diff --git a/waku/node/health_monitor/event_loop_monitor.nim b/waku/node/health_monitor/event_loop_monitor.nim
index d4b8d98d2..49a2bcc6e 100644
--- a/waku/node/health_monitor/event_loop_monitor.nim
+++ b/waku/node/health_monitor/event_loop_monitor.nim
@@ -1,58 +1,78 @@
 {.push raises: [].}
 
+import std/math
 import chronos, chronicles, metrics
 
 logScope:
   topics = "waku event_loop_monitor"
 
-const CheckInterval = 5.seconds
-
-declarePublicGauge event_loop_lag_seconds,
-  "chronos event loop lag in seconds: difference between actual and expected wake-up interval"
+declarePublicGauge event_loop_load,
+  "chronos event loop load EWMA by window (1.0 = sustained lag at MaxAcceptedLag)",
+  labels = ["window"]
 
 type OnLagChange* = proc(lagTooHigh: bool) {.gcsafe, raises: [].}
 
 proc eventLoopMonitorLoop*(onLagChange: OnLagChange = nil) {.async.} =
-  ## Monitors chronos event loop responsiveness.
+  ## Monitors chronos event loop responsiveness by measuring how much each
+  ## iteration oversleeps its `CheckInterval`.
   ##
-  ## Schedules a task every `CheckInterval`. Because chronos is single-threaded
-  ## and cooperative, the task can only resume after all previously queued work
-  ## completes. The actual elapsed time between iterations therefore reflects
-  ## how saturated the event loop is:
+  ## The lag is normalised against `MaxAcceptedLag` and tracked as an EWMA
+  ## over 1, 5, and 15-minute windows (Unix load-average decay model),
+  ## exposed via the `event_loop_load` gauge (labelled by window: 1m/5m/15m):
   ##
-  ##   actual_elapsed ≈ CheckInterval       → loop is healthy
-  ##   actual_elapsed >> CheckInterval      → tasks are accumulating / loop is stalling
+  ##   load < 1.0   → within budget
+  ##   load = 1.0   → sustained lag at MaxAcceptedLag (fully loaded)
+  ##   load > 1.0   → over budget; e.g. 2.0 means twice the accepted lag
   ##
-  ## The lag (actual - expected) is exposed via `event_loop_lag_seconds`.
-  ## When lag transitions above or below `CheckInterval`, `onLagChange` is called.
+  ## `onLagChange` is called when instantaneous lag crosses `MaxAcceptedLag`.
 
-  var lastWakeup = Moment.now()
+  const CheckInterval = 5.seconds
+  const MaxAcceptedLag = 50.milliseconds
+
+  # Decay factors: α = 1 − e^(−CheckInterval_secs / window_secs)
+  # Mirrors the Unix load-average convention so each EWMA has a half-life equal
+  # to its named window.
+  const alpha1m = 1.0 - exp(-5.0 / 60.0) # ≈ 0.0821
+  const alpha5m = 1.0 - exp(-5.0 / 300.0) # ≈ 0.0165
+  const alpha15m = 1.0 - exp(-5.0 / 900.0) # ≈ 0.0055
+
+  var ewma1m = 0.0
+  var ewma5m = 0.0
+  var ewma15m = 0.0
+
+  var now = Moment.now()
   var lagWasHigh = false
+
   while true:
+    let lastWakeup = now
     await sleepAsync(CheckInterval)
+    now = Moment.now()
 
-    let now = Moment.now()
     let actualElapsed = now - lastWakeup
-    let lag = actualElapsed - CheckInterval
+    let lag = max(ZeroDuration, actualElapsed - CheckInterval)
+    const maxAcceptedLagSecs = MaxAcceptedLag.nanoseconds.float64 / 1_000_000_000.0
+
     let lagSecs = lag.nanoseconds.float64 / 1_000_000_000.0
+    let load = lagSecs / maxAcceptedLagSecs
 
-    event_loop_lag_seconds.set(lagSecs)
+    ewma1m = alpha1m * load + (1.0 - alpha1m) * ewma1m
+    ewma5m = alpha5m * load + (1.0 - alpha5m) * ewma5m
+    ewma15m = alpha15m * load + (1.0 - alpha15m) * ewma15m
 
-    let lagIsHigh = lag > CheckInterval
+    event_loop_load.set(round(ewma1m, 4), labelValues = ["1m"])
+    event_loop_load.set(round(ewma5m, 4), labelValues = ["5m"])
+    event_loop_load.set(round(ewma15m, 4), labelValues = ["15m"])
+
+    let lagIsHigh = lag > MaxAcceptedLag
 
     if lag > CheckInterval:
       warn "chronos event loop severely lagging, many tasks may be accumulating",
         expected_secs = CheckInterval.seconds,
-        actual_secs = actualElapsed.nanoseconds.float64 / 1_000_000_000.0,
-        lag_secs = lagSecs
-    elif lag > (CheckInterval div 2):
-      info "chronos event loop lag detected",
-        expected_secs = CheckInterval.seconds,
-        actual_secs = actualElapsed.nanoseconds.float64 / 1_000_000_000.0,
-        lag_secs = lagSecs
+        lag_secs = round(lagSecs, 4),
+        load_1m = round(ewma1m, 4),
+        load_5m = round(ewma5m, 4),
+        load_15m = round(ewma15m, 4)
 
-    if not isNil(onLagChange) and lagIsHigh != lagWasHigh:
+    if not onLagChange.isNil() and lagIsHigh != lagWasHigh:
       lagWasHigh = lagIsHigh
       onLagChange(lagIsHigh)
-
-    lastWakeup = now