Wake windows are the stretches of time a baby can stay awake before needing sleep. They grow from 30 to 45 minutes for newborns to 3 to 4 hours for toddlers, and getting them right prevents overtired meltdowns.
I want to give you five things you might not know about wake windows. First, a wake window is simply a fancy term for how long your baby is awake between naps and before bedtime. Second, wake windows get longer as your baby gets older. Next, wake windows start when you take your little one out of the crib, and they end when you lay them back down in the crib. Wake windows don't include those few minutes that it actually takes them to fall asleep or the few minutes that they're laying in the crib before you take them out. Why? Because they're laying in a dark room. Without stimulation, the brain is resting. Next, feeding time is included during your wake window. This is why it's so important to try to keep them awake when they're at the breast or bottle. And finally, at night, there are no wake windows. We want eat and right back to sleep. No awake time. If you're struggling with this or you just want to learn more about sleep or you need help with naps, I want you to know I do have classes that can help.
