For most adults, a good bedtime is between about 10:00 and 11:15 PM, assuming a wake-up time of 6 to 7 AM. The exact time depends on when you need to get up: count back 7.5 hours of sleep (5 full cycles) plus about 15 minutes to fall asleep from your alarm. There's no single perfect bedtime, but there is a latest one: the time that still gets you at least 7 hours.
Free toolSleep CalculatorBest bedtime or wake-up time, based on 90-minute sleep cycles.Your ideal and latest bedtime
Adults need at least 7 hours of sleep a night, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The table gives you three bedtimes for each wake-up time, all including 15 minutes to fall asleep:
- Ideal: 5 full cycles (7.5 hours). Best everyday target.
- Latest: 7 hours. Go to bed any later and you're below the minimum.
- Early: 6 full cycles (9 hours). For recovery weeks or if you naturally need more.
| Wake-up time | Early (9 h) | Ideal (7.5 h) | Latest (7 h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5:00 AM | 7:45 PM | 9:15 PM | 9:45 PM |
| 5:30 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:45 PM | 10:15 PM |
| 6:00 AM | 8:45 PM | 10:15 PM | 10:45 PM |
| 6:30 AM | 9:15 PM | 10:45 PM | 11:15 PM |
| 7:00 AM | 9:45 PM | 11:15 PM | 11:45 PM |
| 7:30 AM | 10:15 PM | 11:45 PM | 12:15 AM |
| 8:00 AM | 10:45 PM | 12:15 AM | 12:45 AM |
| 8:30 AM | 11:15 PM | 12:45 AM | 1:15 AM |
| 9:00 AM | 11:45 PM | 1:15 AM | 1:45 AM |
For more wake-up times and a 4-cycle column for short nights, see the full bedtime chart, or type any time into the sleep calculator.
Does the clock time itself matter?
Mostly, what matters is getting enough sleep at a consistent time. But there's some evidence that the hour itself plays a role too.
A UK Biobank study tracked about 103,000 adults with wrist-worn activity monitors for a week, then followed them for about 5.7 years. People who fell asleep between 10:00 and 10:59 PM had the lowest rate of cardiovascular disease. Falling asleep before 10, between 11 and midnight, or after midnight was linked to higher risk, even after accounting for sleep length and regularity. The link was stronger in women.
That's an observational study, so it can't prove the bedtime caused the difference. But it fits with the idea that a bedtime roughly in step with daylight suits most bodies.
When a later bedtime is fine
A bedtime after midnight isn't automatically unhealthy. If you're a natural night owl and your schedule lets you sleep until 8 or 9 AM, a 12:15 or 1:00 AM bedtime can give you plenty of sleep. Trouble starts when a late body clock meets an early alarm. Read more about night owls and early birds.
Shift workers are a special case. If you work nights, the goal is 7 or more hours in a dark, quiet room at whatever time your shifts allow, kept as consistent as possible.
Signs your bedtime is too late
- You need an alarm every day and hit snooze.
- You rely on coffee to feel normal in the morning.
- You sleep 2 or more hours longer on days off.
- You crash in the afternoon or doze off watching TV.
If two or more sound familiar, move your bedtime earlier. The sleep debt calculator shows how far behind you are.
How to make an earlier bedtime stick
- Fix your wake-up time first. Keep it the same 7 days a week, or within an hour.
- Move bedtime 15 minutes earlier every few days. Big jumps usually mean lying awake.
- Start winding down 30 to 60 minutes before bed. Dim lights, put the phone out of reach, do the same few things in the same order. Here's a simple bedtime routine for adults.
- Stop caffeine early enough. An afternoon coffee can still be in your system at 10 PM. Check with the caffeine calculator.
- Keep the bedroom cool, dark and quiet. If you wake with a dry mouth, you may be breathing through your mouth at night, which can make sleep lighter.
If you go to bed on time but regularly lie awake for more than 30 minutes, snore loudly with gasping, or feel exhausted despite 7 to 9 hours, talk to a doctor.