Wake Windows By Age: Month by Month Recommendations

Newborn baby (0, 1, 2 months)

For newborns their wake windows are usually between 45 minutes to an hour.

Indeed it means your little one may be ready for a nap just about an hour after waking up.

This can seem like a lot of daytime sleep. But remember that your baby is in a crucial stage of growth that requires plenty of rest. Their circadian rhythms are naturally adapted for this.

Naps and Sleepy Signs

Naps are on-demand, average about 4-5 a day, and vary in length (between 20' to 2 hours).

Make a point of observing your baby closely. Their sleepy signs may not be very clear yet, but by paying attention, you'll learn to recognize some cues.

The value of this toward sleep in later months is huge!

Typical variations to newborn wake windows

It's very common for a newborn baby to stay awake for longer than an hour at specific times of day.

For many this can be the late afternoon, and yet others tend to have more wakeful periods in the mornings.

This is 100% fine. All you have to do is offer ample opportunity to sleep. Just know that there's no pressure of always having to sleep right at that 1 hour mark.

More about sleep schedules by age.

2, 3, 4 month old baby

As your baby hits the 2-3 months mark, their wake windows expand slightly to between 1-2 hours, with fluctuations. And lengthen toward 4 months of age.

Your baby is briskly developing and exploring the world a bit more, hence the increased wakefulness.

It’s a delicate balance and at the same time for most a rather easy and calm period for daytime naps.

Naps and Sleepy Signs

Naps are still on-demand and single sleep cycle naps are the norm at this age. This means that some naps may be longer, but on average naps of 40-60 minutes are normal and expected.

Observe your baby, and look for clear or subtle sleepy signs. The cues may not be easy to recognize yet and won't be always the same.

But simply paying attention will teach you a lot! And they'll help you adjust your baby's schedule to real sleep needs. Guided by the wake windows, but not following them blindly.

Typical variations to 2-4 month old wake windows

Averaged over a whole day, many babies at this age are indeed really close to the wake window of 1-2 hours. But it usually varies in the course of the day.

Your baby might need a nap very soon after waking for the day. And be able to go for a bit longer in the afternoon.

This is normal and expected. Your power will be to know this: wake windows are good guidelines, ideally fine-tune to your baby's sleepy cues.

More about sleep schedules by age and setting up a bedtime routine.

4, 5, 6 month old baby

Between 4-6 months, things start to take a more predictable shape, and your baby's wake times gradually increase to about 2-2.5 hours.

Your tiny explorer is learning more about their environment, and that curiosity fuels their wakefulness. This wakefulness is good!

It helps with a healthy balance between active and calm. This nurtures healthy tiredness levels and sleeping habits.

Naps and Sleepy Signs

Typically 4 down to 3 naps, just 2 naps for some.

At 4 months old, single sleep cycle naps are still the norm meaning most unassisted naps will be less than an hour.

Toward 5 and 6 months old some of the naps can gradually become longer. Your baby may need your assistance to lengthen them at first. This can coincide with gentle self-soothing practice.

Try and become a pro at recognizing your baby's sleepy signs. The better you recognize even the subtlest signs, the easier you'll be able to set up a regular schedule.

A timed schedule regulate sleep and is ideal from about 5-6 months old. Not a rigid schedule but one with enough flexibility to keep it realistic.

Typical variations to 4-6 month old wake windows

The 2-2.5 hour wake windows can be quite exact when averaged over a whole day. But for most babies their ideal wake window will change as the day wears on. Shorter times awake earlier in the day, and a bit longer later in the day.

I have to say it though: some babies do the reverse! And are happier with longer awake times in the mornings, and need sleeps closer together later in the day.

Again the key is this. 1/ be aware of typical wake windows and nap schedules. 2/ fine-tune based on what your baby shows you they need.

6, 7, 8, 9 month old baby

For babies 6-9 months of age, the typical wake window ranges from 2-2.5 hours when on 3 naps and 2-4 hours on 2 naps.

At this age, babies are becoming more social and active, meaning they might begin to resist sleep a little more.

It's good to acknowledge this. At the same time remember that you're the adult, who knows that your baby needs a given amount of sleep.

Naps and Sleepy Signs

3 down to 2 naps for most.

From 6 months onward most babies will thrive on a timed schedule. NOT a rigidly timed one. A schedule that offers enough consistency to regulate your baby's sleep. At the same time it should be flexible enough to be realistic (and actually work).

I help parents almost daily with such nicely adjusted sleep schedules inside Overcome Frequent Waking. And we see lovely results for improved nights too.

You'll still use your baby's sleepy cues except be careful not to overly rely on them. Because if your baby had a choice, especially if they're full-on active and exploring, they'd tell you they're never tired!

Typical variations to 6-9 month old wake windows

Your baby's sleep has matured a lot by now and that means that it becomes less erratic. Or at least, can be less erratic, especially if supported by a nicely consistent nap and night sleep schedule.

This also means that the wake windows are quite reliable for many babies. They'll naturally evolve along with the transition from 3 down to 2 naps.

That said, if you find yourself constantly battling the so-called pre-scribed wake windows and numbers of naps, remember that they're not absolute truth.

There's a good chance that your baby simply is a bit, or a lot, further on the scale than the average.

9 - 15 month old baby

When your baby reaches 9-15 months, they'll have wake windows ranging from 2-6 hours. This varies through the day and increases as nap frequency reduces.

The longer wake periods allow for active play which promotes their cognitive, social, and physical development.

Naps and Sleepy Signs

With huge variations between babies for when it happens, most will transition from 2 to 1 naps between 9 and 15 months old.

Ladder schedules are typical when still on 2 naps. This means wake windows increasing during the day. 2 hours before first nap, 3 between naps, and 4 hours between last nap and bedtime.

Don't be surprised though if your baby does better on a reverse ladder, that is totally fine too!

The final nap of the day is normally a short nap.

When on 1 nap we typically expect 4-6 hours before the nap, and then 4-5 between nap and night bedtime. With the nap transition there's usually also an earlier bedtime.

The most important guide now to supplement the average wake windows and nap schedules is to avoid over-tiredness.

Typical variations to 9-15 month old wake windows

The wake windows when still on 2 naps can vary quite a bit before the transition down to 1 nap. Your baby may start lengthening wake windows in the early morning first, to 3-4 hours.

Once well settled into a 1 nap schedule, the average of 5 hours awake between sleeps is pretty reliable for most. This leads to well-balanced 24-hour sleep.

15 - 36 months old toddler

Once on a 1-nap schedule, babies over 15 months old can typically stay awake for 4-6 hours.

These extensions in wake windows reflect your toddler's growing independence and activities.

You might also enjoy the increased flexibility for yourselves when planning your days, outings, holidays, etc.

Naps and Sleepy Signs

Even if it's only 1 a day, your toddler's nap is hugely important right now. While some are good with just 1-2 hours, for some it even becomes a surprisingly long sleep (3-4 hours are no big exception!).

Get in touch for a 1:1 or join Overcome Frequent Waking if this worries you or leads to poor sleep at night. There are several actions we can take to steer your baby to optimally balanced sleep both day and night.

36+ months old

Naps are always beneficial.

As long as you keep offering a natural rest moment in the day, your little one might take a nap on some days. And simply rest on other days. This is ideal.

There will of course come a time when napping stops.

It usually starts with not taking a nap once in a while and being OK with it.

Then nap again for a few days. Then again not. And so on, until one day you'll realize that they've outgrown this stage.

Even then: always keep the option open. A nap is useful to re-charge batteries. And it's shown to support psycho-social development at any age.