One reason colicky babies can fuss more at night, he explains, is that serotonin levels peak in the evening. This imbalance, the theory goes, naturally resolves when babies start making melatonin, which relaxes intestinal muscles.
Change your baby's position: Sit them up if they have been lying down, or hold them face-out if they have been facing your chest. Hold your baby near low, rhythmic noises, like the sound of the washing machine or a recording of a heartbeat. The steady hum of a fan or a white noise machine can also be soothing.
Food allergies or intolerances. Overfeeding, underfeeding or infrequent burping. Early form of childhood migraine. Family stress or anxiety.
Excessive crying usually occurs at the same time every day: Although colic can happen at any time, day or night, most babies experience it later in the afternoon or at night, and it will usually happen at the same time on most days. Parents often refer to this as the “witching hour.”
What time of day is colic the worst? Typically, colicky babies cry most frequently from 6 pm to midnight (a period of time often referred to as “witching hour”). Parents often describe these cries as louder, more high-pitched, and more urgent than normal wails.
Colic is often defined by the “rule of three”: crying for more than three hours per day, for more than three days per week, and for longer than three weeks in an infant who is well-fed and otherwise healthy.
It can start when a baby is a few weeks old. It usually stops by the time they're 3 to 4 months old. There are other reasons why your baby may be crying.
Colic usually begins suddenly, with loud and mostly nonstop crying. Colicky babies can be very difficult to calm down. Changing how your baby is fed, and using different calming methods, can help to soothe a colicky baby. Colic goes away on its own, sometimes by age 3 months.
Colic usually starts when babies are about 3 weeks old. It gets worse when they are between 4 and 6 weeks old. Most of the time, colicky babies get better after they are 6 weeks old, and are completely fine by the time they are 12 weeks old.
These bouts of crying may last for three hours or more and occur mostly in the afternoons and evenings. The baby seems to be suffering from abdominal pain. Colic affects around one in three babies. Usually, cuddling or trying to soothe the baby's cries does not work.
Though it can be tempting to place your baby on their stomach or side while sleeping in the crib, remember the only true safe sleeping position is flat on the back with no loose covers, pillows, or toys around. It's also always a good idea to talk to your baby's pediatrician regarding their colic symptoms.
Let your baby cry—for a little while. If walking, rocking, singing, massaging, and the like don't seem to make a difference, put the baby in the crib for 10 to 15 minutes and see if he or she quiets alone. Sometimes a baby needs a little time alone—and you may need it, too. Take a stress break.
Shift Positions
Parents tend to cradle a colicky baby face-up, but that may not help. Instead, hold their face down -- with your hand under their belly and their head on your forearm. The pressure on their tummy can help relieve uncomfortable gas.
Also, babies with colic may burp frequently or pass a significant amount of gas, but this is thought to be due to swallowing air while crying, and is not a cause of colic. The face may be flushed. The abdomen may be tense with legs drawn toward it.
Colic is a relatively common condition that affects up to 1 in 4 newborn babies. It typically starts within the first 6 weeks and goes away within 4 months, although it may last up to 6 months.
Colic usually starts when a baby is a few weeks old and stops when they're around 4 to 6 months of age. If your otherwise healthy baby cries inconsolably for 3 or more hours a day, at least 3 days per week (and it's been happening for 3 weeks or more), it could be caused by colic.
1 Breastfeeding is not a cause of colic, and babies who take infant formula get colic, too. Switching to formula may not help and may even make the situation worse.
Two trials measured the difference between the bowel movements of colicky and non-colicky infants: one reported that infants with symptoms of colic during the first two months had less frequent bowel movements [11], the other that there was no difference[12].
Colicky babies may cry continuously for 2 to 3 hours at a time for no apparent reason. Their crying spells usually happen around the same time every day, often in the evening. The good news is that most babies outgrow this excessive crying by around 3 months of age. It may last a little longer for some infants.
Colic is a very common condition affecting 1 in 5 babies, regardless of whether they're breast or formula-fed. There are other reasons why your baby may be crying, it's a good idea to check if they: are hungry.
Colic. Colic is when your baby's healthy but cries often and excessively and it's hard to soothe them. One of the possible reasons is bubbles of trapped wind causing stomach pain.
Colicky babies tend to settle better if their crib is elevated to 30 degrees or if they're kept semi-upright and swaddled / wrapped. Feeding your colicky baby after naps rather than before will reduce the chances of any tummy upsets at sleep time.