on and try something else!
Bicycle their legs in the air. This technique is also useful if your baby is constipated.
Try over-the-counter options. Before you consider gripe water or gas drops, discuss options with your baby’s doctor first.
Choose slow-flow bottle nipples. By adjusting the nipple flow, less air may enter your baby’s digestive system with their milk.
Change your baby’s formula. Before giving up on a beloved formula brand, you can also consider trying the same formula in a ready-made formula version, which might lead to less gas than the powdered kind.
Experiment with your diet. If your breastfed baby is showing signs of gas discomfort and you’ve tried other solutions to no avail, it may be time to consider eliminating certain foods from your diet. (Foods to consider avoiding include dairy products and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli.)

The late afternoon and early evening hours may seem very long if you have a fussy baby. Understanding the potential causes of your baby’s fussiness and trying different methods to soothe your little one will help you get through the witching hour. Remember that this, too, will pass.

Last medically reviewed on April 30, 2020

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How we reviewed this article:

Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Foods – for mothers. (n.d.).
llli.org/breastfeeding-info/foods/
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2108) Colic.
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/colic/symptoms-causes/syc-20371074
Pundir S, et al. (2017). Variation of human milk glucocorticoids over 24 hour period.
link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10911-017-9375-x
Sanchez CL, et al. (2013). The possible role of human milk nucleotides as sleep inducers. DOI:
10.1179/147683009X388922

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Apr 30, 2020

Written By

Catherine Crider

Edited By

Saralyn Ward

Medically Reviewed By

Carissa Stephens, RN, CCRN, CPN

Copy Edited By

Kara Williams

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Medically reviewed by Carissa Stephens, R. N., CCRN, CPN — By Catherine Crider on April 30, 2020

The Witching Hour: Fussy Baby at Night

Whether Halloween is around the corner or months away, the witching hour—that chunk of time at night when an otherwise content baby starts fussing incessantly—will undoubtedly haunt many a new mom.

What’s especially scary is that the baby witching hour always seems to coincide with when you’re most tired: It hits when you’re sleeping or just starting to relax after dinner. The good news? If your little ghoul is healthy and doing well otherwise, her witching hour days are numbered—we promise. Read on for tips on how to get through the worst of a fussy baby at night.

In this article:
What is the witching hour?
When is the witching hour?
When do babies grow out of the witching hour?
Tips for dealing with baby witching hour

What Is the Witching Hour?

According to European folklore (and Shakespeare, who wrote about “witching time” in Hamlet), the witching hour was coined for the hour between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. when the Catholic church didn’t have any prayers or services going on—an optimal time for evil spirits to materialize. While the phrase can be used to describe any random span of bad luck, it lends itself really well to newborn babies, older than 3 weeks of age, who get fussy at a certain time of day on a regular basis for seemingly no reason. (Newborns just a couple of weeks old haven’t learned their day/night cycles yet and so aren’t prone to a specific witching hour.)

“From a medical point of view, the idea spans a few different things,” says Andrew Bernstein, MD, a pediatrician in private practice in Evanston, Illinois. It could apply to a baby with colic—defined as a baby, usually 3 to 12 weeks old, who’s thriving but is crying for more than three hours a day, more than three days a week and for at least three weeks. The time of day a colicky baby tends to act up can be referred to as the witching hour.

The witching hour can also apply to “babies that might not have colic but who are fussy in the evenings,” Bernstein says. “They’ve been overstimulated, they don’t know how to settle down [and] they don’t know how to self-soothe, so they need to scream and let it go.” (In other words, they do what we moms want to do at the end of the day.)

When Is the Witching Hour?

There may be some colicky—but otherwise healthy—babies who cry for an extended period of time at any point in the day, but typically the breakdowns happen in the evening after dinner, between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. That’s when babies are extra tired, but because their nervous system hasn’t fully matured, and they don’t know how to put themselves to sleep, they lose it.

The evening is also when most significant others are coming home from work, and maybe you’re inadvertently keeping baby up so your partner can be with him. Remember that infants are hypersensitive to all the new sounds and activities going on around them—the crying is sometimes a sign that baby just wants to be wrapped up and held close.

