Wake up at 6:40 AM
6:40 AM is a classic wake-up time for school and work. The alarm on this page is already set to 6:40 AM: choose a sound, press Set alarm and the page counts down the time you have left to sleep. In the morning, Stop starts the day, and Snooze 5 min buys you a few more minutes.
Who gets up at 6:40 AM?
- Families with an early school bus or a long drive to school.
- Nurses and hospital staff starting a 7:00 AM shift.
- Construction and trades workers, often on site by 7.
- Commuters with a long ride into the city.
- Runners and cyclists who fit a workout in before the office.
Good to know: in 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 AM, partly because teenagers’ body clocks naturally run later.
When to go to bed for a 6:40 AM alarm
A night of sleep is a series of cycles of roughly 90 minutes. The alarm is easier to face when it rings between two cycles rather than during deep sleep. Allowing about 15 minutes to drift off, here is when to go to bed for 6:40 AM:
- 9:25 PM: 6 cycles, about 9 hours of sleep
- 10:55 PM: 5 cycles, about 7.5 hours of sleep
- 12:25 AM: 4 cycles, about 6 hours of sleep
On school nights, five cycles with lights out at 10:55 PM is a good target for many adults. Teenagers generally need more sleep, so 9:25 PM is closer to what they need.
These are general rules of thumb, not medical advice. Cycle length varies from person to person and from night to night.
Tips for waking up at 6:40 AM
- Keep the same wake-up time every day, weekends included, to help your body clock settle.
- Prepare the morning the evening before: bags, lunches, clothes and the coffee maker.
- Let daylight in soon after waking, or turn on the lights.
- Make brushing a game for kids with the 2 minute timer in full screen.
Need more margin? The 6:10 AM alarm gives you an extra half hour. Rather sleep 30 minutes more? Try the 7:10 AM alarm.
How to use the 6:40 AM alarm
- Check the time. The wheels already show 6:40 AM. Turn them, or tap a number, to change it.
- Choose a sound. Turn the list to hear the bell, the chime, the classic beep, the digital beep or the gentle rise, and choose whether it rings until you stop it or just once.
- Press Set alarm. The page confirms your choice, for example “Set for 6:40 AM, with a bell”, and counts down the time left. Night mode then fades the screen to black.
- Keep this tab open and the computer awake. When it rings, press Stop, or Snooze 5 min for a little more sleep.
For a delay instead of a set time, or for any other hour, go back to the online alarm clock.