Being the parent of a baby is full of best guesses and trial and error. Your baby is a unique person with a unique personality, and it takes persistence to figure them out — which is wonderful. But wouldn’t it be nice sometimes to get a little help? Like with sleep?
Learn how to use wake windows by age to help your baby get the optimal rest and stimulation they need. Discover here how to put your baby down at the perfect time for them to doze right off and wake up raring to go.
Table of contents
- What are wake windows?
- Wake windows by age
- A day in the life of a wake window cycle
- Recognizing your baby’s sleep cues
- Tips for finding your baby’s perfect sleep formula
- A note on baby sleep safety
- Tips for optimizing the nursery for sleep
What are wake windows?
Wake windows are exactly what you would imagine — the amount of time your baby is awake between naps. Ideally, they set up your baby for sleep success, meaning they’re tired when the next sleep period rolls around, but not too tired to prevent them from falling asleep.
Your baby’s wake windows are full of a wide variety of activities. They might include things like playing with toys, going outside, singing songs, reading books, or even engaging in your baby’s full bedtime routine.
Why are wake windows by age important?
Trying to soothe an overtired baby who struggles to calm down enough to relax can be frustrating. But there’s some science behind it.
When a baby is overtired, their body activates a stress response, leading to the release of adrenaline and other chemicals, making it much harder for them to relax. This is true for adults, too!
To avoid your little one getting to this point, you need to find their sweet spot — being tired enough, but not too tired. This is where wake windows by age come into play. They can help you anticipate your baby’s need for sleep before they show signs of being tired.
Wake windows by age
According to the National Sleep Foundation, infants should be sleeping 12 to 15 hours within a 24-hour period. If you follow these wake windows by age and the correlating range of awake time between naps, you will be on the right track to a restful sleep schedule for your baby.
Recommended wake windows by age
- Newborns: 60 to 90 minutes
- 4 to 6-month-olds: 1.5 to 2.5 hours
- 7 to 9-month-olds: 2 to 3.5 hours
- 10 to 12-month-olds: 2.5 to 4 hours
- 13 to 15-month-olds: 2.5 to 4.5 hours
- 16 to 18-month-olds: 4.5 to 5.5 hours
- 18-month-olds and older: 5 to 6 hours
A day in the life of a wake window cycle
Imagine you have a six-month-old baby who just woke up in the morning. As soon as they rise and shine, it’s time to set the clock on your wake window. Then you’re off and running! Maybe you have breakfast, then go for a walk, then read together.
Your little one, at six months, has a wake window between 1.5 and 2.5 hours long. After that, it’s time to nap. You’ll want to be on high alert for sleep cues about an hour and a half after your little one wakes up.
If you see them yawning two hours into their wake window, it’s time to put them into their bassinet or crib. Next time, put them to bed five minutes earlier, adjusting that wake window to 1 hour and 55 minutes. It’s always better to get ahead of your baby’s fatigue.
Alternatively, if your baby is very alert at the end of their wake window, aim for keeping them awake a little longer. Keep in mind, though, that your baby is constantly growing — and fast! Once you finally have a system down, it could change the next day.
Recognizing your baby’s sleep cues
You know your baby best, so remember that wake windows by age are simply general guidelines. Your baby may need something slightly different. Do what makes the most sense for your baby and you.
While you shouldn’t depend solely on your little one’s sleep cues, when you combine them with the right wake windows by age, they give you the perfect formula for putting your baby to sleep.
Here are some of the signs to look out for to know when your baby is sleepy:
- Yawning
- Rubbing their eyes or ears
- Glazed-over or dazed look
- Moving their head from side to side
- Fussing or crying
- Droopy eyes
- Arching their back
- Refusing to eat
When your baby is displaying two or three of these signs, they are most likely ready — or beyond ready — to go to sleep.
Tips for finding your baby’s perfect sleep formula
Days that run smoothly are hard to come by — especially with a baby! But incorporating a few key elements into each day can increase your odds. Try following these three tips to give you a chance at that elusive ideal experience.
1) Enjoy outdoor time.
Build some outside time into your daily routine with your baby. The sunshine, fresh air, and vitamin D can aid in more restful sleep. Being out in the daylight helps establish your little one’s circadian rhythm — knowing day equals awake and night equals sleep.
Even if it’s too cold to venture outside, open your blinds and let in as much natural sunlight as you can.
2) Keep your little one active.
Stimulating your baby’s mind and body can help them have better sleep-wake cycles. Have tons of face-to-face time, dance, sing, and talk to your little one. Go on adventures. Chances are, after a day of fun, you’ll pass out, too!
3) Create a routine.
Having a structure in your baby’s day gives them consistency. If they know what to expect, they can settle into their activities. They feel safe and, as a result, they can get curious, busy, and try new things. All of this helps them to expect and embrace their naps.
A note on baby sleep safety
In order for wake windows by age to work, your baby needs safe sleep conditions. Here’s what that looks like.
Always place your baby on their back.
Whenever it’s time for sleep, you want to place your baby on their back in their crib or bassinet. Babies who sleep on their side or stomach have an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Only put your baby to bed on safe-sleep-approved surfaces.
There are only three places your baby can be safely put down to rest: the bassinet, the crib, or the travel crib. Gear like car seats, bouncers, rockers, and swings is not safe-sleep-approved and can be dangerous.
You also want to avoid any inclined surfaces, as well as any couches or armchairs. If your little one does fall asleep on a non-approved surface, move them to the bassinet or crib as soon as you can.
