If You Wake Up at 5 AM, This Is When You Should Go to Bed
Five working bedtimes pegged to your 5 AM alarm — pick whichever gets you four to six full cycles.
Why these times?
Sleep runs in 90-minute cycles, and what makes you feel rested isn't just hours — it's where in that cycle your alarm goes off. Wake between cycles and you feel surprisingly fine. Wake mid-cycle and a full eight hours can feel like four. The bedtimes below land you between cycles for a 5 AM alarm, factoring in roughly 14 minutes to fall asleep.
Bedtimes for 5 AM
| Cycles | Go to bed at | Hours of sleep |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 10:46 PM | 6h |
| 5 | 9:16 PM | 7.5h |
| 6 | 7:46 PM | 9h |
Which one to pick
If your wake time is this early, you're likely a Lion chronotype. Aim for 5 or 6 cycles and protect that early bedtime fiercely — pushing later kills mornings for you in a way it doesn't for night owls.