How long your baby is awake in between naps can make a big difference in how well they sleep. This is called their wake window.
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A baby’s wake window is the amount of time they can stay awake in between sleeps, based on their age.
As your baby grows, their wake windows increase.
While every baby is different, most babies fall within a recommended range for their wake windows.
What are Baby Wake Windows?
A baby’s wake window is the window of time that your baby is able to stay awake in between sleeps without getting overtired.
Sometimes this is also called your baby’s wake time.
It’s the time they are awake—eating, playing, and getting their diaper changed. Your baby has an age-appropriate wake window, which will change as they grow.
This wake window is the sweet spot for making sure they aren’t overtired or under-tired.
Why Do Wake Windows Matter?
In working with families, I have seen how adjusting baby’s wake window by even 15 minutes can make a big difference in their sleep.
For example, my daughter would often yawn after being up for 60 minutes. I was very tuned in to her sleep cues, so I would put her down for sleep as soon as I saw that little yawn or eye rub.
But then she would wake up after 45 minutes, leaving me frustrated and confused on how to get her to sleep longer.
Then I increased her wake windows and it made all the difference in her naps and night sleep.
Not following the correct wake windows for your baby can lead to poor sleep for your baby (and for you.)
Putting your baby down past their optimal wake window can cause:
- Short naps and your baby only napping for 30 minutes
- False starts at bedtime
- Your baby waking up too early in the morning
- A generally fussy baby who isn’t getting proper sleep.
Figuring out your baby’s optimal wake windows can be a little tricky, but I’m here to help!
When Should You Start Using Wake Windows?
You can start using wake windows right away, even with your newborn.
Wake windows are just watching the clock and getting your baby down for a nap before they get overtired. Sticking to age-appropriate wake windows is one of the best ways to optimize your baby’s sleep early on.
Don’t worry about getting your baby on a sleep schedule right away, but using wake windows can help prevent your baby from getting overtired.
Does Feeding Count As Part of the Wake Window?
Yes, the goal is for your baby to be awake while they eat, so wake windows include the time it takes baby to take a feeding.
In the newborn phase, feeding will take up the majority of your baby’s wake window and your baby may fall asleep during the feed. (It happens and it’s okay!).
As your baby grows they’ll be able to stay awake longer, and be more efficient at feeds. Soon enough their wake window won’t consist of just eating.
If you’re following an eat/play/sleep routine, the wake window is the “play” part.
Baby Wake Windows By Age
In general, most babies will have a range of time that they can stay awake before getting too tired. Some babies require a bit more wake time, while others need a little less wake time.
Wake windows will typically increase with your baby’s age. The younger a baby, the shorter amount of time they’re able to stay awake.
Here are the recommended wake windows, from ages Newborn through 2 years. These are the sweet spots I have found in working with clients one-on-one:
- Newborn to 12 weeks: 45 to 90 minutes
- 3 to 4 months: 1.5 to 2 hours
- 5 to 6 months: 2.25 to 3 hours
- 7 to 13 months: 2.5 to 3.5 hours
- 1 to 2 years: 4 to 5 hours
Newborn
Your newborn’s wake window is almost non-existent in the beginning.
Generally newborns 0–6 weeks old can only stay awake for about 45 minutes before they need to go back to sleep.
Newborns are often sleepy as they feed and may fall asleep at the breast or bottle. If your newborn is a particularly efficient eater, you might have time for a quick snuggle and diaper change before it’s time for another nap.
It’s nearly impossible to enforce a newborn sleep schedule, but you can pay close attention to the clock to ensure they are put down within their wake window.
2-Months
At two months your baby is still a newborn, but is starting to come out of their sleepy haze.
Around 8 weeks old, your baby will be able to stay awake for up to 60 minutes at a time.
Your 2-month old will likely still be showing baby sleep cues. You can pair those cues with wake windows to optimize your baby’s sleep.
See a sample 2 month old sleep schedule here.
3 Months
Around 3 months old, your baby can start staying awake a little longer.
I’ve found that baby’s sleep cues can be misleading around this age, so I keep an eye on them, but tend to go more by wake windows from here on out.
