Why ‘drowsy but awake’ doesn’t work

That’s right, I said it. Your baby will never sleep straight through the night. And neither will you, for that matter. We’re all familiar with the various stages of sleep from our own experience. You might not be able to put a name to them, but you’ve certainly felt the difference between waking from a light sleep and a deep one. Simply put, when we fall asleep, we spend a little while in a light stage of sleep and gradually progress into a deeper one.

Sleep, like food, is one of those elements where baby has got the final say on whether or not they’re going to cooperate, so there’s no sense trying to force the issue. If they are not sleeping, just leaving them in their room usually won’t fix things. So here’s what’s going on, and how to fix it.

So what is a wake window and why is it important? A wake window is the amount of time that your baby can cope with being awake. This time gradually increases as the baby gets older. So if your little one is fighting their naps or is overtired at bedtime, then try following their appropriate wake window. Going to sleep at the right time for their age might just make it a bit easier for them (and you!).