Set the alarm clock for 5:06 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 5:04 am Alarm clock for 5:05 am Alarm clock for 5:07 am Alarm clock for 5:08 am

Going to bed for a 5:06 am alarm

Asleep by 7:51 pm — 6 full sleep cycles, about 9 hours
Asleep by 9:21 pm — 5 full sleep cycles, about 7 hours
Asleep by 10:51 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.

5:06 am across the country

London	5:06 am
Birmingham	5:06 am
Manchester	5:06 am
Glasgow	5:06 am
Belfast	5:06 am

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

How to use the online alarm clock

While you watch the canal and wait for the appointed moment, an alarm for 5:06 am can mark when the gate needs to open for the first boat. It separates a precise start from the vague sense that dawn is approaching, especially when you have been checking the time repeatedly. With 6:00 am still ahead, the opening can happen without treating the whole hour as a single deadline.

A lock opening depends on hearing the signal at the right moment, so the browser needs to remain ready while you wait. Check that the alarm tone is audible above water, wind and any nearby machinery, then leave the alarm page running. If the browser or its tab is closed, or the phone or laptop goes to sleep, no sound will play and the canal gate may remain shut when the boat arrives.

Once the first boat has passed, the early start can leave an unusually long gap before the next job of the day. Note that next commitment before attention shifts to the lock, and allow time for securing the gate, checking the waterway and having breakfast. A separate alarm for the later task gives that spare period a clear boundary without making the quiet minutes after 5:06 am feel rushed.

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 5:06 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.