Baby Sleep and Wake Windows

Wake windows… a term I had never heard until we brought my first home from the hospital and started googling baby sleep. If you have friends or family that is expecting, do them a favour and share this blog! This will save them from having to google “how long should my baby be awake for” in that first week home.

From the moment a baby is born, parents are confronted with a myriad of new concepts and terms to understand. One such term that has become increasingly important for new parents to know is “wake windows”. Through those first few months at home with your baby, wake windows will be key in building a successful sleep foundation.  

What are wake windows?

Wake windows refer to the amount of time a baby can comfortably stay awake before needing to go back to sleep again. Essentially, it is the interval of time between sleep periods. The length of these wake windows changes depending on a baby’s age and developmental stage. It is during this awake period that your baby will build up their sleep pressure (or sleep drive) for their next sleep. 

To much sleep pressure can lead to poor sleep and too little sleep pressure can lead to poor sleep. Therefore, finding the right awake time is key to successful sleep. 

Why are wake windows key for sleep?

It’s crucial to pay attention to wake windows because they can profoundly affect your child’s mood, temperament, and development. Too much sleep pressure can lead to poor sleep and too little sleep pressure can lead to poor sleep. Therefore, finding the right awake time is key to successful sleep. 

When a baby is awake for too long, they can become overtired and cranky. An overtired baby will have their system flooded with adrenaline and cortisol, leading to more difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep and overall worse sleep quality.

When baby is awake for too little time, they will have a hard time settling to sleep due to being under tired and often we can see short naps and prolonged wakings.

Ensuring your little one gets enough sleep at the right times will support their physical and cognitive development.

Sleepy cues versus wake windows?

Sleepy cues are cues that your child shows when they are tired and ready for sleep. Some common ones are yawning, rubbing eyes, cranky, fussy, red brows or turning away from stimulation. While these are great to look out for, I always recommend using them in combination with age-appropriate wake windows.

Sleepy cues on their own become much less reliable as little ones move out of the newborn stage.

For babies 4 months + be mindful that sometimes signs of boredom can be confused for signs of fatigue. To set your little one up for successful sleep, it will be essential that you monitor their cues but also the clock.

If your 7 month old is yawning and fussy after 1.5 hours of being awake, chances are they are actually bored! Babies have a short attention span so it is important to have different activities/stimulation planned. The age-appropriate wake window for a 7 month old is actually around 3 hours!

How often should I assess and change wake windows?

I usually recommend that you reassess your child’s wake window every few weeks in the earlier months. Once they are one 2 naps things will even out for longer periods of time.

A good way to know if a wake window is working is to look at the time it takes your little one to fall asleep (sleep latency) and then assess how the sleep is afterwards.

My general rule of thumb, it is normal for it to 5-20 minutes for your little one to settle to sleep. If your little one is falling asleep in under 5 minutes, the wake window may be too long; if they are taking longer than 20 minutes to fall asleep, it is possible that your little one is under tired.

Wake Windows by Age:

0-6 weeks: 45-60 minutes

6-12 weeks: 60-90 minutes

3-4 months: 1.5-2 hours

5 months: 2.25-2.5 hours

6 months: 2.5-3 hours

7-9 months: 3-3.5 hours

10-12 months: 3.25-4 hours

12-18 months: 4-5 hours

18-24 months: 5-6 hours 

Remember that every baby is unique and so are their sleep needs. You will need to find the sweet spot for your little one.

Wake windows are integral to supporting healthy sleep for newborns, infants, and toddlers. By understanding your baby’s wake windows and building a regular sleep routine around them, parents can ensure their little one gets the sleep they need to grow and develop.

Know that parenthood does not need to mean months or years of sleep deprivation. Don’t let the overwhelm of baby sleep keep you from getting the rest you need.

Should you be struggling to find a rhythm that works for your family or you need a road map and support to reclaim sleep in your home, book a free sleep evaluation today!