Wake Windows and Newborn Sleep

Do you want your newborn to sleep well? Do you want them to have quality naps and longer stretches at night? Stupid questions, I’m sorry. All parents want this! One of the ways to achieve this goal is understanding and paying attention to their wake windows.

What is a wake window?

Important place to start, right? A wake window is the amount of time that your baby is awake in between daytime naps. From the moment your baby opens their eyes to the moment they fall asleep again is their wake window.

Are wake windows always the same?

Big fat NO. Wake windows are extremely variable. Your baby’s wake window will be shorter in the morning than in the afternoon.

For example: they may have a 60 minute wake window from 7am-8am, and then they may have a 90 minute wake window from 5:30pm to 7pm at night.

Also not all BABIES are the same. Some babies get tired much more quickly than others.

For example: I’m working with two six week olds right now. One has a 55 minute wake window. She is exhausted at 55 minutes. I’m working with another 6 week old who is still ready to party at the 90 minute mark.

How do I know how long my newborn needs to stay awake for?

Essentially there are two things you need to take into consideration when figuring out your baby’s wake windows.

1. Your baby
2. The clock

Your baby:

Your baby will tell you when they are tired by showing you their sleepy cues. Some common sleepy cues are:

• Start to slow down
• Slow blinks
• Glazed stare
• Avoid eye contact
• Maybe yawning or rubbing their face

Here is the kicker. New parents don’t always recognize sleepy cues. Not all babies show clear sleepy cues. And when a baby is overtired, sleepy cues go out the window! So as a baseline, we also ask parents to pay attention to recommended wake windows for their baby’s age.

The clock:

These are the common averages for newborn babies. We recommend setting a timer when your baby wakes up, and when they get to the low end of the wake window for their age…start watching your baby!

Example one: If your baby is 5 weeks old, and they wake up at 7am, then you want to set your timer for 40 minutes. We assume that compared to their little 5 week old peers, that they will begin to get tired between the 45-60 minute mark. If your baby starts showing sleepy cues at 40 minutes, 50 minutes, or maybe even 70 minutes- then you know that is their wake window for that time of day.

Example two: If your baby is 5 weeks old, and they wake at 7am…and they don’t show tired cues until 9am, it is very likely that you are missing/misreading their cues.

Whenever I start with a new family that needs help with sleep, I put their baby on the average wake windows. 95%+ of the time their baby starts sleeping better that first day. We can always adjust to individual need, but whenever a parent tells me that their “newborn doesn’t get tired,” I know that their newborn is actually overtired.

Why do wake windows even matter?

Wake windows matter because if a baby misses their wake window then they get overtired. Overtired= crabby. An overtired baby will fight a nap, and have a poor quality of nap.

Knowing your baby’s wake windows will help you set them up for the best quality sleep, and it can help you plan ahead and maybe even work towards a schedule.

For example: If your baby is awake from a nap at 2pm, and their wake window is 2 hours- you may be able to schedule a coffee date and plan for your baby to nap on the way home!

Still Confused?

Let us help. Our video series explains ALL of this in detail. And even gives Real-life examples of babies showing sleepy cues.

If you’re looking for a 1:1 option, our sister agency offers a virtual support program called DREAMY NEWBORNS that holds your hand and walks you through understanding your baby.