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Personally, I'm a huge fan of wake windows. It is the easiest way to help your baby fall asleep easier and stay asleep longer...with less tears!
what are wake windows?
This is the amount of time from when your baby's sleep ends, to when their next period of sleep begins. This includes everything that happens between the time they are out of the crib, to when they go back in.
This includes feeding, diaper changes, playing, time outside, reading books, and sleep routines.
why are wake windows important?
When a baby is overtired, their little bodies release the hormones cortisol (the stress hormone) and adrenaline. This not only makes it more difficult for them to fall asleep at bedtime (or naps), but also leads to frequent wakings and early morning wakings. You see, cortisol is the hormone that naturally rises as the night goes on. When it peaks in the morning, it tells our body it is time to wake up.
When your baby goes to bed with their cortisol levels already on the rise, it peaks earlier than we want it to, and earlier than their bodies really need it to!
Watching wake windows ensures that your baby is offered sleep before they reach overtired.
Now alternatively, an under tired baby will also struggle to sleep. They just won't be tired enough to have a long duration of sleep. For example, at 6-months-old, a baby's sleep needs in a 24-hour period are about 14.5 hours. Now imagine they sleep for 5 hours during the daytime. They are only needing 9.5 hours more of night sleep to feel rested. If they go to bed at 7pm, that's a 4:30am wake up. You see what I'm saying here?
when do wake windows start and end?
If I told you that you needed to stare at the monitor and calculate down to the second when your baby falls asleep and when they wake up, you will go mad trying!
Not to mention, laying in a dark room with no stimulation doesn't tire them out and isn't an effective use of a wake window.
For both of these reasons, I want you to calculate their wake window from the time you physically get them out of their sleep space, to when they go back in (after any sleep routines). You can only control what you can control!
how to stretch wake windows
There will be times when you need to help your baby tolerate longer wake windows. Sometimes their bodies are used to being tired at a certain time, but it isn't enough sleep pressure to require a long nap or long stretch of sleep.
Of course we don't want to push them too far. Stretching in 5–10-minute increments is the best way to do this without totally pushing them into over tired. Ultimately, we want to find the balance between tired enough to sleep but not overtired.
This will involve watching your baby! Check out this sleep chart and figure out what your baby's age-appropriate wake window is. From there, watch the length and quality of their sleep. Are their naps short but they're waking happy? They are probably needing a longer wake window. Are they fussy, irritable, and dozing when you are going through the bedtime routine? The wake window was too long!
Remember: in the first year of your baby's life, they're growing quickly. This means their sleep needs are constantly changing. Make sure you are reevaluating each month!
how do I find the right wake window for my baby?
It's all about finding the balance. Look at the chart and then adjust according to their cues. Are they happy and content? Or are they grouchy and struggling to get to the next period of sleep?
For babies 0-4 months, sleep cues are pretty reliable. However, beyond that age, sleepy cues become less reliable and look the same as bored cues. Try switching up the activity before assuming they are ready for sleep if they haven't quite reached that age-appropriate window. If they still are struggling, go with the nap.
It is important to note that for babies on a 2+ nap schedule, wake windows will lengthen as the day goes on. However, once they are down to a one-nap schedule, the first wake window will be the longest.
what to do next
Still not feeling super confident in understanding wake windows? I have a class for that! I'll teach you exactly what to look out for and how to continually adjust to your baby's sleep needs so there is never any confusion about what to do to maintain their sleep.
If you think you've nailed their wake windows, but their sleep still isn't quite happening in a way that works for your family, I can help. Apply for a sleep assessment call and I will dive deep into your family's sleep situation, telling you exactly what is missing and your next steps to figure it out.
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