Embodiments of the present invention are directed to the invocation of active states and power conservation states in accordance with the standard or diluted beacon periods defined in beacon frames. Active periods, or “awake windows,” may be defined by additional information (e.g., information elements) that is included in the beacon. Awake windows may establish periods of time during which apparatuses may contend for access to a wireless communication medium. A methodology may further be employed to help determine which apparatuses will have priority when accessing the communication medium. This criteria may be used alone or in combination with the corresponding standard channel access rules (e.g., contention) that govern operation of the particular wireless communication medium in order to control how apparatuses communicate and interact in the wireless network.