WakebirdWake-up time calculator
Enter when you need to be there, how long your commute takes and how long you need to get ready. You'll get the latest safe alarm time, when to leave, and bedtimes that line up with your sleep cycles.
How the calculator works
It works backwards from the moment you need to arrive:
- Arrival time: when you need to walk in, not when you want to park.
- Minus your commute: your usual door-to-door time.
- Minus a traffic buffer: commutes vary a lot from day to day. A 10-minute cushion covers most ordinary slowdowns; rush hour and rain need more.
- Minus your get-ready time: be honest. Most people underestimate this by 10 minutes.
The bedtimes are based on sleep cycles of roughly 90 minutes. Waking at the end of a cycle, rather than in the middle of deep sleep, usually feels less groggy. Five cycles is 7.5 hours; six is 9.
Why a fixed alarm is usually wrong
The buffer is a guess. On a clear morning you get up 10–20 minutes earlier than you needed to; on the morning there's a crash on your route, the buffer isn't enough and you're late anyway. The only way to get it right every day is to check traffic before the alarm goes off, which is exactly what a traffic-aware alarm does.
Typical wake-up times for a 9:00 start
| Commute | Get ready 30 min | Get ready 45 min | Get ready 60 min |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 min | 8:05 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:35 AM |
| 30 min | 7:50 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:20 AM |
| 45 min | 7:35 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:05 AM |
| 60 min | 7:20 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:50 AM |
Other start times: 6 AM · 7 AM · 7:30 AM · 8 AM · 8:30 AM · 9 AM · 10 AM
Frequently asked questions
What time should I wake up for work?
Subtract your commute, a traffic buffer of about 10 minutes, and the time you need to get ready from the time you need to arrive. For a 9:00 start with a 30-minute commute and 45 minutes to get ready, that's 7:35 AM.
How much buffer should I add for traffic?
About 10 minutes on a normal day, 15–20 minutes in rush hour, and 30 minutes in bad weather. A traffic-aware alarm such as Wakebird replaces the guess by checking live traffic before it wakes you.
What time should I go to bed if I wake up at 6:30?
To get five full 90-minute sleep cycles (7.5 hours) plus about 15 minutes to fall asleep, go to bed around 10:45 PM. For six cycles, around 9:15 PM.
Is it better to wake up between sleep cycles?
Waking at the end of a sleep cycle, instead of during deep sleep, tends to reduce grogginess. Cycles average around 90 minutes but vary between people and through the night, so treat the bedtimes as a guide.