Nothing you type leaves this phone.
Pick a birth date, or tap an age.
A sample day at 6 months
Woke at 7:00 am, naps around 9:00 am, 12:10 pm and 4:00 pm, bedtime 7:00 pm.
- Wake windows grow from 35–60 minutes in a newborn to 5–6 hours at 18 months.
- Naps drop from many a day → 4 at 3 months → 3 at 4–5 months → 2 at 7–8 months → 1 between 13 and 18 months.
- The first window of the day is the shortest, the one before bed the longest.
- Total sleep in 24 hours, naps included: 14–17 h up to 3 months (NSF), 12–16 h at 4–12 months, 11–14 h at 1–2 years (AASM, endorsed by the AAP).
Wake windows chart by month
These are the numbers the calculator above uses. Tap an age for that month's sample day, what changes, and the planner already set to that age.
| Age | Wake window | Naps | Day sleep | Total in 24 h | Bedtime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newborn (0–6 weeks) | 35–60 min | many, they follow feeds | 6–9 h | 14–17 h | late, 9–11 pm is normal |
| 1 month | 35–60 min, up to 1 h by 6 weeks | many | 6–9 h | 14–17 h | 9–11 pm, drifting earlier |
| 2 months | 1–1½ h | 4–5 | 4½–6 h | 14–17 h | 7:30–9:30 pm |
| 3 months | 1¼–2 h | 4 (3–5) | 3½–5 h | 14–17 h | 6:45–8:30 pm |
| 4 months | 1½–2 h on 4 naps · 1¾–2½ h on 3 | 4 → 3 | 3–4½ h | 12–16 h | 6:30–8 pm |
| 5 months | 2–2½ h | 3 | 3–4 h | 12–16 h | 6:30–8 pm |
| 6 months | 2–2¾ h (3 naps) · 2½–3¼ h (2 naps) | 3, some 2 | 2½–3½ h | 12–16 h | 6:30–8 pm |
| 7 months | 2½–3¼ h (2 naps) · 2–2¾ h (3 naps) | 3 → 2 | 2½–3½ h | 12–16 h | 6:30–8 pm |
| 8 months | 2½–3½ h | 2 | 2–3½ h | 12–16 h | 6:30–8 pm |
| 9 months | 2½–3½ h | 2 | 2–3 h | 12–16 h | 6:30–8 pm |
| 10–11 months | 3–4 h | 2 | 2–3 h | 12–16 h | 6:30–8 pm |
| 12 months | 3–4 h | 2 | 2–3 h | 11–14 h | 6:30–8 pm |
| 13–17 months | 3¼–4¼ h (2 naps) · 4½–5½ h (1 nap) | 2 → 1 | 2–3 h | 11–14 h | 6:30–8 pm |
| 18–23 months | 5–6 h | 1 | 1½–2½ h | 11–14 h | 7–8:30 pm |
| 2–3 years | 5–6½ h | 1, some none | 1–2 h | 11–14 h | 7–8:30 pm |
How many hours in all, night vs day and how wide normal is: how much babies sleep by age. Ages are adjusted ages for babies born early. Every baby runs a little ahead or behind; the calculator moves within the range week by week as your baby grows.
Wake windows month by month
How to use wake windows
Start from the morning wake-up and count forward: one window, a nap, the next window, the next nap, until the last window lands at bedtime. That is all the calculator does, with one refinement: the windows aren't equal. The first one of the day is the shortest, because sleep pressure builds fastest right after a night's sleep, and the last one before bed is the longest.
Aim to have your baby in the crib a few minutes before the window ends. Each nap has a sweet spot of about 15 minutes either side (10 minutes under 3 months). Inside it, most babies drift off without a fight; much later, and an overtired baby fights sleep.
When a nap comes out short, shorten the next window toward the low end of the range: a baby who napped 30 minutes gets tired sooner. When it runs long, the next window can stretch a little. If the day ends up short on naps, an early bedtime is the classic fix. The nap schedule planner does all of this live as you log the day. When the clocks change, see how to shift naps and bedtime.
