I've heard people talk about this time of day but I don't really understand it or why it happens. Our DD has started fussing anywhere between 1-7pm for 3-5 hours with just short naps in dad's or my arms in that time but wont go down for a proper sleep like she normally does, waking as soon as we place her on the bed.
Is it just newborns that do this? My concern is she gets so overtired she is hard to get down for the evening/night. Perhaps I just have high expectations LOL.
Your bub is right on track for a wonder week...6 weeks was bad for us and dd would only sleep in the sling. It is the peak of crying too, so things should slowly improve from here.
The witching hour is usually in the evening when the sun is setting and bub just fusses and wants to feed or be held and usually precedes their bedtime sleep. We still get it here...5 to 6 pm is hard work for all mums. As a newborn dd's worst time was 7 till 9 but it was summer time.
This too shall pass. Get out the wonder weeks book from the library or google it for more info.
Witching hour is like peak hour - in Sydney its 3 hrs long, in a small country town its 10mins, everywhere else is somewhere in between.
I think she's still new and getting used to the world and this going to sleep thing. I'd just keep trying to get her to sleep when you feel she's ready. Either I got better at puuting my boy down when he's asleep or he got more used to it 'cause at that age he has to be really asleep & I had to be really careful putting him down, now its much easier.
:hug: I am so with you on the longer that an hour thing!!!!!!!!!!
Hope things start improving soon. xxxxx
Wonder week coming up Dusty!!
But yeah, witching hour(s) can be awful! I used to just feed through it!!
It was the only thing that helped missy!
Sue xxx
oh tell me about it! we call it arsenic hour(s) in our house lol. DD just fusses and is cranky pants on and off for up to 3-4 hours on a particularly tough evening. hers is much later than it was with DD1 though...here it starts at 6pm and goes until about 8.30-9pm. (DD1 was 4pmish til 7pmish).
totally normal and a good time to boob-it-up or go for a walk with bubs in sling or pram i reckon. at the end of arsenic hours with DD1 we would start bedtime stuff and have a bath (together in the big bath was a fav...as i could BF her as well at the same time), then massage, then pyjamas then boob in the dark room while i hummed (out of tune lol) a little ditty...not sure if she got that it was nearing bed time but made me feel like i was being proactive :rofl:
Was just about to post the same as the other girls with the wonder week coming up ;)
I just feed through it & have made bath time between 5-5.30pm. Bath, feed & a little play & I've usually got him down to sleep by 6-6.30pm.
Big :hug: though as its exhausting!
We call it arsenic hour too Cassius :)
It definitely settles (I can't remember when....3 months-ish?), but that end of the day is just plain hard work as a mum, as a PP already said. Everyone gets cranky and tired LOL. Make sure you yourself are well fed and watered, it makes it easier to cope when bub is having a difficult evening. And just hang in there, it will get better!
can also totally vouch for keeping yourself well fed and watered. especially if BF...supply is usually at its lowest at that time apparently and best to give a boost for energy i reckon!
3-4 hours, I would say :)
Oh yeah. Mine was always that long too... still can be sometimes. LOL
Hang in there... it will pass... I used to find myself singing "just keep feeding, just keep feeding" al la Dory... xoxo
Yep feeding seems to be the key to sanity & eventual sleep! Thanks for making me feel this is normal, such a shock after fairly predictable sleep/wake cycles. There are definitely developmental changes happening at the same time. And her crying is getting louder LOL