Working back from a 6:00 AM alarm
Sleep runs in cycles of roughly 90 minutes. To wake at the end of a cycle, when sleep is lighter, count back from 6:00 AM in whole cycles and then allow for the time it takes to drift off.
- Six cycles (9 hours) means being asleep by 9:00 PM, so in bed by 8:45 PM (20:45).
- Five cycles (7.5 hours) means asleep by 10:30 PM, so in bed by 10:15 PM (22:15).
- Four cycles (6 hours) means asleep by midnight, so in bed by 11:45 PM (23:45).
Getting into bed between these times isn’t a problem, but your alarm is more likely to go off partway through a cycle, which can leave you feeling groggy for a while after waking.
Which 6 AM bedtime should you choose?
For most adults, 10:15 PM is the practical choice. It gives 7.5 hours of sleep, which meets the recommendation that adults get at least 7 hours a night, and it still leaves an evening after work.
8:45 PM suits people who need more sleep: teenagers with an early school start, anyone recovering from a run of short nights, or early-shift workers whose days are physically demanding. It can feel early, so try moving your bedtime 15 minutes earlier every few days rather than all at once.
11:45 PM gives only 6 hours. It will get you through the occasional late night, but most adults who sleep this little on a regular basis start to feel it in their mood, focus and energy.
If you take more or less than 15 minutes to fall asleep
The answer above assumes 15 minutes to fall asleep. If you usually drop off faster or lie awake longer, your bedtime shifts by the difference. The highlighted row matches the times at the top of this page.
| Fall asleep in | 9 h | 7.5 h | 6 h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 min | 8:55 PM20:55 | 10:25 PM22:25 | 11:55 PM23:55 |
| 10 min | 8:50 PM20:50 | 10:20 PM22:20 | 11:50 PM23:50 |
| 15 min | 8:45 PM20:45 | 10:15 PM22:15 | 11:45 PM23:45 |
| 20 min | 8:40 PM20:40 | 10:10 PM22:10 | 11:40 PM23:40 |
| 30 min | 8:30 PM20:30 | 10:00 PM22:00 | 11:30 PM23:30 |
A sample evening for a 10:15 PM bedtime
Knowing the bedtime is one thing; getting there is another. Here is one way an evening can run when the alarm is set for 6:00 AM:
- Mid-afternoon: last coffee or tea, so caffeine has worn off by bedtime.
- 7:30 PM: evening meal finished, leaving time to digest before bed.
- 9:15 PM: get tomorrow ready: clothes out, bag packed, lunch made.
- 9:45 PM: lights down, phone on charge in another room, something calm to read.
- 10:15 PM: in bed, aiming to be asleep by about 10:30 PM.
- 6:00 AM: up with the alarm, curtains open for daylight.
Moving the 9:15 PM jobs earlier in the evening is often the easiest way to protect the 10:15 PM bedtime.
A 6 AM alarm with children at home
If the whole household gets up at 6:00 AM, children need earlier bedtimes than adults. School-age children are recommended 9–11 hours of sleep, so a child waking at 6:00 AM needs to be asleep somewhere between about 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM. Teenagers, who need 8–10 hours, fit the 8:45 PM bedtime above.
Settling children first often gives adults the quiet hour they need before 10:15 PM. For figures by age, see sleep for a 5-year-old and sleep for a 10-year-old.
Making a 6 AM start easier
A 6:00 AM alarm is easier to live with when your body clock expects it. Keeping the same wake-up time on weekends, or within about an hour of it, helps more than any single early night. Getting daylight soon after you wake, even through a window, helps set that clock too.
If you can’t get to bed by 10:15 PM, it’s usually better to go to bed as soon as you can than to stay up for the 11:45 PM slot. A little extra sleep generally beats perfect cycle timing.
More answers
- Bedtime for a 5:45 AM wake-upNearby answer
- Bedtime for a 6:15 AM wake-upNearby answer
- Bedtime for a 5:30 AM wake-upNearby answer
- Bedtime for a 6:30 AM wake-upNearby answer
- Wake-up time if you sleep at 8 PMRelated answer
- Wake-up time if you sleep at 8:30 PMRelated answer
- Wake-up time if you sleep at 9 PMRelated answer
- Wake-up time if you sleep at 9:30 PMRelated answer
Frequently asked questions
Is 10:15 PM a good bedtime for a 6 AM alarm?
Yes, for most adults. Allowing 15 minutes to fall asleep, a 10:15 PM (22:15) bedtime gives five full cycles, or 7.5 hours of sleep, before a 6:00 AM alarm.
What if I can only get to bed at 11 PM?
Going to bed at 11:00 PM gives about 6 hours 45 minutes of sleep before 6:00 AM, which ends partway through a cycle. See wake-up times if you sleep at 11 PM for times that line up better.
What time should a teenager go to bed to wake up at 6 AM?
Teenagers are recommended 8–10 hours of sleep, so an 8:45 PM (20:45) bedtime, giving 9 hours, is the better fit. 10:15 PM gives 7.5 hours, which is below the teen range.
How much sleep do I get if I go to bed at 10 PM and wake at 6 AM?
If you fall asleep by about 10:15 PM, you get around 7 hours 45 minutes, which ends partway through a cycle. See wake-up times if you sleep at 10 PM for times that line up with your cycles.
Related calculators
Bedtime calculator
Enter any wake-up time to see bedtimes that let you wake between sleep cycles.
Wake-up time calculator
Going to bed now or at a set time? Find wake-up times that land at the end of a cycle.
Sleep needs by age
See the recommended hours of sleep for any age, from newborns to older adults.
Sleep debt calculator
Add up the last seven nights and see how far you are from your sleep target.
Sources
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep.
- Watson NF, et al. Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2015;11(6):591–592. doi:10.5664/jcsm.4758.
- Hirshkowitz M, et al. National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health, 2015;1(1):40–43. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2014.12.010.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Sleep.
When to seek help
Talk to a doctor if you:
- regularly take longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep, or wake in the night and can’t get back to sleep;
- snore loudly, or someone notices you gasp or stop breathing while asleep;
- feel very sleepy during the day, especially while driving or working, despite enough time in bed.