Signs you are nailing your baby’s wake windows

As a parent, figuring out your baby’s wake windows can feel like cracking a secret code. When should they nap? Are they awake too long? Not long enough? It’s easy to get caught up in the guessing game. But here’s the good news: when you’re nailing your baby’s wake windows, it shows—and your baby’s sleep will thank you for it!

So, how do you know if you’re on the right track? In this post, we’ll dive into three key signs that you're getting your baby’s wake windows just right. From how quickly they fall asleep to how they wake up, these clues can help you gauge if you're hitting that sweet spot for better naps and happier wake times. Plus, if you’re not quite there yet, don’t worry! We’ll also cover what steps you can take to fine-tune your baby’s routine.

Keep reading to discover whether you’re nailing your baby’s wake windows—and how to make improvements if needed!

1. Baby takes 10 minutes or less to fall asleep at naps

The time it takes your little one to fall asleep at naptime can be a huge indicator. The sweet spot is right between 5-15 minutes. Falling asleep quicker than this, in less than 5 minutes, could be an indicator that nap is too late. If this is the case, you should try shifting nap earlier by about 15 minutes to keep your baby from being overtired before naptime. 

On the flip side, putting your baby down too soon for a nap before they have built up enough sleep pressure can cause them to take longer than 15 minutes to fall asleep. They may seem more interested in playing, babbling, and rolling around in their crib than sleeping because they simply aren’t tired enough yet. If this is the case, you should try shifting nap later by about 15 minutes to give your baby extra awake time before naptime.

2. Baby takes naps that are an hour or more

Nap length is another indicator of whether your baby’s schedule is conducive for sleep or not. If your baby is taking 1 or 2 naps that are consistently longer than 1 hour, then you’re on the right track! However, short naps can be a sign of either too long wake windows or too short wake windows.

Let me explain: Wake windows that are too long can cause overtiredness. Being overtired can lead to disrupted sleep and cause your baby to wake after just one sleep cycle around the 30-45 minute mark. At the same time, wake windows that are too short mean that your baby hasn’t built up adequate sleep pressure. Therefore when they do fall asleep for their nap, they don’t have enough pressure or drive to keep sleeping past the first sleep cycle. 

*It’s important to know that it is completely normal for the last nap of the day to be a cat nap, which bridges baby to bedtime. So if your baby is on 4 naps or 3 naps, we really only expect 2 naps to be an hour or more. If your baby is on 2 naps, then we’d love for both naps to be an hour or more but in some cases only 1 nap may end up being an hour or more. 

3. Baby is happy and content after waking up

The third biggest indicator of whether you are nailing your baby’s wake windows is their mood! If your baby is mostly happy and content when they wake up from sleep and they can happily make it to their next nap then that’s a great sign that their schedule is spot on.

However, if your baby is waking up and still seems sleepy or crabby, they likely didn’t get enough sleep or they just went down too overtired. Also, if they struggle to make it a full wake window before their next nap, this is another sign that their wake windows are off. For example: If your baby is 6 months old and typically has a 2 hour wake window but they wake up from a nap and within 30 minutes of being awake are already upset and seem exhausted… your baby is probably overtired and not nailing their wake windows.

So what can you do if you aren’t nailing your baby’s wake windows?

Now, if you can’t relate to any of the signs above, I don’t want you to feel like you are failing! There are things we can do to help your baby’s sleep schedule and get them on a better track. Keep reading for some of my go-to suggestions when you’re struggling with your baby’s nap schedule.

Download my free wake window guide

I have a free wake window chart here that you can download. This chart gives you age-appropriate averages, and obviously every baby is different, but this is a great starting point!

When using wake windows, it’s important to fully understand how to implement these wake windows. Let’s use an example of a 2 hour wake window. If using a 2 hour wake window is appropriate for your baby’s age, then you would begin the timer when you get them out of their crib in the morning. As the timer ticks towards 2 hours, you’ll want to start your naptime routine a few minutes before the end of the wake window. If you put your baby down awake for naps, then your goal is to place them in the crib at the 2 hour mark. If you assist your baby to sleep by nursing or rocking, then your goal is to start that process at the 2 hour mark. Your baby will not be asleep right at the end of their wake window, rather that’s when you want them to start trying to fall asleep.

You’ll continue this cycle as the day goes on. Starting a new wake window each time you get your baby out of their crib and using the wake window to determine when each subsequent nap and bedtime should be timed.

Start logging your baby’s sleep

Once you are following age-appropriate wake windows, then you’ll want to start keeping a sleep log. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy but you will want to note your child’s morning wake up time, nap start and end times, bedtime, and night wakings. Tracking your baby’s sleep will help you to notice patterns as well as see progress over time.

You can then use this data to determine if the average wake windows for your baby’s age are working well or if you need to make some tweaks. This can be a lot of trial and error at first so logging is a huge help until you understand your baby’s sleep needs better.

Some babies have higher sleep needs than average which means they typically do better with slightly shorter wake windows and more overall sleep. Other babies have lower sleep needs than average which means they typically do better with slightly longer wake windows and less overall sleep. By starting at the average using my free wake window chart, you can then make the correct tweaks if your child seems to need more or less awake time. 

Consider working on independent sleep

If you feel like no matter what you try with your baby’s schedule nothing is working, then it could be that your root sleep issue is something deeper. If your baby is lacking independent sleep skills and is very dependent on your help to fall asleep and stay asleep, then no schedule- no matter how perfect- is going to make up for poor sleep habits.

Addressing sleep associations and teaching your baby how to fall asleep on their own can be a great gift to give them so that they are able to regulate their own sleep instead of being fully dependent on you for that need.

Final thoughts

Nailing your baby’s wake windows can feel like a small parenting victory, and when you get it right, the results are pretty sweet—quicker naps, longer sleep, and a happier baby! But if you’re not quite there yet, don’t stress. Every baby is different, and finding that perfect rhythm often takes a bit of trial and error.

If you’re ready to take your baby’s sleep to the next level, working on independent sleep skills can make all the difference. I’m here to help guide you through the process. Let’s work together to create a sleep routine that works for your family. Book a free consultation call and get the support you need to help your little one (and you!) get the rest you deserve.