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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!)

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