Wake Window Recommendations

*This information is based on full term infants.

What is a wake window?

Simply put, it is the time from when you get your child out of bed to when they are next due to be asleep.

What’s included in a wake window?

Milk feeds, solids (if applicable), play time, tummy time, bath, diaper changes, and their bedtime routine.

Why do I recommend wake windows to my clients?

It can really help take the guess work out of trying to figure out when your child is due to be asleep. Furthermore, if a wake window is too short, your child may not have enough sleep pressure to fall asleep easily, leading to difficulty settling or short naps. On the other hand, if their wake window is too long, they can become overtired, making it harder to settle (and re-settle) as well as potentially causing increased wakings overnight (especially in the first half of the night).

Newborns and wake windows:

In those early weeks, wake windows are very short—which is why it can feel like your baby is constantly eating and sleeping. Their little bodies simply don’t have the energy to stay awake for long.

At this stage, I recommend focusing less on the clock and more on your baby’s cues. Look for early signs of tiredness like staring off, slower movements, red or flushed eyebrows, yawning, or glazed eyes. Acting on these cues early can make settling much easier, as newborns can become overtired very quickly.

3 - 4 months:

From around 3 months, you can still watch for sleepy cues, but you may start gently stretching wake windows to build enough sleep pressure.

By 4 months, if your baby seems tired but it feels too early for sleep, try a small reset—change rooms, step outside for fresh air, or switch activities. This can help extend their wake window slightly.

You can also learn a lot by how your baby falls asleep:

• If they’re happy but taking more than 10 minutes to fall asleep, they may need a slightly longer wake window next time.

• If they’re upset and struggling to settle, they may have been awake too long and become overtired.

  
  

Short naps throughout the day can also lead to overtiredness, so you may need to shorten the final wake window before bedtime to help balance things out.

As your baby develops, wake windows naturally lengthen—usually in small increments of 5–10 minutes at a time.

From 5 months:

While I recommend using wake windows as a guideline, I encourage parents to try and have their infant or toddler’s naps and bedtime at consistent times each day. By around 5 months, many children thrive on a schedule of three naps: a morning nap, a longer lunchtime nap (which should be the biggest of the day), and a short late afternoon nap.

Why? Because it helps regulate your child’s circadian rhythm, allowing their body to anticipate sleep times, which can make it easier for them to fall asleep.

That said, it does not mean you need to follow a rigid schedule (unless that suits you). Instead, aim for general consistency with nap times each day. It’s all about finding what works best for you, your family, and your child!

Since their last nap of the day is a short nap, they will need a shorter wake window between their last nap finishing and bedtime. Why? To avoid them being overtired by bedtime.

6 - 15 months:

Between 6 - 8 months, infants will transition to 2 naps. Once they have made the move to 2 naps, I recommend a wake window of 2.5 - 3 hours for naps and 4 - 4.5 hours before bedtime.

15 months and beyond:

The transition to 1 nap usually happens between 15 - 18 months (however, this can happen earlier for some toddlers).

You can then aim for a wake window of 5 - 5.5 hours before their nap. Before bedtime, start with 4 - 4.5 hours, especially if they have only recently moved to 1 nap.

As they get older, you may find that you need to extend their wake window before bed to ensure they are tired enough at bedtime.