Breastfed babies may have an additional reason to cry during the evening witching hour: “Your prolactin levels drop, [so] you’re making less milk,” says Meigan Alexander, a certified lactation consultant and owner of BettyRuth Baby, a new-mom concierge service in Charlotte, North Carolina. When babies want more milk but it’s not coming fast enough, they can get frustrated as the milk release slows down. By crying, “babies are doing what they need to do to get what they need—being upset is a baby’s way of asking [for what they want]; they don’t have another way to express it,” Alexander explains.

When Do Babies Grow Out of the Witching Hour?

There’s not necessarily a specific age when babies grow out of fussing at night, but Bernstein says that after about 2 to 4 months of age, you may have an easier time preventing baby from getting overtired, which, in turn, would eventually ward off the witching hour. At this point, “you can do some sort of sleep training; that’s when babies can start recognizing patterns and start to learn self-soothing,” he says. “At about 6 months old, most babies are happy getting 12 hours of sleep at night without needing a feeding. Part of the witching hour is recognizing that sometimes babies just need to go to sleep around 6 or 8 at night.”

Tips for Dealing with Baby Witching Hour

Once you’ve ruled out any medical conditions that may be causing your baby to cry—a protein allergy or intolerance or baby reflux are two common infant ailments—there are some time-tested ways to soothe a fussy baby at night.

• Let baby sleep. Give her the chance to get in as much shut-eye during the day, since an overtired baby has a harder time falling asleep at night.

• Take baby to a quiet, dark room. By limiting stimulation when he’s upset, baby will have an easier time calming down. A white noise machine or app may help too.

• Re-create the womb. Swaddle baby and sway with or rock him. This will feel familiar and comforting to him.

• Snuggle. Skin-to-skin contact lets baby smell you—it’s like aromatherapy for babies!

• Nurse baby as much as she wants. Because you’re making milk at a slower pace late in the day, she’ll want to feed for longer before she feels satisfied.

• Start—and stick to—a bedtime regimen. You can start with a bath and end with a book or lullaby. Eventually, baby will come to expect the routine and feel calmed by it.

• Ask for help. Be gracious to yourself—and baby—and ask for support. “Tag team and make sure you and your partner are taking care of each other and each getting time apart from the baby,” Bernstein says. “One parent can go take a walk while the other deals with [baby for] as long as he or she can handle it.” After all, you’re probably a lot better at calming baby when you’re calm yourself.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.

How to wean a child from night feeding, wean a child to eat at night

0-6 months

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A newborn baby eats at any time of the day, day or night. As the baby's digestive tract grows stronger, the interval between feedings gradually increases. Moms have a natural question: when and how should you stop night feedings so that the baby sleeps all night?

8 min. for reading Feb. 17, 2022

Should I feed my baby at night

How many nightly feeds does my baby need

For breastfed babies, combination breastfeeders and babies with reflux
Formula-fed babies

How to know if your child is ready to give up nighttime meals

How to wean a baby from night feedings: expert advice

FAQs

Resources

Is it necessary to feed a baby at night while taking care of the baby if you are chronically sleep deprived. But why can't a baby go without food at night?

In the first months, the baby does not have a clear regime, he still weakly distinguishes between day and night: during prenatal development, the baby is used to getting everything he needs from his mother at any time. And most importantly - at the beginning of life, the child grows very quickly and requires a lot of nutrients, while having a small stomach and a still fragile digestive system. For these reasons, the baby cannot go without food for a long time and requires food approximately every 2-3 hours, and pediatricians, in turn, insist on the need for nightly breastfeeding of a newborn.

Important!

Sleep and nutrition patterns, as well as the need for them, are individual for each child. Therefore, if it seems to you that the baby eats little and rarely, or vice versa - too often, consult with the doctor you are seeing.

In addition, night feedings, although they interfere with sleep, are useful not only for the child, but also for the mother. They help to properly establish lactation, because it is at night that the hormone prolactin is produced, which is responsible for the amount of breast milk.

Advice

With proper organization of night feedings, the baby eats half asleep and quickly falls asleep further. To do this, start a night light in the room and be ready to feed as soon as the baby wakes up. Sleep in comfortable nursing clothing if you are breastfeeding.

