Babies cry the most at around 6 to 8 weeks of age, averaging 2 to 3 hours per day. This peak is a normal part of development, not a sign that something is wrong. Crying typically ramps up starting around 2 weeks of age, hits its highest point near the end of the second month, and then gradually tapers off by 3 to 5 months.
The Crying Curve: 2 Weeks to 5 Months
Infant crying follows a surprisingly predictable pattern. It begins increasing around 2 weeks after birth, climbs steadily over the next several weeks, and peaks between 6 and 8 weeks. After that peak, crying slowly decreases and usually settles into a more manageable rhythm by around 3 to 4 months of age.
This trajectory is so consistent across healthy babies that pediatric researchers have given it a name: the Period of PURPLE Crying. The acronym captures the hallmarks of this phase:
- Peak pattern: Crying increases week by week, peaking during the second month of life.
- Unexpected: Crying episodes can start and stop for no apparent reason.
- Resists soothing: Your baby may keep crying no matter what you try.
- Pain-like face: Your baby may look like they’re in pain, even when they’re not.
- Long-lasting: Some babies cry for five or more hours a day during this phase.
- Evening: Crying tends to cluster in the late afternoon and evening hours.
The important thing to understand is that this is a developmental phase, not a reaction to something you’re doing wrong. Nearly all babies go through it, and it resolves on its own.
Why the Evening Is the Worst
Many parents notice that crying spells happen around the same time every day, typically between late afternoon and evening. This pattern is common enough that it’s picked up the nickname “the witching hour,” though it can last up to three hours. No one knows the exact cause, but several factors likely pile up by the end of the day. Your baby may be overstimulated from hours of taking in new sights and sounds, overtired from short or missed naps, gassy, or simply hungry again. Babies at this age haven’t yet developed the ability to self-soothe, so the accumulated stress of a full day can spill over into extended crying.
Why Crying Peaks at 6 to 8 Weeks
The timing of the crying peak isn’t random. Around the 2- to 3-month mark, a baby’s brain goes through a major developmental shift. New social capabilities start coming online: sustained eye contact, social smiling, and early vocalizing like cooing. Researchers describe this transition as the “awakening of sociability,” when babies begin practicing back-and-forth communication with their caregivers. Before these abilities fully kick in, babies are in a kind of neurological gap. They’re increasingly alert and aware of the world around them, but they don’t yet have the tools to regulate their emotions or signal their needs in more nuanced ways. Crying is their only outlet.
Once those social and self-regulation skills start developing, crying naturally decreases. That’s why the improvement between months 3 and 5 can feel dramatic. Your baby isn’t just growing out of a phase; their brain is catching up to the demands of their environment.
When Crying Crosses Into Colic
About 20% of babies develop what’s clinically called colic, typically starting between 2 and 4 weeks of age. The traditional threshold, known as the “rule of three,” defines colic as crying for more than three hours per day, more than three days per week, for longer than three weeks. The crying is inconsolable, meaning nothing you do seems to help, and it occurs in a baby who is otherwise healthy and growing normally.
Colic follows the same general timeline as normal peak crying. It tends to be worst around the 6- to 8-week mark and usually resolves by 3 to 4 months. The difference is intensity. While the average baby cries 2 to 3 hours a day at the peak, colicky babies can hit 5 or more hours. Despite how alarming it feels, colic is considered a benign condition. It doesn’t indicate a health problem and doesn’t predict behavioral issues later in life.
What Helps During the Peak
Because the peak crying period is driven by neurological development, there’s no way to eliminate it entirely. But there are strategies that can reduce the intensity or duration of individual crying episodes. Rhythmic motion like gentle rocking, swinging, or car rides works for many babies. Swaddling can help younger infants feel secure. White noise or shushing mimics the constant sound environment of the womb. Holding your baby in different positions, particularly with gentle pressure on the belly, sometimes eases discomfort from gas.
Some episodes, though, won’t respond to anything. That’s the “resists soothing” characteristic of the PURPLE crying period, and it’s one of the hardest parts for parents to accept. It doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means your baby’s nervous system is still maturing, and some crying simply has to run its course.
If the frustration becomes overwhelming, it’s always safe to put your baby down in their crib on their back and step away for a few minutes. Crying won’t hurt your baby, but shaking can. Taking a break to reset is one of the most important things you can do during this stretch.
Signs That Crying May Signal Something Else
Normal developmental crying, even at its worst, happens in a baby who is otherwise feeding well, gaining weight, and having normal wet and dirty diapers. Certain patterns fall outside the normal range and warrant a closer look: a sudden change in the pitch or quality of crying (especially a high-pitched, shrill cry), crying paired with fever, vomiting, or refusal to eat, a noticeable decrease in alertness or responsiveness between crying episodes, or crying that starts suddenly and intensely in a baby who was previously calm. These can point to illness, injury, or discomfort from something like an ear infection or a hair wrapped tightly around a finger or toe.
The distinction is usually about context. A baby who cries for three hours every evening but is happy and alert the rest of the day is following the normal pattern. A baby whose crying is accompanied by other changes in behavior or feeding is telling you something different.