Counting forward from 11:00 PM
If you get into bed at 11:00 PM and take about 15 minutes to drift off, your first sleep cycle starts at 11:15 PM. Each cycle lasts roughly 90 minutes, so the ends of cycles fall at:
- 5:15 AM (05:15) after four cycles, or 6 hours asleep;
- 6:45 AM (06:45) after five cycles, or 7.5 hours;
- 8:15 AM (08:15) after six cycles, or 9 hours.
All three are on the next day. Waking close to one of these times, when sleep is lighter, tends to feel easier than being woken from deep sleep in the middle of a cycle.
Which wake-up time fits an 11 PM bedtime?
6:45 AM is the everyday option. It gives 7.5 hours, which meets the recommendation that adults sleep at least 7 hours a night, and works with most 8:00 or 9:00 AM starts.
8:15 AM gives a full 9 hours. It’s useful on days off or when you’re catching up after short nights, but a wake-up time much later than usual can make it harder to fall asleep at 11:00 PM the following night.
5:15 AM gives 6 hours. If you regularly need to be up this early, a bedtime of 9:30 PM would give you 7.5 hours instead.
If you take more or less than 15 minutes to fall asleep
The times above assume 15 minutes to fall asleep. If it usually takes you longer, every wake-up time moves later by the difference. The highlighted row matches the answer at the top of this page.
| Fall asleep in | 9 h | 7.5 h | 6 h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 min | 8:05 AM08:05 | 6:35 AM06:35 | 5:05 AM05:05 |
| 10 min | 8:10 AM08:10 | 6:40 AM06:40 | 5:10 AM05:10 |
| 15 min | 8:15 AM08:15 | 6:45 AM06:45 | 5:15 AM05:15 |
| 20 min | 8:20 AM08:20 | 6:50 AM06:50 | 5:20 AM05:20 |
| 30 min | 8:30 AM08:30 | 7:00 AM07:00 | 5:30 AM05:30 |
If your alarm time is already fixed
Many people’s alarms are set by work or school, not by sleep cycles. If yours is 7:00 AM, an 11:00 PM bedtime ends about 15 minutes into a sixth cycle. Going to bed at 11:15 PM instead would line up five full cycles. If your alarm is 6:00 AM, see what time to go to bed to wake up at 6 AM.
Either way, sticking to roughly the same bedtime and wake-up time every day matters more than hitting a cycle exactly.
When 11 PM turns into midnight
An 11:00 PM plan often slips. If you notice you’re still up at midnight with a 6:45 AM alarm, you’ll get about 6.5 hours, a little under the adult recommendation for one night. Rather than staying up later to reach the next cycle, go to bed as soon as you can and keep your usual alarm, then aim to be back on your 11:00 PM routine the following night.
More answers
- Wake-up time if you sleep at 10:30 PMNearby answer
- Wake-up time if you sleep at 11:30 PMNearby answer
- Wake-up time if you sleep at 10 PMNearby answer
- Wake-up time if you sleep at 12 AMNearby answer
- Bedtime for a 4 AM wake-upRelated answer
- Bedtime for a 4:15 AM wake-upRelated answer
- Bedtime for a 4:30 AM wake-upRelated answer
- Bedtime for a 4:45 AM wake-upRelated answer
Frequently asked questions
Is 11 PM a good time to go to bed?
For many adults, yes. With a 6:45 AM (06:45) alarm, an 11:00 PM bedtime gives five full cycles, or 7.5 hours of sleep, allowing 15 minutes to fall asleep.
What if I wake up at 7 AM after going to bed at 11 PM?
That gives about 7 hours 45 minutes of sleep, ending shortly after a new cycle begins, so you may feel a little groggy. Going to bed at 11:15 PM, or waking at 6:45 AM, lines up better.
Why are the wake-up times marked “next day”?
Any wake-up time after midnight falls on the following calendar day. The label makes it clear which day to set your alarm for.
Related calculators
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.
Bedtime calculator
Enter any wake-up time to see bedtimes that let you wake between sleep cycles.
Nap calculator
Plan a 10-, 20- or 90-minute nap and see when to set your alarm.
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.
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. How Sleep Works.
- 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.
- 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.