A practical bedtime guide
What time should you go to bed?
Start with when you want to wake, then explore bedtimes built around complete sleep cycles and a little time to fall asleep.
Try the calculator
Wake time is saved separately from your bedtime.
Choose what you want to plan, then enter a time.
We’ll work backwards through complete sleep cycles.
Your target cycles
We'll show one shorter and one longer option.
Your recommendations
will appear here.
Choose 0 to 120 minutes.
Choose a cycle count that fits your night
The calculator works backwards from your desired wake time in roughly 90-minute intervals. Four, five, and six cycles give you a few practical options to compare rather than one fixed answer.
Leave room to fall asleep
Bedtime recommendations include an estimate for how long it may take you to fall asleep. Adjust that estimate when your usual routine is different; it is a planning detail, not a measurement of sleep quality.
How recommendations are labeled
“Center option” marks the cycle count you selected. It helps you scan the list alongside one shorter and one longer option, but it does not predict how you will feel or account for every part of your night.
Use the result as a starting point
Sleep cycles do not run on an exact schedule for everyone. Light, stress, illness, noise, and daily routines can all affect sleep. Use these times as a simple planning aid, then notice what works for your own schedule.
Learn more in how sleep cycles work.
Looking for broader cycle planning? Try thesleep cycle calculator.