At 3 months old, your baby can stay awake for about 90 minutes in between naps.
This 1.5-hours is usually the sweet spot for babies from about 11 to 14 weeks old.
4 Months
A 4-month old wake window is about 90–120 minutes total.
There can be a lot of range in sleep schedules at 4 months old.
Some babies will stay closer to 90 to 105-minute wake windows throughout the day, while other babies can handle up to 2 hours of awake time at parts of the day.
It gives you so much more time to play with your baby.
Video on Baby Wake Windows
Watch the video below where Amy will answer the most frequently asked questions surrounding baby wake windows. Sometimes it helps to hear someone explain them versus reading a blog post.
5 Months
At 5-months old, your baby needs about 2 to 2.5 hours in between naps and before bedtime.
Typically the first wake window of the day is the shortest, being 2 hours, while the other wake windows throughout the day can be closer to 2.25 to 2.5 hours.
6 Months
Your 6 month old’s wake window should be between 2.25 and 2.75 hours.
Your baby’s shortest wake window is typically in the morning before their first nap of the day at 2.25 hour wake window.
Then, their wake windows increase slightly as the day goes on.
By now your baby may be taking longer naps as well, which is a win-win!
7–8 Months
A typical 7-month old wake window and 8-month old wake window is between 2.5 and 3.5 hours.
Between 7 and 8 months your baby will be probaly ready to transition from 3 to 2 naps.
Once your baby drops the third nap, you’ll stick with similar wake windows for a while and can even move to a set schedule if you want!
9–11 Months
I usually see that between 9 to 11 months, your baby may need to extend their wake windows a bit again.
Nine-month old wake windows and 10 month old wake windows are very similar and should be between 3 to 3.5 hours.
1-Year Old
Between 13 and 18 months your baby will be ready to transition to one nap and follow a one year old schedule. Your baby has come a long way since those newborn days where they just had minutes of awake time.
A 1-year old’s wake window can have a lot of range, but can be between 3.5 and 5 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions on Baby Wake Windows
How Do Wake Windows Change as Baby Grows?
Wake windows can be a bit maddening, because they are constantly changing as your baby changes.
The younger your baby is, the shorter their wake windows will be and the more sensitive they’ll be to getting overtired.
As your baby grows, they’ll be able to handle more awake time and won’t be as prone to getting overtired. (Though you still have to watch out for it).
Does Time in the Crib Count?
Sometimes a baby may be “awake” but playing contently in their crib. When should their wake window start if this is the case?
As a Pediatric Sleep Consultant here’s my general rule:
- If your baby is under 3 months old, start counting their wake window from when they open their eyes.
- If your baby is over 3 months old, start counting their wake window from when you get them out of the crib.
Should I Follow Sleep Cues or Wake Windows?
Your baby will likely show signs that they are tired as well. But around 3 months old, your baby’s sleep cues can become misleading or non-existent.
In my experience some babies need to be stretched past their sleep cues to help them finish off their wake window strong.
This typically results in a longer nap and them going down easier after a quick nap routine.
How do I Stretch Wake Windows?
Some babies will start to show sleepy cues early on in their wake window and you may think they need a nap long before they actually do. This is what happened frequently with my daughter.
Around 11-weeks old, she would yawn at the 60-minute-mark, but from trial and error, I knew she needed a little extra time in order to take a long and restorative nap.
Not having a long enough wake window before bed can cause split nights with baby.
The best analogy I can give for this is this:
If your toddler is hungry at 4:30 pm but dinner will be ready at 5:00 pm. You don’t want to give your toddler a snack now because then they won’t eat dinner.
Instead, you want to make sure they are hungry enough to sit and eat dinner with the family.
Baby’s wake windows for sleep are similar.
If your baby has independent sleep habits and is still struggling with short naps. consider their wake window. You may have to stretch them a bit in order to get them to stay awake a little longer.
A good way to stretch your baby’s wake time is to go outside or change the scenery on them. A little sun and some fresh air usually helps them get past the hump they need in order to make it to the new wake time.
You can also try enlisting big brother or sister or the family dog to help distract your baby and keep them up for an extra 15 minutes or so.