How many night feeds does a baby need

The smaller the child, the more often he needs to be fed. But over time, the digestive tract gets stronger, and the baby can eat more and endure longer breaks between meals. Below is an approximate number of night feedings, depending on the age of the baby:

1. For breastfed, mixed breastfed and reflux babies:

Age	Number of night feedings
0-3 months	breastfeeding on demand approximately every 2-3 hours
3-4 months	2-3 times as required or every 3-6 hours
5-6 months	1-2 meals
7-9 months	1, possibly 2 times
10-12 months	sometimes 1 feeding
12+ months	usually without night feedings

Number of night feedings 0-3 months feedings every 2-3 hours on demand 3-4 months 1-2 times per night or every 3-6 hours as required 5-6 months possible, 1 feeding 7+ months usually without night feedings

Important!

During growth spurts, your baby should be fed as needed. Such bursts occur approximately at 5, 8, 14, 19, 26, 37 and 46 weeks of life and last about 7 days.

How do you know if your baby is ready to give up nighttime meals? After this period, the need for nightly meals depends on the pace of development, individual needs and the health of the child. If the baby was born prematurely or is not gaining weight well, experts recommend waking him up 3.5-4 hours after the previous feeding and offering the breast.

Advice

If you're not sure if your baby is ready to stop feeding at night, talk to your doctor. The specialist will help you understand and make the right decision based on the physical indicators of your child.

If the baby is healthy and has a good weight, somewhere between 4 and 6 months old, he will begin to get enough calories during the day so that he does not need to feed at night. In breastfed children, this process may be a little slower - up to 6–10 months [2].

It is also important to take into account that the refusal of nighttime "snacking" occurs gradually: there are very few cases when a child stops eating at night and immediately starts sleeping 5-6 hours in a row. Usually, babies who are used to eating several times a night wake up out of habit, and it will take time to change this routine. First, the baby will ask for food half an hour later than usual, then an hour, a little later - two, and so on. Step by step, over several weeks, night sleep reaches 6-7 hours in a row. This joyful moment can come at 4 months or closer to 12 months: all babies are unique, and it's not scary or unusual for an infant to sleep much longer without food, while an older child keeps waking up to eat.

Advice

Dentists recommend abolishing nighttime feedings for children older than one year, as food leftovers in the mouth can damage milk teeth. This risk is minimal when breastfeeding.

Also, remember that your child has many other important needs. Perhaps he wakes up and calls you, not so much for food, but for comfort and closeness. What could be more reassuring and safer than the caring hands of parents who feed and cradle? feedings.

How to wean a child from night feeding: expert advice

Many parents are interested in how to properly wean a baby from eating at night so that it does not become a lot of stress for him. Especially if the baby stubbornly refuses to give up night feeding.

Start the weaning process slowly and gradually. Slowly reduce your nightly breastfeeding time or give your baby less milk (mixture if formula-fed) from a sippy cup. Try to extend the intervals between

Important!

Under no circumstances should the issue of night feedings be turned into a battlefield. The “cry - stop - wean” method loosens the baby’s nervous system and can provoke severe stress.

Make sure your child eats well during the day. Babies become more active as they get older, and if they get carried away playing or walking, they may skip meals or not eat enough and then try to make up for it at night. Therefore, take scheduled breaks during the day for "silent feeding" in a place where nothing will distract the crumbs from eating.

Advice

If you're not sure if your child is eating enough, check their height by weighing them at the doctor's office.

Try feeding your baby before bed. If a child goes to bed with a full tummy, they are less likely to wake up hungry in the middle of the night.
Ask dad to get up at night with the baby. If an awakened baby hears your smell or the aroma of breast milk, this can provoke his appetite, even if the baby did not wake up because of hunger. If you sleep in the same room, it's best to move the crib to dad's side.
Phase out feedings one at a time. When the baby wakes up to eat at night, go to him and reassure him, gently but firmly explain that now is the time to sleep, not eat. At the same time, pat and stroke the child on the back or tummy, but do not pick him up. Even if the baby does not yet understand your words, he gradually catches the meaning, and your presence and attention will be soothing to him.
Try giving your baby water to drink. Babies may wake up at night not from hunger, but from thirst, especially in hot weather or in a room with dry air. If after half an hour the baby wakes up again, feed him, and if not, then he is full and satisfied.
If the baby has been crying inconsolably when stopping night feeds for several days in a row, stop the attempt and return to your normal routine for a while. Let the baby calm down and start weaning him again in a week or two.
Do not stop night feedings during the transition period. For example, when you are going to return to work or go on vacation without a baby. If your baby sees less of you during the day, try to hug and interact with him more in your free time. It is necessary that he clearly feels your connection and care, then the baby is less likely to seek solace in the middle of the night.
If the baby continues to require nighttime feeding, try to create conditions in which he does not want to eat. An excellent opportunity appears at 8-9 months, when the baby is already confidently eating complementary foods. To do this, move the usual bowl of porridge to the evening: this way the child stays full longer and may not ask for an extra portion of food at night.

