When to Increase Awake Windows (And When Not To)

Adjusting awake windows is one of the most common ways parents try to improve naps and night sleep. Sometimes increasing awake time is exactly what’s needed. Other times, it can quietly make sleep worse.

Knowing when to increase awake windows, and just as importantly when not to, can prevent unnecessary sleep disruption and help you respond to your baby’s changing sleep needs with confidence.

What are awake windows?

Awake windows refer to the amount of time your baby can comfortably stay awake between sleep periods.

As babies grow, awake windows gradually lengthen. This is driven by neurological development and increasing sleep pressure, not by willpower or behaviour.

Awake windows are a guide, not a rule.

When increasing awake windows can help

There are times when short naps or unsettled nights are linked to not enough sleep pressure building before sleep.

Increasing awake windows may be helpful if you are seeing:

Naps consistently ending after one sleep cycle
Difficulty falling asleep at naps or bedtime
A late bedtime creeping later and later
Short naps that improve slightly with more awake time

Short naps at this stage are often described as catnapping, which can be influenced by sleep pressure as well as developmental factors.

Early morning waking and awake windows

Early morning waking can sometimes be a sign that awake windows during the day are no longer quite right.

If your baby is waking early and appears happy or ready to start the day, it may indicate undertiredness. In these cases, gently increasing awake windows can help rebalance sleep pressure.

This is explored further in early morning rising, which looks at early wakes in the context of total sleep across 24 hours.

False starts and awake time

False starts, where your baby wakes shortly after being put to bed, can sometimes reflect a mismatch between awake time and sleep pressure.

If false starts are happening regularly, reviewing awake windows can be helpful, but it is important to avoid making large changes too quickly.

More detail on this pattern is covered in false starts, as they can have multiple contributing factors.

When increasing awake windows can backfire

Not all sleep challenges are caused by undertiredness. In fact, increasing awake windows at the wrong time is one of the most common reasons babies become overtired.

Increasing awake windows is usually not helpful if you are seeing:

Increased night waking
Difficulty settling despite clear tired signs
Short naps paired with crankiness
Worsening early mornings
Split nights

In these cases, sleep disruption is often linked to overtiredness rather than not enough awake time.

Understanding the difference between under vs overtired is key before making any adjustments.

Split nights and awake windows

Split nights, where a baby wakes overnight and stays awake for an extended period, are rarely fixed by simply increasing awake windows.

In many cases, split nights reflect overtiredness, developmental factors, or misaligned sleep across the full day rather than a need for more awake time.

This pattern is explored in more detail in split nights, which looks at overnight wakefulness in context.

Small changes matter most

If awake windows do need adjusting, small changes are far more effective than big ones.

Helpful guidelines include:

Increase awake windows by 10–15 minutes at a time
Make changes every few days, not daily
Adjust one window at a time rather than the whole day

Sleep responds best to gradual shifts.

When to decrease awake windows instead

If sleep worsens after increasing awake windows, it may be time to reassess.

Short naps, early waking, or increased night disruption can all signal that awake windows are now too long.

Knowing when to decrease awake windows is just as important as knowing when to stretch them, especially during regressions, illness, or growth spurts.

Look at the full picture

Awake windows do not exist in isolation.

Before adjusting them, consider:

Total sleep across 24 hours
Nap structure and consistency
Developmental stage
Recent changes such as illness or milestones

Sleep is rarely fixed by one single tweak.

Looking ahead

As sleep needs shift, there will be times when your baby needs more awake time rather than more.

When awake windows are better matched to your baby’s development, naps often stabilise, nights feel less fragmented, and early mornings become easier to manage.

Having guidance through these sleep changes can make this stage far less overwhelming. The 5–24 Month Infant and 2-4 Year Toddler Course supports families through evolving awake windows, nap changes, night waking, and regressions, helping you understand when to hold steady, when to pull back, and how to support sleep as your baby grows.

The Smarter Way to Invest in Better Sleep

As your baby grows, their need for swaddling will change. Some babies transition out earlier, others later, and both can be completely normal.

If you want guidance that grows with your baby beyond the newborn stage, the 5–24 Month Infant Course supports families as sleep continues to evolve through infancy and to