What Happens If Baby Falls Asleep Before their Wake Window?
Sometimes your baby might fall asleep before their wake window is up, especially if you are in the car or take them for a stroller ride.
I’ve been there. My daughter would always fall asleep in the car if we were getting close to the end of her wake window.
And I cut many walks short, because I saw her starting to doze off.
Some babies really need to be stretched to be able to finish their wake window.
If your baby is falling asleep before their wake window, you may need to pull out all the stops to keep them awake for those last 10-15 minutes.
When Can You Stop Paying Attention to Wake Windows?
It can be annoying to always be watching the clock and calculating your baby’s wake window. Luckily, you don’t need to pay attention to wake windows forever.
As a Baby and Toddler Sleep Consultant, I’ve learned that some parents want to follow wake windows and some parents just want the same set schedule everyday
Once your baby moves to two naps (between 6 and 9 months), you can move from following wake windows each day to using a more consistent sleep schedule.
With a two-nap schedule, your baby will nap about 2.5 to 3.5 hours after they wake up.
So you use wake windows to set their schedule but won’t need to adjust their naps or bedtime based on when they woke up from their various naps.
Nap time and bed time will be the same each day, regardless of your baby’s naps that day, which helps regulate your baby’s clock and prep their body for sleep each day.
It also gives you much more predictability to plan your day, knowing when baby’s naps will be each day!
I really think a lot of baby sleep problems can be solved by having the right wake windows for your baby. If your baby won’t sleep, check their timing and see if it needs adjustment.
implementing an eat, play, sleep routine, and setting up Sleepout Home’s curtains, our favorite nursery blackout curtains, can also help make your baby’s room conducive for sleep.
If you have any questions on your baby’s wake window, feel free to leave a question in the comments.
Hi! Our 6 month old girl have always been struggling with her naps. She can fall asleep on her own. But she takes 20 – 30 minutes naps. She is soo tired 😫 and almost everyday in the afternoon she is overtired. When she has been awake for 1,5 hour she is so tired. We have tried 2 hours wake time but it makes her almost overtired, she gets very cranky, fussy and arching back. Schould we just follow her sleepy cues or stick to 1,5 hour or schould we push to 2 hour wake time? Now she have 4 naps each day because the naps is so short.
Hi Sandra! Naps can be a challenge for sure. Hang in there! At her age, I would suggest trying to move towards the longer 2 hour wake time. You can work your way there over several days, keeping her up 10-15 minutes longer every 2-3 days until you find her sweet spot. The good news is that since she falls asleep on her own, hopefully once you can tweak the timing you will see longer naps! You do want to still pay attention to her sleep cues, but she’s quickly moving towards the age where you’ll be able to have primarily clock based naps (for the most part). If you have not yet seen this post on using crib hour to extend naps, it may be a helpful one! How to Use Crib Hour to Get Longer Naps
Hope that helps,
Lauren, The Postpartum Party Support
Hi! My 14-month-old is resisting her afternoon nap. I’m not sure if she’s ready to transition to one nap, though, because she is always tired for her morning nap and sleeps well through it. Any advice? Thank you in advance!
Hi Petia! The 2-1 nap transition can look like some days with 2 naps and some days with 1 nap for a while. You could try shortening her morning nap and see if that helps! She may need more awake time between the two naps. Hope that helps!
Lauren, The Postpartum Party Support
Our 8 month old baby has wake windows of about 2.5/3/4 and he does pretty well on that last stretch. Following a schedule of 8ish to 8ish, depending on what’s going on in the day sometimes it’s 9pm, but I usually have him sleep in 30 mins at wake up to help compensate. But what happens if baby wakes up at say 7:15 and will not go back to sleep? Do you still keep the same naps or shift them down?
Hi Kristin! That is a great question. He is getting old enough that you can watch him and see what he needs…he may need to shift his naps a little earlier, but he may also be able to stretch that first wake window some and get close to his normal nap time. It depends how sensitive he is to those wake windows, and as he gets older you’ll find yourself being able to stick fairly closely to his usual naptimes even if he wakes a little earlier than usual.
Hope that helps!
