Spend any time looking into baby sleep online, and you are sure to hear about awake windows. I honestly had never heard of awake windows until I started my training as a sleep consultant. 

So, what are awake windows?

Awake windows, also called wake windows, are the amount of time between when a baby wakes up and when they go back to sleep. They  start right at birth and their length gets longer as babies grow. There is a range of time for awake windows for different ages and they will vary from child to child.

I think it is important to be aware that awake windows aren’t the most important thing when it comes to better sleep. 

Following an age appropriate ‘schedule’ is one factor we want to take into consideration when working towards better sleep. I’ve heard many parents stressing and obsessing about awake windows, and that’s not what I want. Life happens and we all have to be flexible sometimes. This is where I think of the 80/20 rule. I generally aim to be on track with our schedule and routines and everything 80% of the time, and the other 20% I don’t worry if we are off.

Awake windows can be great guides, but there isn’t one exact set time period that’s going to guarantee perfect sleep for your little one. Each baby has their own ideal length of awake time, and by watching your baby’s sleepy cues and noting the time you will see a trend with their awake windows. I like knowing the awake windows because it’s helpful in anticipating when nap time will be, especially when you have a baby taking multiple naps.

Awake windows are connected to sleep science as they are based on the concept of sleep pressure. Sleep pressure, or our homeostatic sleep drive, is basically part of how our bodies work in that the longer we stay awake the more the pressure for sleep builds. So how long we can stay awake before our homeostatic sleep drive tells us it’s time to sleep is our awake window. 

More about Awake Windows

Generally, the first awake window of the day is the shortest and the last one before bedtime will be the longest. The number of awake windows your child has will depend on how many naps they are taking.

Another tip with awake windows is that if your baby takes a very short nap, then it’s often helpful to shorten the next one. This may seem tricky, but it’s something that would often happen naturally anyway. For example, if your baby was woken up from their nap before they were ready, then it’s likely they will be tired sooner than if they had napped longer.

You may have heard people talk about missing their child’s awake window. This just means that their child has stayed awake longer than is ideal for them. If you find yourself in this situation, just offer a nap when you can. I wouldn’t stress about it, but depending on your child’s temperament they may become fussier or fight sleep more if they are awake too long.

Of course, every child is different and has different sleep needs so some children will have shorter or longer awake times than these and that is okay!

Here are our suggested awake windows:

 

This is confusing!

I know it sounds confusing, but I promise once you become more familiar with awake windows it won’t be. If you don’t track your child’s sleep, I find it can be helpful to note down some observations for a few days of when they are falling asleep and when they are waking. You will likely notice patterns.

Again, I don’t encourage stressing over awake windows. Also, if your baby or child is sleeping just fine, then I especially wouldn’t worry about changing things. It’s important to keep in mind that everyone has different sleep needs. This means that two babies the same age that need different amounts of sleep are going to have different awake times and that is okay.

As long as your baby is getting the amount of sleep they need and they are happy, healthy, and meeting milestones I wouldn’t stress if their awake windows don’t match with what I, or anyone else, suggests. If you do have concerns that your baby is sleeping too much or not enough, then I always encourage checking in with your pediatrician. You know your baby the best and trusting yourself and your instincts is so important.

If you want this information (and more) in a pdf that you can save, check out our free awake windows guide!

If you would like some help talking through the guide or anything about your child’s sleep, feel free to be in touch to set up a consultation. You can click the button below and schedule a free discovery call today!

Sources:

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm/sleep-drive-and-your-body-clock

https://www.medscape.com/answers/1187829-70500/what-are-the-homeostatic-and-circadian-processes-regulating-sleep

https://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/science/how/internal-clockthese