Follow age-appropriate wake windows
Table of Contents
How long should wake times be?
Follow age-appropriate wake windows
| Age | Wake window (length) |
|---|---|
| 9 to 10 months | 2.75 to 3.5 hours |
| 11 to 18 months | 3 to 4 hours |
| 1.5 to 2 years | 4 to 6 hours |
| 2+ years | 6+ hours |
When should I increase my baby’s wake time?
Signs that it might be time to increase your wake time: Naps seem to be getting shorter. It is taking longer for your baby to go down for a nap. Your baby is waking earlier in the morning. Your baby is waking more at night.
Should you cap naps at 2 hours?
The better your baby naps during the day, the more smoothly your nights will go. The length of your baby’s naps will vary from 20 to 30 minutes to an hour or more, but I recommend capping naps at no more than 2 hours long. Yes — I’m telling you to wake your sweet, snuggly, sleeping baby.
How long should wake windows be?
Birth to 12 weeks: 60 to 90 minutes. 3 to 4 months: 75 to 120 minutes. 5 to 7 or 8 months: 2 to 3 hours. 8 to 14 months: 3 to 4 hours.
Can wake Windows shorten?
Wake windows cannot eliminate short naps but it will certainly help provide the best conditions for sleep.
Should the last wake window be the longest?
At every age, the stretch of time between the last nap and bedtime should be the longest period of wakefulness during the day.
Can a 5 month old stay awake for 3 hours?
Q: How much awake time is expected for a 5 month old? A: 5 month olds typically need 2-3 hours of awake time between sleep periods. However, some can only stay awake for 1.5-2 hours in the morning.
What is a bridging nap?
A bridging nap is a short 10‐15‐minute nap which can bridge the time from an early wake, to a scheduled nap. These can be useful when trying to fix a cat napping problem, or an early wake in the morning.
Which wake window is the longest?
Age-by-Age Wake Windows
- Newborn wake window: 60 to 90 minutes.
- 4 to 6 month old wake window: 1.5 to 2.5 hours.
- 7 to 9 month old wake window: 2 to 3.5 hours.
- 10 to 12 month old wake window: 2.5 to 4 hours.
- 13 to 15 month old wake window: 2.5 to 4.5 hours.
- 16 to 18 month old wake window: 4.5 to 5.5 hours.
Does feeding count as awake time?
Does feeding time count as baby’s awake time? Yes! The time your baby spends eating is also “awake time”.
What happens if baby stays awake too long?
Long awake times can be detrimental to your newborn If your baby has been awake beyond this ”happily awake span” you have likely missed some sleepy signals, and your newborn is overtired. An overtired baby will be fussy and find it hard to sleep, yet won’t be able to stay happily awake, either.
Is the first wake window the shortest?
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 2.5 hours. Using the right wake window will help optimize their nap lengths, avoid an overtired baby, and help them sleep through the night!
Can I survive on 4 hours of sleep?
For most people, 4 hours of sleep per night isn’t enough to wake up feeling rested and mentally alert, no matter how well they sleep. There’s a common myth that you can adapt to chronically restricted sleep, but there’s no evidence that the body functionally adapts to sleep deprivation.
Do longer wake windows mean longer naps?
In a nutshell, “wake windows” are intervals between naps. They are also known as “awake windows” or “baby wake windows”. Although they have some basis in sleep science, there is little evidence that systems based around wake windows improve baby and toddler naps.
Should I feed baby every time he wakes?
Even if you are experiencing short naps, the EWS cycle will still be helpful. Feed your baby every time they wake, and focus on making it a full feed. The more they eat during the day, the less likely they are to wake to eat overnight.