Lauren, The Postpartum Party Support
Hi,
What’s the harm in following sleepy cues regardless of age? Older generation advised to put baby to sleep whenever they’re tired and not to always stick to schedules and time because everyday is a different dsy, especially for babies… I mean we’re on the 2 nap schedule after a couple months of trying to drop and at 9 months I find that baby can get so tired or overwhelmed so soon, yet won’t/doesn’t sleep when attempting to put her to sleep (just a mother’s instinct feeling bad to see a fussy baby lol). Obviously we just end up going by the same nap time every day which falls between 10-10:30am and 1-2pm. The problem is each nap every day literally changes in length so we find that bedtime fluctuates by 30 mins- 1hr. Just curious to know how we balance the sticking to times and listening to babies cues. Thanks
Hi Juliet! That is a great question. Generally speaking, if a baby is waking around the same time each morning, they will start to get sleepy around the same time each morning for their morning nap. So, sleepy cues and clock schedule blend nicely there. It can be normal for there to be some fluctuation like you describe with the rest of the day. You use the clock schedule to give yourself an idea of what time the next nap or bedtime will be, and then use the sleepy cues to adjust if needed. As babies move into toddlerhood, the less sensitive they usually become to staying up a few minutes later to get to their normal nap or bedtime if needed, and early sleepy cues also tend to become harder to see. There is no harm in following sleepy cues at any age, but over time things tend to naturally progress to where following a clock-based schedule works well most days. You can always shift naptime or bedtime around if needed based on how tired your baby is.
Hope that helps!
Lauren, The Postpartum Party Support
My baby is 11 weeks old and naps for 30 minutes and stays awake in between 30-45 minutes between naps. Should I be extending the wake window to an hour?
Hi Malika,
At 11 weeks, I’d work on extending those wake windows to between 60 and 90 minutes!
Sweet dreams,
Amy
Hi Amy,
My daughter is 9 months old and we struggle with a consistent wake time each morning. So I’ve always adjusted her first nap time based off of what time she gets up. But sometimes when doing this her naps will only be 45-50 minutes. Should I just go strictly off the clock no matter what time she wakes up?
Hi Hannah,
Yes, at that age, I would just do a clocked nap schedule each day so you aren’t perpetuating the cycle of early morning wakeups.
You may have to stretch her some days, but overall it should help!
Sweet dreams,
Amy
Hello Amy, my baby is 3 months old and only naps 40mins at a time. His wake time is around 2hrs, any earlier and he’s wide awake. Any later and he’s very fussy and hard to settle! He is breastfed and sleeps around 7hrs at night before waking for a feed. I’m struggling to figure out how to make naps longer. Thank you x
Hi, I have a 4 and a half month old baby boy.. he usually naps about 30-40 minutes during the day (at night he sleeps from 8pm till 6-7am with no wakings) my problem is day time naps.. I’m so confused.. if he wakes after 30 minutes do I put him back to sleep? Or do I pick him up and have a age appropriate wake windows which is 1-5-2 hours? He usually does about an hour before he starts to moan and usually I’ll put him to sleep.. should I long it out? Do I always have wake windows no matter how long the nap is? Thank you
Hi my son will be 10 months old tomorrow how long should he be awake for in the day and he’s currently on 3 naps and do you stretch his wake windows? Would love him to be on 2 naps a day and bed by 9 and up at 9 same as his brother who’s autistic and very loud lol 😆
Hi Hayley,
At 10 months old, I would have him on a 2-nap schedule. This post is a good example of what his schedule could look like. Just adjust the wake up and bedtime times to fit your needs:
https://thepostpartumparty.com/babywise-6-month-schedule/
Hope that helps!
Amy
Hi Amy!
My 9 week old tends to fall asleep immediately after nursing/feeding. Should I wake him up to meet the wake window of 45-60 minutes, or is it ok if the wake window falls after the nap? Thanknn bb you!
Hi Gina,
Great question! I would make sure your baby is getting a full feed. So if he falls asleep after taking a full feed, let him. But if he falls asleep after being on the breast for a few minutes, I’d wake him up to finish that feeding!
