So, let’s discuss babies’ morning wake-up times, and how to create a predictable sleep schedule for your baby that will put you both on the path for independent sleep. 

When should newborns get up?

In the beginning, when baby is 1-2 months old, you define their morning wake-up time and routine. Newborns’ overnight sleep is commonly erratic, so if you are able, feel free to soak up a few extra minutes (or hours) in the morning to make up for the sleep you may have missed in the night. However, by the time baby is 2-3 months old, I encourage you to embrace routine and set a consistent morning wake-up time.

What’s a wake window, anyway?

A wake window is the amount of time your little one can handle being awake in one stretch. Some babies take weeks to develop “sleepy cues” (e.g., rubbing eyes), others may appear not to have them at all, and after a certain age (usually around 4 months old) these cues are typically not reliable.

That’s why understanding optimal wake windows can mean the difference between an overtired baby who sleeps in short spurts and one who is taking restorative naps and progressively sleeping longer stretches.

You can purchase The Better Sleep Bundle for Babies here (for just $12!).The bundle includes sleep schedules, a wake windows chart, a longer naps guide plus a bonus video.

Why does a set morning wake-up time matter?

A set morning wake-up time means that you will probably need to wake baby up. I know this may seem counterintuitive, especially as we have all heard the old adage ‘never wake a sleeping baby’! However, there are times we want to wake baby up in a gentle and loving way in order to set them on the right track for the rest of the day.

At 2 months old, I recommend waking baby by 8 a.m. and at 3 months and beyond, by no later than 7:30 a.m.; this becomes slightly earlier as they get older (6:30-7:30 a.m.), which helps to encourage longer naps during the day.

Baby’s morning wake-up time will dictate when bedtime will be, which by 3-4 months is usually about 12 hours from the time they wake up in the morning. Within these 12 hours, you can stick to their age-appropriate wake windows and introduce an easy-to-follow nap routine.

So, how much awake time can your baby handle?

• When a baby is first born, they can handle about 45 minutes
• At 2 months old, this increases to around 1-1.25 hours
• Wake windows increase by about 10-15 minutes per month until babies can stay awake 3-4 hours at a time close to their first birthday

Remember, morning wake-up times are defined by you in the beginning, and then you define it for baby later on. The Better Sleep Bundle for Babies will help you to set a flexible but predictable schedule that will put your little one on a solid path to more independent sleep. Your consistency will pay off, I promise.