Wake windows by age
A wake window is the time a baby stays awake between sleeps. Here are the ranges by age, how to use them and how much weight to give them.
Wake windows chart
| Age | Wake window |
|---|---|
| Birth to 1 month | 30 minutes to 1 hour |
| 1 to 3 months | 1 to 2 hours |
| 3 to 4 months | 1.25 to 2.5 hours |
| 5 to 7 months | 2 to 4 hours |
| 7 to 10 months | 2.5 to 4.5 hours |
| 10 to 12 months | 3 to 6 hours |
These are the ranges Cleveland Clinic publishes. Its table has no row for 4 to 5 months and stops at 12 months.
Are wake windows based on research?
No. Wake windows are a rule of thumb. They have not been tested in studies, and no medical body such as the American Academy of Pediatrics publishes a table of them. Cleveland Clinic calls its figures accepted ranges.
They are still useful as a starting point, because a baby who has been awake about that long is often ready for sleep. Treat them as a guide and not as a rule.
Wake windows after 12 months
No hospital publishes a table for toddlers. The figures you see online are common practice among sleep consultants. As one reference point, Dr. Richard Ferber's book describes a toddler on one nap staying awake for about six hours before a nap after lunch.
The awake times our sample schedules use
| Age | Naps | Awake stretches in the sample day |
|---|---|---|
| 3 months | 4 | 1 hr 15 min, 1 hr 30 min, 1 hr 45 min, 1 hr 45 min, 2 hr |
| 4 months | 3 | 1 hr 45 min, 2 hr, 2 hr 15 min, 2 hr 30 min |
| 5 months | 3 | 2 hr, 2 hr 15 min, 2 hr 30 min, 2 hr 30 min |
| 6 months | 3 | 2 hr 15 min, 2 hr 30 min, 2 hr 30 min, 2 hr 30 min |
| 7 months | 3 | 2 hr 30 min, 2 hr 30 min, 2 hr 45 min, 2 hr 30 min |
| 8 to 9 months | 2 | 2 hr 45 min, 3 hr 15 min, 3 hr 30 min |
| 10 to 12 months | 2 | 3 hr, 3 hr 30 min, 3 hr 30 min |
| 13 to 17 months | 2 | 3 hr 15 min, 3 hr 30 min, 3 hr 45 min |
| 18 to 23 months | 1 | 5 hr 30 min, 5 hr |
| 24 to 2 years | 1 | 5 hr 45 min, 5 hr 15 min |
From our sample days, which start at 7:00 am. They sit inside the ranges above up to 12 months and follow common practice after that. The first stretch of the day is the shortest.
How to use wake windows
- Count from the moment your baby wakes to the moment they are asleep again, feeding included.
- Start at the short end of the range in the morning and use the long end before bedtime.
- Watch your baby as well as the clock. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises paying attention to signs of being sleepy or overtired, so you can help your baby fall asleep before they are overtired.
- Expect them to vary. One baby's wake window can look different from another's, and from one nap to the next.
Turn wake windows into your baby's day
Answer nine quick questions. Your plan works out nap times and bedtime from your baby's age and your own wake-up time, and gives you the steps for bedtime and night wakings.
Related guides
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic. What Are Baby Wake Windows? And How Long Should They Be? April 2024.
- Ferber R. Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems. First edition 1985; revised edition 2006.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, healthychildren.org. Sleeping Through the Night.
General information for parents, not medical advice. Independent, not affiliated with the American Academy of Pediatrics or any medical body. Talk to your pediatrician about your baby's health.