What are wake windows?

Wake windows refer to the time your baby is awake between naps. In the newborn stage, babies have short wake windows and spend most of the day sleeping. As they grow, their wake windows lengthen, and they are awake for longer periods of time and take fewer naps.

Understanding your baby’s wake windows is essential for:

• Recognizing when your baby is ready for a nap

• Preventing your baby from getting overtired and fussy

• Ensuring your baby gets an appropriate amount of sleep

• Interacting with your baby when they are awake

• Scheduling your days

• Managing naptime, bedtime, and sleep regressions

Wake windows by age

Every baby is different, and wake windows vary. Here’s an age-based overview of how long your baby may stay awake between naps:

• Newborn to 1 month: 30 to 60 minutes

• 2 months: 60 to 90 minutes

• 3 months: 75 to 120 minutes

• 4 months: 90 to 120 minutes

• 5 to 6 months: 2 to 3 hours

• 7 to 10 months: 2.5 to 3.5 hours

• 11 to 12 months: 3 to 4 hours

Activities to do with your baby during wake windows

Here are activities to do with your baby when they are awake:

Newborn

• Tummy time

• Look at high-contrast photos or drawings

• Take a walk outside

• Practice diaper changes  

2 to 3 months

• Sing songs

• Read books

• Mirror play with a baby-safe mirror

4 to 5 months

• Introduce toys with various textures

• Play peek-a-boo

• Music time with song, dance, and movement

6 to 7 months

• Play stacking games

• Use baby-friendly musical instruments

• Begin solid foods

8 to 9 months

• Water play

• Play with ball and ramps

• Encourage crawling with an obstacle course

10 to 12 months

• Sensory play with water, sand, or dirt

• Explore the outdoors

• Socialize with other babies

Scheduling wake windows

Unlike formal sleep training with specific schedules, wake windows don’t need to be strict. The best way to maintain a solid nap and wake window routine is to follow your baby’s sleepy cues and put them down for a nap at the end of a wake window before they become overtired and fussy.

Sleepy signs

• Rubbing eyes

• Red eyebrows

• Pulling ears

• Yawning

• Fussy and irritable

• Crying (usually a sign of being overtired)

Example baby sleep schedules from newborn to 1 year

Newborn sleep schedule

7:00 AM: Wake up and feed

7:30 - 9:30 AM: Nap

9:30 AM: Feed

10:15 AM -12:00 PM: Nap

12:00 PM: Feed

12:45 - 2:00 PM: Nap

2:30 PM: Feed

3:00 - 5:00 PM: Nap

5:00 PM: Feed

5:45 - 6:45 PM: Nap

7:30 PM: Feed

7:45 PM: Bedtime

3 to 4 month old sleep schedule:

6:30 AM: Wake up and feed

7:30 - 9:30 AM: Nap

9:45 AM: Feed

11:15 AM - 12:30 PM: Nap

12:45 PM: Feed

2:15 - 3:15 PM: Nap

3:45 PM: Feed

4:45 - 5:30 PM: Nap

6:30 PM: Feed

7:15 PM: Bedtime

6 to 9 month old sleep schedule:

6:30 AM: Wake up and milk feed

8:00 AM: Solid food

9:00 AM: Milk feed

9:15 - 10:30 AM: Nap

12:00 PM: Milk feed

12:30 PM: Solid food

1:30 - 3:00 PM: Nap

3:30 PM: Milk feed

5:00 PM: Solid food

6:15 PM: Milk feed

6:30 PM: Bedtime

10 to 12 month sleep schedule:

7:00 AM: Wake up and milk feed

8 AM: Solid food

9:30 AM: Milk feed

10 -11:30 AM: Nap

1:00 PM: Milk feed

1:30 PM: Solid food

2:30 - 4:00 PM: Nap

4:00 PM: Milk feed

5:00 PM: Solid food

6:30 PM: Milk feed

7:30 PM: Bedtime

Do sleep regressions influence wake windows?

Sleep regressions make it harder for a child to fall asleep and can extend their wake windows. Regressions can also cause them to sleep in later than usual or nap later in the day, making bedtime more challenging.

Nap time and wake windows

Depending on their age, most babies nap for 1 to 2 hours. If your baby takes an unusually long nap,  maintain consistent wake windows, but avoid keeping them up too late to prevent bedtime struggles. If your baby is sick, let them sleep as much as they need to help their recovery.

Contact a Summer Health sleep specialist with questions or concerns about your baby’s sleep schedule or wake windows.