Hope that helps,
Amy
My 12m old has a hard time staying awake the 3.5 hours at home on the weekends. It’s consistently 2.5 hrs awake time & naps for 1-2hrs so I’m still on 3 naps (a 30-45min nap at 4). It doesn’t bother me because she sleeps so well and she is sleep trained so when I lay her down she goes to sleep on her own. She sleeps 12hrs at night as well. I’m wondering if she is catching up on daytime sleep on the weekends. She doesn’t nap well at daycare at all. Should I be concerned?
Hi Ashley,
If it’s not broke, don’t fix it!
It can be pretty common for babies/toddlers to make up for sleep if they miss it during the week at daycare.
It sounds like she is getting the sleep she needs!
Hope that helps,
Amy
Hi Amy! I have a 10 week old baby does not sleep more than 3hrs at a time ever. She went through a period of taking several long naps throughout the day for about a week at the 8 week mark. Now she can be up for 4-5hrs straight in the evening. When we I put her down for a nap now she sleeps for 30-45 minutes max. She often seems so tired but won’t stay asleep. I’d love to get her sleeping for longer chunks at night too more consistently. Any advice? Thanks!
Hi Laura,
That age can be so hard! It definitely sounds like she is overtired. I would get her down for a nap or bed after she’s been awake for about 60-75 minutes throughout the day. If she takes a short nap (less than an hour) you can try and extend the nap by patting her, or even holding her to make sure she gets good sleep. Good day sleep often helps with the night sleep!
You can also check out my Newborn Sleep Course where I go in more detail on sleep for babies 0-16 weeks:
https://thepostpartumparty.lpages.co/newborn-sleep-options/
I hope that helps!
Amy
Struggling with 6.5 month old. He usually wakes 7/7:30am but he’s first wake window he only lasts 30mins . What does this mean? What can I fix ?
Hi Ana,
Do you mean he is tired after 30 minutes? I would take him outside and offer him a change of scenery to try and give him a little extra wind before naptime.
Hope that helps,
Amy
I have been tracking my daughters sleep for a little over 3 weeks now. I always begin her nap routine with enough time in theory for her to fall asleep within her wake windows. I have tried increasing it and decreasing it to see if that helps. Either I’m trying to get her to fall asleep within that time and she doesn’t and thereby really
Goes over her wake window or she does fall asleep within her wake window and is up 30-45 minutes later. I haven’t been able to get her to connect her sleep cycles within a nap and extend that.
Hi Mishel,
It can be so tricky! How old is she?
Great article – one of the most helpful I’ve read!
My LO is 15 weeks, he will go to sleep in his crib in the day after a lot of shushing and singing and rocking but only ever for 30 mins! If he is held or in pram outside or in the car it’s much longer. Any advice?
Hi Jo,
So glad you found it helpful!
Babies wake up in between sleep cycles so if he is put to sleep through rocking or bouncing and then wakes up in a crib, he will likely have a hard time going back to sleep on his own. This is why I think independent sleep is so important!
Hope that helps!
Amy
Hi Amy, great article!
I am currently struggling with my 10 month old (nearly 11 months) having a split night everyday for weeks. Any advice would be great!
She is up for 1.5hours every night at around 2-3am. I have been following wake windows (3-3.5/3.25-3.5/3.75-4) but in your article you state that on 2 naps the naps should be at the same time everyday. The problem is that she wakes at different times every day ranging from 5:00-7am (I always make sure the first nap doesn’t happen before 9:30). I normally wake her from the first nap after an hour so she has a longer afternoon nap usually 1.5-2hours long (I sometimes have to wake her from this nap too). Bedtime normally falls between 7-7:30. At the moment she is getting between 9-10hours at night with the split night. She is normally sleeping a stretch of 6-7hours before she is up for the long waking before falling back asleep. During this time she doesn’t cry but is awake sucking her thumb, babbling, rolling etc. I don’t need to go into her but everyday she seems to be really tired.
What can I do to help her to sleep through the night again?
Kind regards
Sam
Hi Sam,
Yes, definitely sounds like a split night! Regardless of when she wakes up every day, I would try and keep her in her crib until the desired wake up time. Then you count the wake windows from there so the naps are the same time each day, which really puts you on a set nap schedule each day.
