Wake Windows by Age: A Simple Starting Point
If there's one tool that changed how I think about baby sleep, it's wake windows. Once you know roughly how long your baby can comfortably stay awake, naps and bedtime get a whole lot easier.
What is a wake window?
A wake window is the stretch of time your baby is awake between sleeps. Too short and they're not tired enough to sleep well. Too long and they tip into overtiredness, which often means fighting sleep, short naps and more night wakes.
Watch your baby, not just the clock
Use these numbers as a guide, then fine-tune using your baby's sleepy cues:
Yawning or rubbing eyes
Staring into space or losing interest in toys
Red eyebrows or eyelids
Getting fussy or clingy
If you're seeing cues well before the window ends, try putting baby down a little earlier. If they're lying happily awake for ages, stretch it slightly.
Try the free calculator
Enter your baby's age into our free wake window calculator and get a suggested starting point for your day. You'll also get age-specific tips sent to your inbox as your baby grows.
Want a full plan?
Wake windows are the foundation, but they're not the whole picture. If you'd like a schedule built around your baby, the Sleep Reset gives you a personalised written plan plus a week of email support.
