What time should I go to bed? Find your ideal bedtime
A night is made up of several cycles of roughly an hour and a half. Tell us when you want to get up (or when you're going to bed) and we'll suggest the times that fall between two cycles.
We allow about 15 minutes to fall asleep. These times are rough guides: cycle length varies from person to person and from night to night.
Two naps that work well: the short one (20 minutes, you stay in light sleep and wake up easily) and the full cycle (90 minutes, best avoided after 4 PM). In between, you risk waking up in the middle of deep sleep.
What time should I go to bed to wake up at…?
The times below allow 15 minutes to fall asleep and count 90-minute cycles. The “5 cycles” column (7.5 hours of sleep) suits most adults.
| I wake up at | 6 cycles (9 h) | 5 cycles (7.5 h) | 4 cycles (6 h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 AM | 8:45 PM | 10:15 PM | 11:45 PM |
| 6:30 AM | 9:15 PM | 10:45 PM | 12:15 AM |
| 7:00 AM | 9:45 PM | 11:15 PM | 12:45 AM |
| 7:30 AM | 10:15 PM | 11:45 PM | 1:15 AM |
| 8:00 AM | 10:45 PM | 12:15 AM | 1:45 AM |
Sleep cycles in a nutshell
Over the course of the night, we go through the same stages several times: light sleep, then deep sleep, then REM sleep, the dreaming stage. One full loop takes about 90 minutes on average, with big differences between people (often 70 to 120 minutes).
Waking up at the end of a cycle, during lighter sleep, is often described as more pleasant than waking up in the middle of deep sleep. That's the idea behind this calculator: a simple tool to plan your night, not a measurement of your sleep.
The first part of the night is rich in deep sleep, which rests the body; the last part is rich in REM sleep, the stage of dreams and memory. Cutting a night short mostly cuts into dreams; going to bed very late mostly cuts into deep sleep. That's why a regular bedtime matters.
This tool doesn't measure anything and does not replace a doctor's advice. If you feel tired even though you get enough sleep, talk to a doctor about it.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
- How long is a sleep cycle?
- On average, about 90 minutes in adults, but it varies from person to person and over the course of the night, often between 70 and 120 minutes.
- How many sleep cycles are there in a night?
- A night usually has 4 to 6 cycles. Scientific societies talk about 7 to 9 hours of sleep for most adults, with big differences from one person to the next.
- What time should I go to bed to wake up at 6?
- Around 8:45 PM (6 cycles), 10:15 PM (5 cycles) or 11:45 PM (4 cycles), allowing 15 minutes to fall asleep. The table above covers other wake-up times.
- Why allow 15 minutes to fall asleep?
- It's an average that's commonly used as a reference for how long it takes to drift off. If you fall asleep faster or slower, simply adjust the suggested time.
- How long should a nap be?
- Either 20 minutes (you stay in light sleep and wake up easily) or a full cycle of about 90 minutes. In between, you often wake up in the middle of deep sleep, feeling groggy. After 4 PM, a nap can delay falling asleep at night.
- What if I wake up in the middle of the night?
- It's common and normal, especially at the end of a cycle. What matters is not checking the clock and not fighting it: a short back-to-sleep session can help.
- Is this calculation reliable?
- It's a guide for planning your night, not a measurement of your sleep. The best indicator is still feeling rested during the day.
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