What time should you actually go to bed?
Sleep runs in 90-minute cycles, and waking between them beats waking mid-cycle. Pick your wake time; the right bedtimes appear.
Struggling to fall or stay asleep most nights? Take the 2-minute sleep check.
Common questions
What time should I go to bed?
Count backward from your wake time in blocks of 90 minutes, then add about 15 minutes to fall asleep. Waking at the end of a cycle feels noticeably better than being pulled out of deep sleep mid-cycle, which is why 7.5 hours of sleep often beats a broken 8. Most adults land best at 5 full cycles.
Is 6 hours of sleep enough?
For almost everyone, no. A small minority carry genes that make short sleep workable; most people who say they are fine on 6 hours have simply stopped noticing the impairment, which shows up clearly on reaction and memory tests. Adults need 7 to 9 hours regularly. Six is a floor for a rough night, not a plan.
Why do I wake up groggy even after a long sleep?
Waking from deep sleep mid-cycle causes sleep inertia, that heavy, slow feeling that can last half an hour or more. Timing sleep in whole cycles and keeping the same wake time daily reduces it. Grogginess every morning despite enough hours can also point to poor sleep quality, and snoring plus daytime sleepiness is worth a sleep apnea check.
Does the exact bedtime matter as much as regularity?
Regularity wins. A consistent wake time, even on weekends, anchors your body clock more powerfully than any perfect bedtime. Set the wake time first, protect it, and let the bedtime follow from it.