Reference
Wake Windows by Age
Wake windows are the awake time between sleeps. Get them right and naps are easier. Get them wrong and you'll fight your baby into the crib every time. Find the recommended range for any age below.
Wake windows by age: full reference
The age-by-age reference below is built on consensus from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's 2016 sleep duration recommendations, and the National Sleep Foundation. To turn these into an actual daily schedule, use the Daily Sleep Planner.
| Age | Wake window | Naps / day | Total sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newborn (0-1 month) | 45m - 1h | 4-6 | 14-17h |
| 2-3 months | 1h - 1h 30m | 4-5 | 14-17h |
| 3-4 months | 1h 15m - 2h | 3-5 | 12-16h |
| 4-6 months | 1h 30m - 2h 15m | 3-4 | 12-15h |
| 6-9 months | 2h - 3h | 2-3 | 12-15h |
| 9-12 months | 2h 30m - 3h 30m | 2 | 12-15h |
| 12-18 months | 3h - 4h 30m | 1-2 | 11-14h |
| 18-24 months | 4h - 6h | 1 | 11-14h |
| 2-3 years | 5h - 7h | 1 | 11-14h |
| 3-5 years | 6h - 12h | 0-1 | 10-13h |
How to actually use wake windows
The ranges above are a starting point, not a prescription. Here is what good wake window practice looks like in real life:
Start the timer when your baby wakes up
Wake windows start the moment your baby's eyes open, not when she finishes her bottle or finishes nursing. A 45-minute morning feeding burns through almost half of a newborn's wake window before you've even gotten out of the chair.
Watch for sleepy cues 10-15 minutes before the window ends
Sleepy cues tell you when your baby is ready, regardless of what the clock says. The clock tells you when to start watching. Common cues: rubbing eyes, pulling ears, looking away, slowing down, glazed stare, getting suddenly clingy or whiny.
If naps are short, the wake window is probably too long
The most common wake window mistake is being five to ten minutes late. An overtired baby's body releases cortisol, which interferes with sleep. Counterintuitively, the fix for short naps is often to put the baby down sooner, not later.
If bedtime is a battle, look at the last nap
The wake window between the last nap and bedtime is often the longest of the day. If your 9-month-old is bouncing off the walls at 7 PM, the last nap probably ended too late, or was too long, or wake windows earlier in the day stretched too far.
Frequently asked questions
What is a wake window?
A wake window is the amount of time your baby is awake between sleep periods (between waking up in the morning and the first nap, between each nap, and between the last nap and bedtime). Matching wake windows to your baby's age is the single biggest lever for smoother naps and easier bedtimes.
Why does my baby's wake window matter?
Too-short wake windows mean your baby isn't tired enough to settle. Too-long wake windows mean she's overtired, and overtired babies sleep worse, not better. The right wake window puts your baby into the crib with just enough sleep pressure built up to fall asleep, but not so much that her body has gone past the optimal window.
How accurate are wake window ranges?
Wake window ranges describe the typical curve for most babies at a given age. Your specific baby may sit at the shorter or longer end of the range. Use them as a starting point, then adjust based on what you observe. Sleepy cues (rubbing eyes, looking away, fussiness) almost always beat the clock.
Should I follow wake windows or sleep cues?
Both. Wake windows tell you when to start watching for cues. Cues tell you when to actually put your baby down. If your baby is consistently melting down before the wake window's recommended end, she's on the shorter end of the range and you should put her down sooner.
What if my baby has a longer or shorter wake window than the range?
It's normal. Wake windows are population-level averages, and individual babies vary. The right wake window for your baby is the one that consistently leads to easier nap-downs and full-length naps (45+ minutes for older babies). Adjust by 10-15 minutes at a time and watch what happens.
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