What Are Wake Windows?
If you have done any research and reading into infant and toddler sleep issues, you may have come across the term “wake windows”.
A wake window is simply a term for the maximum amount of time that a child can be awake, according to their age, until the next time that they fall asleep. If they stay awake any longer than that, they may become over-tired, leading to fussiness, crying and whining, tantrums, and poor sleep at night.
Wake windows start off very short for a newborn. Sometimes all you can get in is a feeding and a diaper change before your newborn falls asleep again! That is totally normal. By 6-8 weeks old, the maximum wake window is still only 45-60 minutes. The wake windows gradually lengthen as your child grows. By the time they are 2-3 years old, they may wake up at 7am, take a nap at 1-2pm, and then go to bed at 8pm.
Knowing your child’s wake window is the starting point of building them a routine for their day. When you know the approximate times they need to eat, have awake time, and take naps, you can settle into a familiar groove at home for peaceful days and better sleep at night. It also helps you feel more confident taking your little one to daycare, hiring a babysitter, or leaving them with Grandma - you know they won’t be crazytown when you pick them up again later because they’ve gotten the right amounts of nutrition and sleep.
Wake windows are not an exact science where every child does the exact same thing. They are an approximation, one parenting tool out of many to help you figure out raising a baby and meeting their needs. When it comes to feeding and sleeping times, we want one eye on the clock and one on the baby - never focusing strictly on just one or the other.
If you have a 4 month old baby, you know the wake window is a maximum of 2 hours. But let’s say your baby woke up at 7am, it’s now 8:15am and she’s rubbing her eyes, zoning out, and blinking heavily. Oh no, it’s not 9am yet! That’s totally okay. She is telling you with her sleepy cues that she is ready for her nap. If you force her to stay awake until 9, she could become over-tired and be fussy and cranky later in the day.
Some things that can affect the length of wake windows:
child just turned x months or is about to turn x months
child was born prematurely (we have to change things sometimes for the adjusted age)
child had too much or too little stimulation during the awake time
There are a lot, of course, but those are a few common ones! Don’t worry, it’s not too hard to figure out baby and child routines. Watch your child and let them tell you what they need, while also guiding them with some structure and routine wherein they can feel secure and confident of what is coming next. You will find the happy medium between letting your child rule everything and fearfully staring at the clock :)