Choose a firm and breathable mattress.
With all of the sleep your little one will be getting these first months, it’s important that you choose a safe mattress, and for babies, that means a firm one. The other thing you want to look for in your mattress is breathability.
The Newton Original Crib Mattress is both firm and breathable, allowing your baby adequate airflow even if they roll over. It’s also washable from cover to core, which means your little one will enjoy a cleaner, hypoallergenic sleep.
Make sure the mattress is properly fitted.
A crib is only safe if its mattress fits properly. A standard-sized crib needs a standard-sized crib mattress, which is 27 ⅓ inches by 51 ⅝ inches. If you have a non-standard-sized crib, look to the crib manufacturer for the corresponding mattress.
If you’re unsure how to know if your mattress is a good fit, do the two-finger test — you should not be able to fit more than two fingers between the side of the crib and the mattress.
Keep the crib bare.
Although it may look cute to have a crib with bumpers and stuffies, to prevent suffocation and choking hazards, never include anything except for the firm mattress, a fitted sheet, and your baby. This includes blankets until they turn at least one year old (instead, use a sleep sack).
If you want cute, find a sweet patterned fitted sheet to give your baby’s crib some style. Our Breathable, Organic Cotton Sheets feature sweet stardust prints and muted colors. They’re also super-soft and ultra-breathable.
Try a pacifier.
If you’re trying to adjust your baby’s sleep schedule to their wake window by age, try a pacifier. According to researchers, non-nutritive sucking may help your little one fall asleep easier. Using a pacifier also decreases the risk of SIDS.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that babies use a pacifier for all of their daily sleep sessions, both nap time and bedtime.
When it comes to pacifier safety, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Only use one-piece pacifiers, and don’t use any that have something attached to them for sleep.
- Never affix a pacifier to your baby’s crib or put it around their neck.
- Be sure to use the right size pacifier for your baby’s age.
- If the pacifier looks damaged, discard and replace it.
Room share; don’t bed share.
We know you might want to cuddle with your little one, but putting them down with you to sleep isn’t safe. Your bed has soft pillows and blankets, which can be suffocation hazards. Your mattress is also likely not firm enough for a newborn.
Instead of bed-sharing, get your little one a bassinet or crib that you can put next to your bed, like the Newton Bassinet and Bedside Sleeper. Our bassinet is completely washable and it’s breathable — thanks to our Wovenaire ® technology.
Also, according to the AAP, sleeping in the same room as your baby but on a separate sleep surface can decrease the risk of SIDS by about 50%.
Tips for optimizing the nursery for sleep
There are also some steps you can take to ensure that your little one’s room is perfectly primed for easy sleep. Let’s take a look.
Cool, not cold
Make sure your baby’s room is Goldilocks-approved — not too hot and not too cold, but just right! Keep the room temperature between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure your baby’s comfort and safety.
A good rule of thumb is that your little one should be dressed in one layer more than what you would wear. If they’re overdressed, they could get too hot for a restful sleep. If they’re underdressed, they could be too chilly.
Not too dry
Your baby’s nose can get stuffy if their room is too dry, so you may want to use a humidifier to keep the air moist and comfortable. According to the EPA, the guideline for general indoor air quality is approximately 30%-50%. Be sure not to go above 60%, as this might result in mold.
If you’re not sure how dry the air in the nursery is, you can purchase a device called a hygrometer, which measures the room’s moisture level.
Lights out
If your baby is going to get good shut-eye, the room has to be dark. This is easy at night, but during the day, it may require an investment in some blackout curtains.
Quiet, please
You’re also going to want to think about noise levels. If your baby is going to get a good nap, you’ll need to keep the house quiet — or as quiet as you can. If you’ve got a dog or another child, your baby can learn to adjust. Just aim for no clattering pans or loud phone calls!
To prevent outside disturbances that may wake up your little one, get a white noise machine. The ambient sound will drown out external noise and hopefully help them rest peacefully.
Restful sleep for both you and your baby
It’s important to be familiar with wake windows by age. If you know which ones work best for your baby, they can get the sleep they need to stay happy and healthy as they grow.
You’ll know you’ve got it when naps and bedtime aren’t a struggle and your baby is sleeping for long stretches. But for additional help ensuring restful sleep for your baby, get some outside time, stay active, stick to a routine, and use our ultra Breathable Mattress in your little one’s crib.
No matter which phase your little one is in right now, cherish these moments together. Even if you’re tired. (Let’s be honest. When you’re tired!) You’re doing a great job, and soon your baby will be regulating their sleep-wake cycle on their own!
Frequently asked questions
Are feedings a part of wake windows?
Absolutely. Any activity that happens between the time your baby wakes up to the time they go down for a nap is part of their wake window. This includes feeding your baby, as well as changing their diaper.
When do babies drop from three naps to two?
Your baby will probably be ready to reduce their naps from three to two when they’re between seven and nine months old. This is generally when their wake windows increase to 2 to 3.5 hours.
Does newborn sleep look like adult sleep?
Newborn sleep does not look like adult sleep. Because babies spend more time in a light sleep stage called active sleep, they may look like they’re about to wake up when they’re not. It’s easy to assume that, though, because their bodies look like they are.
Some typical active sleep movements include:
- Fluttering eyelids
- Rapid breathing
- Irregular breathing
- Body twitches
- Grunts and small cries
If you see these signs, wait a minute before you get your baby up, or you may be interrupting their sleep!
