Wake-up time calculator
Find the bedtime that lets you wake between sleep cycles — or the alarm time if you are going to bed now.
Times assume about 15 minutes to fall asleep and sleep cycles of roughly 90 minutes.
Then make sure you actually get up
A good bedtime only helps if the alarm wins in the morning. Beyond Alarm keeps ringing until you finish a wake-up mission — push-ups the camera counts, a QR code in another room, a photo of your kettle — so you can't switch it off half-asleep. Then Morning Lockout keeps the apps you pick closed while you get going, and Phone Block's Strict mode is free after one short ad when you need to focus later.
How the calculator works
Sleep runs in cycles of roughly 90 minutes, and waking at the end of one usually feels easier than being pulled out of deep sleep halfway through. The calculator counts back (or forward) in 90-minute steps and adds about 15 minutes to fall asleep. Real cycles vary from person to person and night to night, so treat the times as a guide — why sleep cycle calculators are only a guide goes into the detail.
If you sleep through alarms
Pick the time, then pick an alarm that can't be dismissed from bed — see the alarm for heavy sleepers and wake-up missions.
Common questions
What time should I go to bed to wake up at 7am?
For 7:00, aim for about 9:45pm, 11:15pm, 12:45am or 2:15am — the end of 6, 5, 4 or 3 sleep cycles, allowing about 15 minutes to fall asleep.
How long is a sleep cycle?
Roughly 90 minutes on average, but it varies between people and through the night, so the times are a guide rather than exact.
What is the best alarm app for getting up on time?
Beyond Alarm: it keeps ringing until you finish a wake-up mission, such as push-ups the camera counts or scanning a code in another room, and it is free on Android and iPhone.
Beyond Alarm
An alarm that keeps ringing until you’ve actually moved — then blocks the apps that pull you back to bed. Free to start, no account.
