Average waketimes per age

Here are some sample ranges for "average" waketimes for infants.  There is a range but in general most babies do fit within these recommended guidelines.  Remember, with very young babies, often poor sleeping is caused from being overtired instead of undertired.  So I would first try shorter waketimes.  (Now if a child has had the same waketime and is all of a sudden waking early from naps, that is usually an indication to extend slowly).

Waketime estimates from "babywise moms":
Newborn: 30-60 minutes
4 weeks: 45-60 minutes
1-2 months: 45-70 minutes
2-3 months: 50-80 minutes
3-4 months: 60-90 minutes
4-5 months: 75 mins.-2 hours
5-6 months: 75 mins- 2 hours 10 mins.
6-7 months: 95 mins- 2 hour 20 mins.
7-8 months: 1 hour 45 mins- 2 hours 30 mins.
8-9 months: 1 hour45 mins.-3 hours
9-10 months: 2-3 hours 15 mins.
10-11 months: 2 hours 15 min-3 hours 45 mins.
11-12 monhts: 2 hours 15 mins-4 hours


Waketime estimates from "babywhisperer moms":
Newborn 50-60 mins.
1 month: 60 mins.-1 hour and 15
2 months: 1 hour and 15 mins. - 1 hour and 20 mins.
3 months: 1 hour and 20 mins. - 1 hour and 30 mins.
4 months: 1 hour and 45 mins. - 2 hours
5 months: 2 hours - 2.25 hours
Late 5 months/early 6 months: 2.25-2.5 hours
6.5 - 7 months: 2.75-3 hours
8 - 10 months: 3 - 4 hours
11 - 12 months: 3.5 -4.5 hours

NOTE: In general, Babywhisperer includes every minute a LO is awake even while in the process of falling asleep and most Babywise moms calculate waketime from the time their LO wakes until he/she is put down for a nap. For example, baby wakes at 7 am and goes down for a nap at 8:15 am and falls asleep at 8:30 am. Typically a Babywise mom would say that their baby had 1 hour and 15 minutes of waketime while a Babywhisperer mom would say their baby had 1.5 hours of waketime.  (So that is why Babywhisperer times seem quite a bit higher sometimes.  From experience, I would say Babywhisperer waketimes are a bit high and some Babywise waketimes are a bit low.  Your child's optimal waketime might be in between these figures).