See also: Introduction of complementary foods to an infant

Advice

Do not give your baby new foods at night, introduce them only in the morning. Otherwise, you run the risk of observing the reaction to unfamiliar complementary foods instead of sleep. Also, do not give your child meat at night, it is hard to digest, can cause discomfort in the stomach and restless sleep.

Also keep in mind that the decision to not feed at night depends in part on how it affects you. If you enjoy breastfeeding or drinking from a cup at night, there is no reason to stop: at a certain point, the baby will stop asking for food on its own. But if you feel that lack of sleep prevents you from living and enjoying motherhood, and the baby is already physically ready for change, it's time to try switching to a daily routine. In any case, you should do what is best for you and your family.

FAQ

1. How often should a newborn be fed?

A newborn needs to be fed every 2-3 hours, i.e. 10-12 times a day. Further, the intervals between feedings gradually increase to 3-6 hours, and the child gets the opportunity to sleep all night.

2. How much should a child eat per day?

The daily "portion" of food for the baby depends on his age and weight. From 10 days to 1.5 months, the baby needs such an amount of food, the weight of which is approximately 1/5 of the child's body weight. From 1.5 to 4 months - 1/6 of the baby's weight, from 4 to 6 months - 1/7, from 6 to 8 months - 1/8, from 8 to 12 months - 1/9.

3. What happens if you don't stop night feedings?

Most likely, the child will eventually refuse them himself. But some pediatricians, notably Richard Ferber [1], warn that unnecessary nighttime feedings can cause sleep problems. Also, food leftovers after late “snacks” can provoke the development of caries in milk teeth.

Sources

- Baby sleep training: Night weaning. By Darienne Hosley Stewart | Medically reviewed by Lisa Dana, M.D.
- Night Feedings by Age – When Do You Try Night Weaning? By Nicole Johnson, Founder and Lead Sleep Consultant in Sleep Training.

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Up to what age to feed the baby at night and how to replace formula

Infant formula is only a necessary replacement for mother's milk in the absence of sufficient lactation or underweight in the infant. In all other respects, the infant formula feeding algorithm remains the same as with breastfeeding. The baby also needs nightly feedings about every 3-4 hours. This is due to scientifically proven facts. Babies up to a year old have an accelerated metabolism, food is digested faster, and naturally, they experience hunger at night. Also, any anxiety of the baby at night forces him to demand his mother's participation, and of course - food as a sedative. There is even a theory that children are genetically woken up to eat to avoid "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome" in their sleep.

But also can't it continue indefinitely? The child grows, develops actively, from the age of 6 months receives a variety of complementary foods, and over time should form a normal daily routine. And for this you need to figure out: how to wean a child at night to eat the mixture in the most gentle ways.

Up to what age to give the mixture at night

Experts differ on this issue, but the average age when you can do without night feedings is nevertheless deduced. Infants with normal development can sleep peacefully at night without formula 10-12 hours from 9-12 months. Of course, if parents do not consider it necessary to restrict their child in nutrition, they can safely continue to feed their child at night and beyond. But they must be aware that, firstly, over time, these periods of eating become just a habit for the baby. And secondly, mothers should also think about their own well-being after sleepless nights. So, the approximate age of weaning a child from night feedings has been determined, it remains to find out how to replace the mixture for the night after a year for the first time of the transition to a new regimen.

Night formula alternative

Formula feeding formula is extremely nutritious and tasty food for your baby. Therefore, the nightly replacement should be unequal, so that the baby subsequently feels that he does not need to wake up for such food. For these reasons, many mothers, thinking about how to replace the mixture for the night, use not the best products. It is strongly not recommended to use compotes or juices, because the ultimate goal is a complete and painless rejection of night food. In addition, fruit drinking can cause flatulence and abdominal pain - not the most favorable factors for restful sleep.

It is better to replace the traditional food at first with a well-diluted mixture, and then with pure water. At the same time, you need to try to slightly shift the period of falling asleep and provide the child with peace and a hearty dinner before going to bed.