Set the alarm clock for 4:15 am

Leave this tab open — the alarm only rings while the tab stays open.

The alarm goes off in: ::

You can also try the other alarm clocks

Alarm clock for 4:13 am Alarm clock for 4:14 am Alarm clock for 4:16 am Alarm clock for 4:17 am

Going to bed for a 4:15 am alarm

Asleep by 7:00 pm — 6 full sleep cycles, about 9 hours
Asleep by 8:30 pm — 5 full sleep cycles, about 7 hours
Asleep by 10:00 pm — 4 full sleep cycles, about 6 hours

A sleep cycle runs about 90 minutes, and most people take around 15 minutes to drop off. Waking at the end of a cycle feels easier than waking in the middle of one.

4:15 am across the country

London	4:15 am
Birmingham	4:15 am
Manchester	4:15 am
Glasgow	4:15 am
Belfast	4:15 am

Times are worked out live in your browser, so daylight saving is already accounted for.

How to use the online alarm clock

Getting the BBC studio ready well before the morning broadcast gives you time to check the desk, prepare running notes and catch anything that needs attention. Set the alarm for 4:15 am as an early checkpoint rather than the moment everything must be finished; that leaves a useful stretch before 5:00 am for final sound checks and a calm handover.

Because this alarm runs in your browser, keep the page open after setting it and make sure sound is allowed at a level you will hear. If you close the tab or browser, or let the computer go to sleep, the alarm may not sound and the studio preparation could miss its planned checkpoint. Keeping the computer powered, awake and connected to mains electricity makes the alert more dependable while you work elsewhere in the room.

Studio surroundings can be unusually quiet at 4:15 am, so familiar hums from ventilation, monitors and lighting may seem more noticeable than they do later. Use that quieter spell to listen for an unexpected buzz or open microphone before more staff arrive and the background level rises. Keep the alarm volume distinct from routine console tones, but moderate enough that it does not startle anyone already wearing headphones.

Common questions

Do I need an account or an app?

Neither. Choose a time and a sound, press Start, and it runs in this browser tab. Nothing is downloaded, nothing is registered, and closing the page leaves nothing behind on the device.

Can I change the sound?

Yes, there is a short list of tones to pick from before you press Start. Softer sounds are easy to sleep through, so a firmer bell tends to be the safer choice for anything early in the morning.

Will it still be right when the clocks change?

Yes. It reads your device's local clock, so the move between GMT and BST at the end of March and October is picked up automatically, as long as the computer's date, time and time zone are set correctly.

Can I use this on a phone?

It works in a mobile browser, but phones lock the screen and suspend background tabs far more readily than a laptop does, which can stop the alarm sounding. For anything important, a desktop or a plugged-in laptop is the steadier option.