Wake windows vs sleepy cues
Wake windows are a clock; sleepy cues are your baby telling you. They usually agree, and when they don't, the age decides which to trust.
- Under 3 months, cues first. Newborn sleep follows feeds, not the clock. Yawning, staring into space, red eyebrows and jerky arms mean it's time, even 40 minutes in.
- From about 4 months, the window first, the cues second. Plan by the window and move it 15 minutes earlier if clear early cues show up before it ends.
- Early cues (staring, turning away, quieter play) are the ones to act on. Late cues (eye rubbing, ear pulling, fussing) mean you're at the edge of the window.
- A “second wind”, sudden giggly energy late in a window, usually means overtired, not “not tired”. Put your baby down anyway.
1 nap, 2 naps, 3 or 4: when naps drop
| Change | Typical age | Signs it's time |
|---|---|---|
| 4 → 3 naps | 3½–5 months | the 4th catnap pushes bedtime late; 1¾–2 hours awake is easy |
| 3 → 2 naps | 6–8 months | the 3rd nap is refused or lands after 5 pm; bedtime drifts past 8 pm |
| 2 → 1 nap | 13–18 months, most by 18 | the 2nd nap refused for 1–2 weeks running, not a day or two |
| 1 → no nap | 3–4 years (2½–5) | 30+ minutes to fall asleep at nap time; bedtime battles |
Every transition comes with a week or two of going back and forth. The calculator offers both nap counts at those ages and tells you when a day only works with the other one.
Born early: use adjusted (corrected) age
For a baby born more than about 3 weeks early, use adjusted age: actual age minus the weeks born early. A 5-month-old born 6 weeks early sleeps like a 3½-month-old. Pediatricians use it until about 2 years. Here is how adjusted age works in the planner.
Frequently asked questions
What is a wake window?
The stretch of time a baby stays awake between two sleeps, from waking up to falling asleep again. It grows with age, from 35–60 minutes in a newborn to 5–6 hours at 18 months. Putting a baby down near the end of the window, before they get overtired, usually makes falling asleep easier.
Are wake windows evidence-based?
Partly. Wake windows aren't an official medical number: they are the ranges pediatric sleep sites and sleep consultants commonly use, and they fit the nap counts and sleep totals that large studies of babies report. The total-sleep figures are firmer: they come from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (endorsed by the AAP) and the National Sleep Foundation.
My baby doesn't fit the chart. Is something wrong?
Very unlikely. The ranges describe most babies, not every baby, and your baby can run a little ahead or behind for weeks at a time. Watch your baby more than the chart. If your baby seems unwell, isn't feeding or is unusually hard to wake, call your pediatrician.
How long should my baby be awake before bedtime?
The last window of the day is the longest: about 1½ hours at 2 months, 2½ hours at 6 months, 3½–4 hours at 12 months and 5–6 hours at 18 months.
Is it OK to wake a baby from a nap?
In the first weeks, follow your pediatrician's advice on waking for feeds. After that, ending a long nap to protect bedtime is fine; the calculator tells you when the last nap should end to keep bedtime on track.
Sources
- Paruthi S. et al., Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: a consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, J Clin Sleep Med 2016 (endorsed by the AAP): 4–12 months 12–16 h, 1–2 years 11–14 h, naps included
- Hirshkowitz M. et al., National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations, Sleep Health 2015: 0–3 months 14–17 h
- Galland B.C. et al., Normal sleep patterns in infants and children: a systematic review of observational studies, Sleep Med Rev 2012
- Mindell J.A. et al., Development of infant and toddler sleep patterns: real-world data from a mobile application, J Sleep Res 2016
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP): Corrected Age for Preemies
- Cleveland Clinic: Wake Windows by Age
- Moon R.Y. et al., Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment, Pediatrics 2022
Spotted a mistake or an outdated figure? Write to [email protected].