A wireless mesh network includes heterogeneous types of nodes, including continuously-powered nodes and battery-powered nodes. The battery-powered nodes may reside in a sleeping state most of the time to conserve power. The various nodes in the network may communicate with one another by transmitting and receiving at scheduled times and on scheduled frequencies. The battery-powered nodes may become active during the scheduled transmit and receive times. Network management nodes may facilitate network formation by transmitting information that reflects the scheduled transmit and receive times across the network. Based on this data, the continuously-powered nodes and battery-powered nodes may establish communication links with one another.