For example, if your desired wake up time is 7 am, you’d get baby up at 7 (even if she’s awake at 6:30). have her first nap from 10 to 11 am, then second nap from 2:00 to 3:30 and bedtime at 7:30.
Hope that helps!
Amy
Hi Amy-when stretching wake windows do you advise shortening naps, or pushing back bedtime? For example, if I’m pushing all wake windows by 15 min, would my naps shorten or baby go to bed an hour later than normal?
Hi Brittney,
It depends on the baby’s age. Sometimes, lengthening wake windows makes it so baby drops a nap altogether. If you’re in a transition, bedtime may be temporarily pushed back, but it usually means baby’s sleep needs are decreasing.
I hope that helps!
Amy
Hi,
my 6m old has always consistently taken 30 min naps. Its like an alarm clock goes off in his head and wakes up at the 30 min mark every nap!
ive tried adjusting his wake windows +/- around the 2 hour mark but no help!
he self soothes himself to sleep for his naps and at bedtime.
night sleep is generally good but we get some early morning wakeups now due to overtiredness building up during the day from poor naps
in the past ive tried to extend his naps by holding but recently have been undertaking crib hour for the last week
nothing has helped.
please can you suggest what I can try to help??
Hi Anna,
At 6 months old, he should be able to be awake closer to 2.5 to 3 hours. Also, is he going down for sleep completely awake? Make sure he isn’t getting drowsy at any feeds or during his nap routine.
If you want to schedule a free 15-minute call to see if working with me would be a good fit, I’d love to chat more: https://thepostpartumparty.lpages.co/sleep-packages/
Sweet dreams,
Amy
Hi,
Question about when the wake window should start. You say awake time starts when baby wakes up but what if baby takes a short nap (45 mins) and I go in to try to extend the nap (pop paci, burp, etc). I try for 20 mins but am unsuccessful. Baby is going in and out of sleep during this time. Does awake time start when baby first wakes up or after the 20 mins of trying. Baby is 14 weeks old. Thank you!
Hi Jessica,
That’s a great question! At 14 weeks old, start the wake window once baby is out of the crib–not when they wake up.
Short naps are super common at this age and it sounds like you’re doing a great job trying to extend it. Keep going and if your baby has independent sleep they should be able to extend those naps eventually!
Sweet dreams,
Amy
Hey Amy! I could really use some good advice. My 7 week is extremely hard to get back to sleep after she’s awake. We try to stick to an hour wake period for her, and sometimes, it works out but most of the time, she wants to be awake for 2-3 hours. We try everything to make her go to sleep and be tired but she just won’t. She’d rather look around and play then out of nowhere gets fussy because she’s overtired at that point.
Hi Madison,
That is such a tough age!
Have you gone through My Newborn Sleep Program yet? It walks you through the foundations of starting good sleep habits and what to do when baby won’t fall asleep.
You can learn more about it here: https://thepostpartumparty.lpages.co/newborn-sleep-options/
Let me know if you have any questions.
Amy
Hi Amy!
My 5 month old does 2 hours for first wake window, 2.5 hours for next one and 2.5, and 2-2.5 before bedtime.
Would you say that a good sign that the wake windows are correct is if the baby falls asleep independently and can stay asleep for Atleast 1.5 hour nap?
Thanks!
Hi Mandy,
Yes, if your baby is falling asleep independently and taking a 1.5-hour nap wake windows should be spot on. It sounds like you are nailing it!
Sweet dreams,
Amy
My 7wo often gets sleepy while breastfeeding. Should this sleepy time still be considered part of the wake window, or should the wake window be lengthened to account for this?
Hi Abby,
It’s so common for a 7wo to be sleepy during their feeds. I would try to keep your baby awake while they feed without stressing too much about at at this point. At that age, babies are awake just long enough for a feed and then back to sleep again. Don’t worry about lengthening wake windows if baby falls asleep this early on.
Hope that helps!
