What is a Sleep Cycle Calculator?
A sleep cycle calculator helps you determine the optimal bedtime based on your desired wake-up time, considering factors like sleep latency, and chronotype.
How This Sleep Cycle Calculator Works
- Chronotype Selection: Select whether you are a morning person (lark), an evening person (owl), or neither.
- Wake-up Time: Enter the time you want to wake up.
- Sleep Latency: Enter the approximate time it takes you to fall asleep.
- Target Sleep Duration: Choose your target sleep duration for recommended bed time.
The calculator uses this information to determine the best bedtime for you to wake up feeling refreshed.
Understanding Your Sleep Schedule Results
The Core Schedule tab shows you the ideal bedtime based on your sleep cycles. Use this information to create a consistent sleep routine.
The Jet Lag tab helps you adjust your sleep schedule when traveling across time zones.
Understanding & Managing Jet Lag
Jet lag occurs when travel across time zones disrupts your body's internal clock. This temporary condition affects sleep patterns, causing fatigue, poor concentration, and digestive issues. Eastward travel typically causes more severe jet lag than westward travel.
Recovery usually takes one day per time zone crossed. To minimize jet lag's impact, adjust your sleep schedule before travel, stay hydrated, and align your activities with the destination's time zone. Upon arrival, exposure to natural light, maintaining local meal times, and light exercise can help your body adapt more quickly to the new schedule.
For long-distance travelers, understanding these basics of jet lag can make the difference between a difficult adjustment period and a smoother transition to new time zones.