What time should I go to bed?
An evening can become crowded when you only think about the time you want to get up. The bedtime planner works backwards from that wake-up time to show when to begin winding down, turn the lights out and allow for sleep.
Updated
Enter four time allowances
Set your wake-up time, the number of sleep hours you want to allow, the minutes you want to allow to fall asleep and the minutes you want for winding down. The starting values are 07:00, eight hours of sleep, 20 minutes to fall asleep and a 30-minute wind-down. The timing changes as you edit the fields; there is no separate build button.
Use the numbers that suit the evening you are planning. Sleep hours can be entered in 15-minute steps. Wind-down time can be zero if you want to see only the lights-out calculation, though leaving some preparation time may make the plan easier to use.
Understand the clock calculation
The planner first subtracts your chosen sleep duration from your wake-up time. That gives a planned sleep start. It then subtracts your allowance for falling asleep to find lights out, and subtracts your wind-down minutes to find when to begin winding down. A “previous day” label means the time falls on the calendar day before the wake-up time you entered.
These are simple time subtractions. The result does not predict when you will fall asleep, measure sleep quality or calculate sleep cycles. The CDC’s sleep guidance notes that quality matters alongside duration and recommends at least seven hours for adults aged 18–60. Your own needs and circumstances may differ.
A 07:00 wake-up example
Suppose you want to wake at 07:00, allow eight hours for sleep, allow 20 minutes to fall asleep and spend 30 minutes winding down. Working backwards gives this sequence:
| Time | Planned step |
|---|---|
| 22:10, previous day | Begin winding down: 30 minutes before lights out |
| 22:40, previous day | Lights out: allow 20 minutes to fall asleep |
| 23:00, previous day | Planned sleep begins: eight hours before waking |
| 07:00 | Wake up |
The plan asks you to begin the evening routine at 22:10. It does not guarantee eight hours of actual sleep. If your evening commitments end at 22:30, you can change the allowances, change the wake-up time when possible or treat the result as a sign that the plan needs reconsidering.
Fit it around a changing schedule
If tomorrow starts earlier than usual, enter that wake-up time instead of using the default. For shift work, use the time you intend to wake, even when it is in the afternoon; the previous-day labels still refer to the date before that wake-up. If your wind-down takes longer on some nights, increase that allowance and see how much earlier it moves the start.
A wind-down is simply time you set aside before lights out. You might include preparing for tomorrow or a quiet activity, but the tool does not prescribe a routine. If you want to arrange several timed steps, the routine builder can help you draft them.
Take the timing with you
This calculator does not save its fields or result in the browser. Download text creates a copy of the current timing, while Print uses your browser’s print options, including Save as PDF where available. Make a new calculation when your wake-up time or allowances change.
Real sleep varies from night to night. A clock plan cannot account for interruptions or tell you how rested you will feel. Use it as a way to make the evening timetable visible, then adjust it to your circumstances.