Sleep Cycle Calculator

Do you struggle to get out of bed in the morning? This is likely because you aren’t getting enough sleep some nights or maybe lack a routine.

Our sleep calculator can help you understand why you might not feel as refreshed in the mornings. It will give you recommendations on what time you should go to bed and what time you should wake up, as well as information about your sleep cycles.

You might feel groggy in the morning, likely because your sleep cycle was interrupted, but what does this mean?

When you fall asleep, you enter the stages of sleep called non-rapid eye movement (NREM). These are split into three sections, each meaning you fall deeper and deeper into sleep. This is followed by a fourth stage, rapid eye movement (REM), which is where you dream.

To feel fully refreshed when we wake up, we must go through all four stages and reach deep sleep. A full night’s sleep will include 5 or 6 sleep cycles of these stages, each taking about 90 minutes, totalling 7-9 hours of sleep. Our sleep cycle calculator will help you reach the recommended number of sleep cycles per night, making sure you wake up feeling refreshed.

Your sleep cycle is made up of several stages that repeat throughout the night, typically every 90 minutes. These stages are essential for restoring both your mind and body, helping you wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. The cycle is divided into two main types of sleep: NREM (non-rapid eye movement) and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Let’s take a closer look at what happens during each stage and why they’re so important for your overall rest:

Stage 1 (NREM) – Light sleep

The first stage is when your body transitions from wakefulness to sleep. During this stage, you may find yourself drifting in and out of rest, with your brain waves beginning to slow down. This light sleep phase helps you ease into the deeper stages of sleep, setting the foundation for the restorative rest that follows. Although it lasts only a few minutes, it’s a crucial step in preparing your body for deeper rest.

Stage 2 (NREM) – Light sleep deepens

In the second stage, your brain waves become more rhythmic, and your body temperature drops. Your heart rate and breathing become more regular, and brain activity continues to slow down. This stage is still considered light sleep, but it plays a role in preparing your body for the deeper restorative stages ahead. While you may not feel fully rested during this phase, it’s essential for your recovery.

Stage 3 (NREM) – Deep sleep

This is where your body performs the most important restorative work. During deep sleep, your brain produces slow delta waves, and your body becomes fully relaxed. It’s the stage where muscle repair happens, and your immune system gets a much-needed boost. This stage leaves you feeling deeply refreshed and physically restored when you wake up.

Stage 4 (REM) – Dream sleep

The final stage of your sleep cycle is REM sleep, where your brain becomes highly active, and this is when most of your dreaming occurs. REM sleep plays a fundamental role in memory consolidation, emotional processing, and problem-solving. It helps ensure that you wake up feeling mentally sharp and emotionally balanced. Your eyes move rapidly, your breathing becomes irregular, and your brain waves resemble those of being awake. This stage is vital for cognitive functions, contributing to your overall mental well-being.

Each stage of your sleep cycle has a unique role, but they all work together to help you achieve a truly restorative night’s rest. Disruptions in these stages, such as waking up during deep sleep or REM sleep, can leave you feeling groggy and not fully rested.

Also, there are alternative sleep cycles, like biphasic sleep and polyphasic sleep schedules (e.g., Everyman or Uberman), that allow you to rest in shorter intervals while still ensuring you get the right amount of sleep each day. These schedules break away from the traditional monophasic sleep pattern (one long stretch of sleep) that most people follow.

No matter which sleep pattern you choose, you must allow your body to move through each stage of the sleep cycle to reap the full benefits.

The trick is to get enough sleep, allowing for 5-6 90-minute sleep cycles, and plan your wake-up time to land during a lighter sleep stage rather than deep sleep. This is what our sleep calculator does for you.

However, you can influence your sleep cycles by planning and sticking to a routine, such as going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. Learn more about the importance of evening routines.

To complete 5-6 sleep cycles, you need about 7-9 hours of sleep. This is when your brain and body rest, ensuring you can recharge, which can improve overall health and well-being. To learn the specifics, read all about how much sleep you need.

If you wake up feeling unmotivated, you might be getting too much sleep, not enough, or interrupting your sleep cycle.

If you’re sleeping too much, you might be:

• Sleeping through your alarm
• Can’t get out of bed
• Never feel refreshed
• Always feel sleepy no matter how much sleep you get

To help, you might need to stop oversleeping.

If you are sleep-deprived, you might experience:

• Trouble concentrating
• Memory issues
• Mood swings
• Reduced alertness
• Anxious or stressed

To learn more, read our signs of extreme tiredness.

Using our sleep cycle calculator will give you an ideal time to go to sleep based on your wake-up time so that you can fit in the right number of cycles. Furthermore, it will calculate it so that you won’t wake up during deep sleep.

Our sleep cycle calculator is a guide to help you understand your sleep routine. If you want to aim for 8 hours of sleep, you could also count backwards by the time you need to wake up to help you figure out when to go to bed.

To find out how your sleep compares to the rest of the UK, take a look at our 2024 Sleep Survey.