What Time Should I Go to Bed? (Bedtime Chart for Every Wake-Up Time)
The short answer: count back in 90-minute cycles
Adults sleep in repeating 90-minute cycles, moving from light sleep to deep sleep and back. Waking up at the end of a cycle — during light sleep — feels far easier than being ripped out of deep sleep mid-cycle. So the best bedtime is not a single magic hour. It is whatever time lets you complete full cycles before your alarm.
Most adults need 5 to 6 cycles (7.5 to 9 hours). Add about 15 minutes to fall asleep. Use the chart below, or try our free sleep calculator for exact times.
Bedtime chart
Find your wake-up time, then pick a bedtime from the row. The bold options give you the full 7.5–9 hours most adults need.
| Wake up at | Go to bed at (5–6 cycles = ideal) | Minimum (4 cycles) |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00 AM | 7:45 PM · 9:15 PM | 10:45 PM |
| 5:30 AM | 8:15 PM · 9:45 PM | 11:15 PM |
| 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 |
Why 90 minutes matters
Each cycle runs about 90 minutes: light sleep, then deep sleep, then dream (REM) sleep. If your alarm goes off 20 minutes into deep sleep, you wake up groggy — that heavy, disoriented feeling has a name, sleep inertia. Landing your wake time between cycles avoids it. That is the entire science behind every sleep cycle calculator.
What if you go to bed late?
Still count in full cycles. Sleeping 11:45 PM to 6:00 AM is 4 full cycles (6 hours) — the realistic minimum. What hurts more than a late bedtime is an irregular one: shifting your bedtime by 2+ hours between weekdays and weekends creates “social jet lag” that Monday-morning grogginess. Keep the same window 7 days a week.
5 habits that make your bedtime actually work
- Dim the lights 60 minutes before bed — bright light delays melatonin.
- Keep it cool: 65–68°F (18–20°C) is the sweet spot for most sleepers.
- Cut caffeine 8 hours before bed — its half-life is 5–6 hours.
- Same wake time daily — even weekends. This anchors your body clock better than a fixed bedtime.
- No clock-watching. If you cannot sleep in ~20 minutes, get up, do something dull in dim light, then try again.
What about shift workers?
If you work nights, the same math applies — just anchor it to your wake time, whenever that falls. Someone sleeping 8 AM to 4 PM needs the same 5–6 cycles. The harder part is light: wear sunglasses on the morning commute home and make the bedroom pitch dark, or your body clock keeps trying to flip you back to daytime. Consistency matters even more for shift workers — a rotating schedule is the toughest pattern of all, so lock your sleep window and protect it.
Does screen time before bed really matter?
Yes, but less because of “blue light” and more because of what screens do: they keep your brain alert and push bedtime later night after night. An e-reader with dim warm light is fine; doomscrolling in bed is not. The practical rule: screens off 30–60 minutes before your target bedtime from the chart above. If you must use one, keep it dim, warm, and boring — no arguments in comment sections at midnight.
FAQs
Is 10 PM a good bedtime? For a 6:00–6:30 AM wake-up, yes — 10:15 PM gives you 5 full cycles plus time to fall asleep.
What is the best bedtime for a 5 AM wake-up? 9:15 PM (6 cycles) is ideal; 10:45 PM (4 cycles) is the minimum.
Should I go to bed earlier on weekends? Better to keep the same schedule. “Catching up” with hugely different weekend hours disrupts your rhythm — small, consistent sleep debt recovery works better.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Talk to a healthcare professional about ongoing sleep problems.