Set the alarm clock for 4:57 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 4:55 am Alarm clock for 4:56 am Alarm clock for 4:58 am Alarm clock for 4:59 am

Going to bed for a 4:57 am alarm

Asleep by 7:42 pm — 6 full sleep cycles, about 9 hours
Asleep by 9:12 pm — 5 full sleep cycles, about 7 hours
Asleep by 10:42 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.

4:57 am across the country

London	4:57 am
Birmingham	4:57 am
Manchester	4:57 am
Glasgow	4:57 am
Belfast	4:57 am

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

How to use the online alarm clock

With the final printed forms prepared for the newspaper’s morning edition, you are finishing the shift and getting ready to leave. An alarm for 4:57 am marks the handover point without dragging the work towards 5:00 am. Those three minutes can cover a last check that every form is labelled, stacked and left where the production team expects it.

Before leaving the print room, check whether the phone is in silent mode and whether browser audio is allowed. A visible alarm may be easy to miss while gathering your coat or clearing the desk, so a short sound test removes uncertainty. Because this browser alarm cannot sound after its page is closed or when the phone has gone to sleep, the forms could miss their final handover cue; keep the page open, the phone awake and the volume audible until 4:57 am.

After a night spent preparing the morning edition, a small drink or light bite may fit better than a full meal just before departure. Water or a warm caffeine-free drink is practical while completing the last check, especially if breakfast is waiting at home. Coffee, an energy drink or heavy food can be left until later if they would make the journey back feel uncomfortable at this hour.

Common questions

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.

Does the alarm still work if I close the tab?

No. Everything runs inside this page, so closing the tab — or quitting the browser altogether — ends the countdown there and then. Leaving it open in the background is all it asks, and switching to another tab makes no difference.

What happens if my laptop goes to sleep before 4:57 am?

The tab sleeps along with it and the alarm will not sound on time, if at all. If you are relying on it, change the power settings so the machine stays awake, or keep a phone alarm running as well.