Sleep Duration & Wake Windows
Total sleep by age (24 hours):
- Newborn (0-3 months): 14-17 hours
- 4-11 months: 12-15 hours
Wake windows (time awake between naps):
- 0-6 weeks: 45-60 minutes
- 2-3 months: 1-1.5 hours
- 4-5 months: 1.5-2.5 hours
- 6-8 months: 2-3 hours
Watch for sleep cues: yawning, eye rubbing, fussiness, staring into space.
What to Do
- Learn baby's sleep cues - act quickly when you see them to avoid overtiredness
- Keep wake windows age-appropriate - overtired babies have harder time falling asleep
- Create consistent sleep environment - same place, same routine
- Darken room for all sleep (naps and night) to promote melatonin
- Use white noise consistently to mask household sounds
- Start bedtime routine 30 minutes before sleep time
- For night waking: Keep interactions boring - dim lights, quiet, feed if needed, back to sleep
- Track sleep in app or notebook to identify patterns
- Don't stress if baby doesn't match 'ideal' - wide range of normal
- Adjust bedtime earlier if baby is overtired (counterintuitive but works!)