Sleep Time Calculator: What’s the Best Time to Go to Sleep?

Published: May 14, 2021
Updated: Sep 20, 2024
Sleep Time Calculator: What’s the Best Time to Go to Sleep?
In this article
    Reading time
    9 min

    Do you know how much sleep you need? Getting enough sleep is critical to your health in many ways, it can affect your weight and metabolism, and also your brain function and mood. In this article, you will get to know how your sleep cycle works and how to budget enough for sleep by using a sleep time calculator.


    What time do you want to go to bed?

    If you go to bed at , you should try to wake up at one of the following times:

    What time do you want to wake up?

    To wake up refreshed at , you should try to go to bed at one of the following times:


    Key Takeaways
    The amount of sleep required varies across different age groups, from infants requiring up to 17 hours to adults needing 7-9 hours per night.
    Factors like genetics, lifestyle, health, and stress levels contribute to individual variations in sleep needs.
    The provided sleep time calculator helps determine the ideal bedtime and wake-up time based on sleep cycles.
    The sleep cycle consists of five stages, including the transition from wakefulness to deep sleep and the REM sleep stage. Each cycle lasts approximately 90 minutes.
    To improve sleep quality, daily habits and routine should be adjusted. 

    How Much Sleep Do You Need?

    recommended hours of sleep per age

    The amount of sleep required varies significantly across different age groups. During the early stages of life, an infant’s need for sleep is notably high, with recommendations indicating that they may require up to 17 hours of sleep each day.

    As children grow and develop, the required sleep duration gradually decreases. For toddlers and preschoolers, the recommended range is typically around 10 to 14 hours per night. As individuals transition into adolescence, the need for sleep stabilizes at around 8 to 10 hours per night.

    By the time adulthood is reached, the recommended duration decreases further, with most adults advised to aim for approximately 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. It’s important to recognize these variations and prioritize age-appropriate sleep patterns to support overall health and well-being.

    Babies, young children, and adolescents need more sleep than adults do. However, the exact amount of sleep depends on people’s overall health. Here is the table listed for the recommended daily sleep by different age range:

    AGE RANGEDAILY SLEEP (HOURS)
    NEWBORN< 3 months14-17
    INFANT4-11 months12-15
    TODDLER1-2 years11-14
    PRESCHOOL3-5 years10-13
    SCHOOL AGE6-13 years9-11
    TEENAGER14-17 years8-10
    SENIOR18-64 years7-9
    THE OLD>65 years7-8

    Use Our Sleep Calculator

    Want to know the exact number of hours you need to increase the quality of your sleep? Use our sleep calculator to see the exact number of hours of sleep based on age. 

    sleep calculator to find the best time to go to bed and to wake up

    What Is the Best Time to Sleep and Wake Up?

    Everyone’s needs for sleep are different even within the same age group. Some may need 9 hours of sleep to get well rested while others may only need 7 hours. 

    On average, you may need 10-20 minutes to fall asleep, and it takes about 90 minutes to go through each sleep cycle. Five cycles are about 7.5 hours of sleep a night, while six full cycles are about 9 hours of sleep. Ideally, you usually feel more refreshed when you wake up at the end of a sleep cycle. 

    Here is the chart of sleep time calculator that helps you to figure out the time you need for a night:

    WAKE-UP TIME (A.M.)BEDTIME 7.5 HRS (P.M.)BEDTIME 9 HRS (P.M.)
    4:008:156:45
    4:308:457:15
    5:009:157:45
    5:309:458:15
    6:0010:158:45
    6:3010:459:15
    7:0011:159:45
    7:3011:4510:15
    8:0000:1510:45
    ShutEye@3x
    Discover ways to start sleeping peacefully with ShutEye! 
    Try For Free

    What Are the Stages of Sleep?

