Set the alarm clock for 5:18 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 5:16 am Alarm clock for 5:17 am Alarm clock for 5:19 am Alarm clock for 5:20 am

Going to bed for a 5:18 am alarm

Asleep by 8:03 pm — 6 full sleep cycles, about 9 hours
Asleep by 9:33 pm — 5 full sleep cycles, about 7 hours
Asleep by 11:03 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.

5:18 am across the country

London	5:18 am
Birmingham	5:18 am
Manchester	5:18 am
Glasgow	5:18 am
Belfast	5:18 am

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

How to use the online alarm clock

You’re halfway through loading tripods, camera bodies and batteries for a sunrise shoot when the 5:18 am alarm sounds, so pause the packing rather than losing track among cases and cables. It marks a clean break: check every latch, tick off the final case, and leave enough margin to reach your chosen viewpoint before the light changes. By 6:00 am, the kit should be settled and ready to move.

While equipment is passing between the house and the car, keep this alarm page open and the phone awake nearby. Closing the page or quitting the browser means the alarm cannot sound, which could leave the sunrise kit sitting half-loaded beyond 5:18 am. Set the phone where the alert will be audible above doors, zips and an idling engine, then confirm that its volume is high enough before carrying another case outside.

Breaking away from the loading at this early hour may leave a little sleep available once the shoot is finished. Avoid turning that possibility into a vague plan: decide beforehand whether you will return home for a short rest or stay up for the day. Put bedding and curtains in readiness before leaving, and choose a later alarm time now if another commitment follows, so the remaining sleep has a clear boundary.

Common questions

What happens if my laptop goes to sleep before 5:18 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.

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.