Best Bedtimes To Wake Up At 5:00 PM

Based on 90-minute sleep cycles and ~15 minutes to fall asleep, here are your best options.

12:15 PM
3 cycles (4.5h)
10:45 AM
4 cycles (6h)
9:15 AM
5 cycles (7.5h)
7:45 AM
6 cycles (9h)

How This Works

A full sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes, moving through light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep. Waking up at the end of a cycle (rather than in the middle of one) generally feels more refreshing. We also add about 15 minutes for the average time it takes to fall asleep.

Formula

Bedtime = Wake-Up Time − (Cycles × 90 min) − 15 min to fall asleep

Example

To wake up at 7:00 AM with 5 full cycles (7.5 hours of sleep), you'd want to fall asleep by 11:15 PM โ€” so plan to be in bed around 11:00 PM.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time should I go to bed to wake up at 5:00 PM?

Good options are 12:15 PM (4.5h), 10:45 AM (6h), 9:15 AM (7.5h), 7:45 AM (9h).

Why 90-minute increments?

A full sleep cycle lasts approximately 90 minutes. Waking up at the end of a cycle, rather than mid-cycle, tends to feel less groggy.