    Your brain and body will go through a different cycle of sleep when you fall asleep, and each cycle includes five distinct stages. Stages 1 through 3 are non-rapid eye movement sleep stages. In the non-REM sleep phase, the brain solidifies recently acquired memories and skills. After NREM sleep our bodies go into REM cycle. 

    • First Stage: you’re in the light sleep, between being awake and falling asleep.
    • Second Stage: you’re in a slightly deeper sleep.
    • Third Stage: you reach your deep sleep at this stage, and your breathing and heart rate reach their lowest levels.
    • Fourth Stage: it’s called REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and it’s a final stage of your sleep cycle. Your brain becomes most active and dream occurs. It will boost both your physical and mental performance when you wake up.

    On average, it takes you roughly 90 minutes to go through each cycle.

    sleep calculator and stages of sleep

    Learn more about sleep stages:

    Tips for Better Sleep

    To improve your sleep hygiene, you’d better revamp your habits and routines every day. Here are some ways to improve your sleep quality:

    • Do exercise every day: exercising will improve your sleep quality and reduce insomnia
    • Avoid caffeine at night: avoid these stimulants before bed which can potentially interfere with sleep
    • Turn off electronic devices before bed: your phone or tablet will emit blue light which can suppress the hormone necessary for the sleep
    • Drown out sound and light: using earplugs or a white noise machine to reduce disruptions before bed
    • Be consistent: going to bed and waking up at the same times every day helps your body develops a rhythm
    • Use a sleep app: such as ShutEye. Choose relaxing sounds to fall asleep faster and track your sleep quality for better health.
    tips to get better sleep

    Having a consistent schedule with enough time for sleep is vital to enhance your sleep hygiene, while the sleep time calculator can help you establish a bedtime and wake-up time. Finding the right recipe for sleep hygiene would involve certain trial-and-error, however, it would help to determine what works for you exactly.

    ShutEye@3x
    Discover the power of sleep with ShutEye!
    Download Now
    FAQ

    A sleep calculator is a tool that helps you determine the best time to go to bed and wake up based on your sleep needs and the sleep cycle.

    A sleep calculator works by taking into account the average length of a sleep cycle and the number of complete sleep cycles you need, then it calculates the best bedtime and wake up time for you.

    Using a sleep calculator can help you ensure that you are getting enough sleep and waking up at the right time to feel refreshed and improve your sleep quality.

    The amount of sleep you need varies based on your age, lifestyle, and individual needs. The recommended range for adults is 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

    You should go to bed at a time that allows you to get the recommended amount of sleep based on your wake up time and sleep needs. Using a sleep calculator can help you determine the best bedtime.

    The best time to wake up is at the end of a complete sleep cycle, which typically lasts around 90 minutes. Waking up at the end of a sleep cycle can help you feel more refreshed.

    You can use a sleep calculator to determine the ideal bedtime and wake up time that aligns with your sleep needs, ultimately helping you get enough sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.

    The sleep calculator takes into account the average duration of a sleep cycle and uses this information to calculate the best time for you to go to bed and wake up to coincide with the end of a sleep cycle.
    About authors
    Jessica Brown, a 29-year-old freelance copywriter passionate about human nature and deeply committed to promoting sleep and mental health awareness. Jessica holds a Master of Arts in Literary Studies from the National University of Singapore and a Bachelor's in Biology from the University of Cambridge.
    Dr. Wei Cui
    Reviewer
    Dr. Cui is a board-certified internal medicine physician and applied psychologist with more than 30 years of experience in both fields especially in terms of the regulation and intervention of sleep disorders.

    National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. "How Much Sleep Is Enough?" NIH, 10 March 2023, www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/how-much-sleep.

    Let Me Sleep! Why Teens Need More Sleep, and How Policy Could Help.  https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/tools/TLA300/TLA387-1/RAND_TLA387-8.pdf

    You may also like
    40+ Best Sleeping Meme To Laugh At
    best sleeping meme
    Updated Oct 30, 2024
    12 min