What is Awake Time?

Let’s be real. When we become parents, we have no idea what we are doing. The hospital staff gives the car seat a check, then they wish us well and show us the door. And all any new parent is thinking is:

Wait … I’m just allowed to leave with my baby? 

There’s not like a test or course I need to pass first? 

I don’t know if I even trust myself with a baby. 

One thing that most first time parents don’t know about are their baby’s sleep needs. And almost more significantly, how much more they can enjoy their baby’s first year if they understand how to support those needs.

One of the keys to baby getting great sleep is understanding and following awake time.

Awake time is the length of time that baby can be awake in-between naps without experiencing a cortisol release and becoming overtired.

Cortisol causes:

• Early morning wakings

• A tough time getting to sleep

• Short naps

• Night wakings

This is because cortisol is our fight/flight/freeze hormone. 

This is how cortisol gets released:

Sleep pressure naturally builds in baby’s brain during awake time (from a chemical called adenosine). If baby stays awake too long, the build-up of sleep pressure triggers the release of cortisol.

You can prevent cortisol from releasing in baby’s brain by following the awake time that is age-appropriate for your child. 

You can know what your child’s age-appropriate awake time is by downloading my FREE Awake Times Chart 

Want to know more about awake time? I take a deep dive on my YouTube channel here. 

Sleep Sweetly,

Anna