Amy
Hi. 6 months old LG started to nap only for 25-35 mins, fighting naps and bedtime as well and waking up early. Before we had 45-50 mins naps at least, she fell asleep quick and easy, now it takes 1h at bedtime and loads of crying. Shoul I try a 3 nap schedule? I am affraid she wil get overtired by bedtime with only short naps 😐
Hi Timea,
How long is she awake in between naps? A 3-nap schedule should be appropriate at 6 months. Here is a schedule you could followi:
https://thepostpartumparty.com/sample-babywise-5-month-schedule/
Hope that helps!
Amy
@Amy Motroni,
She has 2-2.5 hours wake windows, but her shedule is all over the place due to the 30 min catnaps. I will try the 2.5-3-3.5 WW method with her from tomorrow. Hope it will help 🙏
I have a 3 week old that we follow the feed/play/sleep method and base this on feeding every 2-3 hours during the day then nighttime is based on when she wakes because she has surpassed birth weight. BUT she has times where she stays awake for 1-3 hours!!! This has so far happened daily, and usually either during the day or in the middle of the night! Nighttime routine we keep it DARK, absolutely no stimulation at all and she will just lay there awake….then start fussing. We have tried additional feeding but that’s not it. Rocking, pacifier, additional burping; nothing has helped. She will just stay awake until the next feeding then fall asleep. I’m just really concerned and don’t know what to do!
Hi Amanda,
It sounds like she might be overtired. How is her daytime sleep? I have a newborn sleep course that walks you through how to establish good sleep habits from the start and troubleshoot when sleep is tricky. You can check it out here:
https://thepostpartumparty.lpages.co/newborn-sleep-course/
I hope that helps!
Amy
Great article and I wish they taught expecting parents about wake windows before the baby arrives 🙂
We have a 3.5 month old and we’re very mindful of her wake windows throughout the day and she naps well. However when it’s bedtime between 7-8pm she falls asleep for 30-45 minutes and then refuses to go back to bed until later. Does this mean her last wake window is too long or too short? We try not to exceed 90 minutes but will do anything to help her nighttime sleep!
Thank you again
Hi Megan,
Does she have any sleep props like feeding or rocking to sleep? Is she getting drowsy during the bedtime routine?
Either of those could be reasons for waking up after bedtime.
My 4 week old baby can nurse for 20 minutes, then diaper change and can be awake for another hour and a half.
So wake window means from the time he wakes up to the time you start TRYING for nap or the time he should be down already? My son always has a great first nap (typically only does an hour and 15 minute ish wake window) but super short 45 minute naps for the other three. We keep him up for an hour and a half and then start nap time/bedtime routine. He sleeps through the night (and has been for a while) but the short naps are driving me nuts! He’s getting about four and a half hours of day time sleep and eleven at night.
Hi Candice,
If your baby is less than 12 weeks old, count it as the total time they are awake. If your baby is older than 12 weeks old, count their wake window from the time you put them down for a nap until the time you get them up from the nap.
Short naps are super common for babies under 6 months old. If night sleep is good and that first nap of the day is good, then it may just take some time for your baby to be able to extend their naps.
Hope that helps!
Amy
@Amy Motroni,hello, same question, same problem here, 16 wo baby I cant figure out if I need to start the whole nap routine when the wake window is finished or baby should be already sleeping by then. Thank you!
@Elena,
Hi Elena, Yes count nap time routine as part of the wake window. Aim to have your baby in the crib at the end of the wake window.
If my baby is awake for 1.5 hours (11 weeks) and then only sleeps for 30 minutes, what adjustment do I make for the next sleep cycle? Shorten the next wake window and let them sleep longer? Or shorten the next sleep cycle and wake them 30 minutes earlier?
Hi Shelly,
If it’s just once in a while, i wouldn’t adjust the next wake window. It’s okay to let them sleep a little longer if they’re tired, but at 11 weeks, I try to not go past 3.5 hours for feeds.
If the naps are consistently only 30 minutes, I would look at other factors such as sleep props to see what might be causing the short naps.
Hope that helps!
Amy
Great post! I love how you broke down the early wake windows 0-6w and 7-10w! Just curious, where did you find this information? I think it is more accurate than what I’ve seen elsewhere on the internet, but just want to refer people to a source on wake windows- I have yet to find anything!Thanks