What Time Should I Go to Bed to Wake Up at 6am? A Bedtime Table

To wake up at 6am with 7 to 9 hours of sleep, go to bed with the lights out between about 8:45pm and 10:45pm. If you want one time, 10:15pm is a good default for most adults: it allows around 15 minutes to fall asleep and about 7.5 hours of sleep, which is roughly five full sleep cycles.

The method is the same for any wake-up time: start from when you need to get up, subtract the sleep you need, then subtract the time it usually takes you to fall asleep.

This is general information from NHS, CDC and NIH guidance. If you regularly struggle to sleep or feel tired however long you sleep, talk to a GP or doctor.

How many hours of sleep do I need?

The official figures agree closely:

Age	CDC (US)	NHS (UK)
Teens, 13 to 17	8 to 10 hours	—
Adults, 18 to 60	7 or more hours	7 to 9 hours
Adults, 61 to 64	7 to 9 hours	7 to 9 hours
Adults, 65 and over	7 to 8 hours	7 to 9 hours

The US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) adds a reason to treat 7 hours as the floor: "Adults who sleep less than 7 hours a night may have more health issues than those who sleep 7 or more hours a night." The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) says "Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep a night, even older people", and also that there is "no magic amount of sleep that works for everybody of the same age."

So the honest starting point is 7 to 9 hours, then adjust: if you are still tired at 7 hours, you probably need more.

What time should I go to bed for my wake-up time?

This table works back from common wake-up times. It assumes about 15 minutes to fall asleep; if you usually take longer, move the bedtime earlier by the difference.

Wake up at	For 7 hours' sleep	For 7.5 hours (about 5 cycles)	For 9 hours (about 6 cycles)
5:00am	9:45pm	9:15pm	7:45pm
5:30am	10:15pm	9:45pm	8:15pm
6:00am	10:45pm	10:15pm	8:45pm
6:30am	11:15pm	10:45pm	9:15pm
7:00am	11:45pm	11:15pm	9:45pm
7:30am	12:15am	11:45pm	10:15pm

The times are when the lights go out, not when you start getting ready for bed. The NHS suggests you "relax at least 1 hour before bed", so for a 10:15pm bedtime the wind-down starts around 9:15pm.

For a teenager who has to be up at 6:30am for school, the CDC's 8 to 10 hours puts lights out somewhere between about 8:15pm and 10:15pm.

Does the 90-minute sleep cycle matter?

Somewhat, but less precisely than sleep calculators suggest.

Sleep runs in cycles of lighter sleep, deep sleep and REM (dreaming) sleep. NINDS says "REM sleep first occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep", and that you cycle through the stages "several times during a typical night." The NHLBI gives a range rather than a fixed number: "The cycle starts over every 80 to 100 minutes. Usually there are four to six cycles per night. You may wake up briefly between cycles."

That is why the table above includes 7.5 and 9 hours, which are five and six cycles of 90 minutes. Waking near the end of a cycle may feel easier. But because cycles vary from 80 to 100 minutes, and vary through the night and from person to person, no calculator can tell you exactly when yours end. After five cycles, a 10-minute difference in cycle length adds up to almost an hour.

So use the cycle idea as a tiebreaker, not a rule. Getting enough hours, and getting them at the same times every day, matters more.

Should I go to bed at the same time every night?

Yes. It is the one tip all of these sources share:

• NINDS: "Set a schedule—go to bed and wake up at the same time each day."
• CDC: "Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day".
• NHS: "wake up and get out of bed at the same time every day".

The NHS also advises against catching up after a bad night: "do not sleep in after a bad night's sleep – stick to your regular sleeping hours instead." A regular wake-up time, including at weekends, is what makes a regular bedtime possible. If you get up at 6am on weekdays and 9:30am on Saturday, falling asleep at 10:15pm on Sunday night is much harder.

What if I can't fall asleep at my new bedtime?

If you are moving your bedtime earlier, do it in stages, for example 15 minutes earlier every few nights, rather than all at once. Keep the wake-up time fixed while you do it; that is the anchor.

The NHS insomnia advice also includes: only go to bed when you are sleepy; keep the bedroom dark and quiet; avoid alcohol, tea and coffee for at least 6 hours before bed; do not eat a big meal late at night; and avoid screens right before bed. If you still lie awake most nights for weeks, that is worth raising with a GP.

How ReminderIt can help

Two reminders do most of the work here: one to start winding down, and one to get up.

ReminderIt places a real phone call at the exact time you choose and reads your message in a natural voice, for example "6am. Time to get up. Feet on the floor." A ringing call with a voice is different from the alarm tone you have learned to switch off in your sleep. If you miss the call, you get a WhatsApp message.

For the evening, set a call an hour before lights out: "9:15pm. Start winding down. Phone on charge in the other room."

You can set both by sending a WhatsApp message (text or voice note), such as "Call me every weekday at 6am, and every night at 9:15pm to wind down", or on the website. There is no app to install. You can also set wake-up calls for a family member, such as a teenager with an early start; they confirm first.

There is a 7-day free trial with 7 free reminder calls (3 if your number is in a country where calls cost more). After that it is one plan: $7 a month, or ₹299 a month in India, with annual and 2-year options.

The short answer

To wake up at 6am, aim for lights out between 8:45pm and 10:45pm; 10:15pm gives most adults about 7.5 hours of sleep after 15 minutes to drift off. For any wake-up time, subtract 7 to 9 hours (8 to 10 for teenagers) plus the time it takes you to fall asleep. Sleep cycles last roughly 80 to 100 minutes, so 7.5 or 9 hours can be a useful target, but a fixed wake-up time every day matters more than exact cycle maths.

Sources: NINDS (NIH), Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep; NHLBI (NIH), Sleep Phases and Stages and How Much Sleep Is Enough?; CDC, About Sleep (May 2024); NHS, Insomnia.