The PURPLE crying period is a stage many babies go through where they cry for longer periods than normal and become very difficult to soothe. The term was coined by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome and is actually an acronym that was designed to help parents better understand this often frustrating developmental period.
The letters in the PURPLE acronym stand for:
Peak of crying. The peak of crying behavior typically occurs at 2 months of age.
Unexpected. During the PURPLE period, crying is often hard to predict and difficult to explain.
Resists soothing. It will likely be more difficult to soothe your little one during this period.
Pain-like face. Your baby will often look as if they are in pain during these crying episodes but are typically not.
Long lasting. These bouts of crying will usually last longer than normal during this period.
Evening. Your baby will likely be most fussy during the evening hours.