Restful Naps: Proven Tips for Your 2 Month Old

Wake windows versus tired cues…which one is more reliable for your baby?

It depends on the age of your baby! I often tell parents that watching tired cues is great for newborns to about 8-12 weeks. HERE”S A TIP: wake windows and tired cues are both helpful tools you can use to determine what your baby is trying to tell you.

By closely observing your newborn for the first few months of their life you get to know what your baby is trying to tell you. What if you could look for signs of tiredness before your newborn starts crying?

Did you know that crying is a late sign of tiredness!

As you observe your newborn you can start to see tired behaviors repeated. Red eyebrows, eyes staring off into the distance, avoiding eye contact and yawning are common newborn tired cues. These signs are helpful and give you a clue that it is time for a nap for your baby. If you miss these signs your baby will let you know by get fussy and starting to cry. An overly tired baby can struggle more to fall asleep and stay asleep. So by watching their wake windows and catching them in that “sweet spot” you can avoid overtiredness and they will be able to help them fall asleep easier.

After 8-12 weeks tired cues or sleepy cues start to not be quite as accurate as wake windows. Babies can yawn at different times and confuse parents and leave them wondering if their baby is bored, tired or just fussy for no reason. If you were to inaccurately follow tired cues and lay down a baby that’s not been awake long enough then your baby might struggle more to fall asleep. Here is where wake windows start to become so helpful. It’s tool that you can use that gives you confidence as a parent to know when nap time is coming! Scroll to the bottom for a Awake Window Chart!

What are wake windows?

A wake windows is the time your baby wakes up to the time they go to sleep. Watching your baby’s wake window helps your baby not to be overtired when they go down for a nap or at bedtime. It’s a time based wake window that is age appropriate for your baby and changes as they get older. TIP– If your newborn was premature by a few weeks you would adjust the wake window based on their due date and not their birth date.

When should you start watching wake windows?

A great time to start watching wake windows is in the first few weeks of life. The first 2 weeks most newborns are pretty sleepy and are only awake for short periods of time. After about week 3-4 they start to be more alert. This is a great time to start watching their wake window to prevent overtiredness, overstimulation and increased fussiness. This is also a great way for you to start learning more about what to expect regarding age appropriate naps.

What is a good wake window for a 2 month old?

A baby this age will have very short wake windows. Here is a suggested wake window for this age…

0-4 weeks old 35-60 minutes

4-12 weeks 60-90 minutes

If you have a 4 week old aim for a 45- 60 minute wake window.

Between 5 weeks to 10 weeks aim for a 60-75 minute wake window.

If you have a 11-12 week old aim for a 75-90 minute wake window.

TIP- Remember to watch wake windows and sleep cues for the first few months to get to know what your baby is telling you. Every baby is different these are suggested wake windows at this age, feel free to add or subtract 5-10 minutes either way to find your baby’s ideal wake window.

Their wake window changes frequently the first few months. You may find yourself adding time every week as your newborn grows and changes.

At this age a great routine to help your baby’s nap go smoothly is to follow the Eat, Play, Sleep Routine.

This is an easy way to encourage your little one to fall asleep on their own.

If you need help with naps, schedules or routines schedule a free 15 Minute Sleep Evaluation Call.

Here is a Awake Chart to help you get started on better naps!