If You Wake Up at 7 AM, This Is When You Should Go to Bed
Five working bedtimes pegged to your 7 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 7 AM alarm, factoring in roughly 14 minutes to fall asleep.
Bedtimes for 7 AM
| Cycles | Go to bed at | Hours of sleep |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 12:46 AM | 6h |
| 5 | 11:16 PM | 7.5h |
| 6 | 9:46 PM | 9h |
Which one to pick
This is the standard adult wake-up window. Five cycles works for most. If you crash at 3 PM regularly, try 6 cycles for a couple weeks and see if the afternoon dip eases.