What Time Should I Go to Bed?
Answer first: count back 5-6 sleep cycles from your alarm, plus 15 minutes to fall asleep. Get your exact bedtimes.
Use What Time Should I Go to Bed? ↓Sleep Cycle Calculator
Find the best times to fall asleep or wake up based on 90-minute sleep cycles. Waking between cycles helps you feel refreshed instead of groggy.
Recommended Bedtimes
The Short Answer
Take your alarm time, subtract five or six 90-minute sleep cycles, then subtract another 15 minutes to fall asleep. For a 6:30am alarm that means being in bed just after 10:45pm (five cycles) or 9:15pm (six). The calculator above gives your exact options.
Bedtime Is a Decision You Make in the Afternoon
By the time evening arrives, the night is mostly already decided: the coffee you had at 4pm is still half-strength at 9pm, bright screens are still telling your clock it's daytime, and the nap at 5pm spent the sleep pressure you needed. If your calculated bedtime keeps sliding, the fix usually lives hours earlier — check your caffeine cutoff first.
Moving Your Bedtime Earlier (Without Lying Awake)
You cannot force sleep two hours before your body clock expects it. Shift in 15-minute steps held for three or four nights each, keep the wake time fixed, dim lights an hour before the target, and get bright light on waking. Most people can move their natural bedtime by an hour inside two weeks this way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time should I go to bed to wake up at 6am?
For five full cycles, be asleep by 10:30pm, so in bed around 10:15pm. For six cycles, asleep by 9pm. Most adults do well alternating between the two.
What time should I go to bed to wake up at 7am?
In bed by about 11:15pm for five cycles (asleep 11:30pm), or 9:45pm for six. If you regularly need an alarm to wake, shift toward the earlier option.
Why can't I fall asleep at my calculated bedtime?
Sleep pressure builds on its own schedule. Move your bedtime earlier in 15-minute steps each week rather than in one jump, keep mornings anchored at the same wake time, and cut caffeine after early afternoon.
Is going to bed before midnight really better?
There is nothing magic about midnight, but earlier bedtimes front-load deep sleep because deep sleep dominates the first cycles of the night regardless of clock time. What matters is consistency and completing full cycles before your alarm.
How long should falling asleep take?
Ten to twenty minutes is the healthy range. Falling asleep in under five minutes suggests sleep deprivation; taking over thirty regularly suggests your bedtime is earlier than your body clock is ready for.