What Is a Sleep Timer?
A sleep timer is a countdown that helps you drift off without a bright screen keeping you awake. This one is different from a plain timer: as the countdown gets close to zero, the whole screen gradually dims to black. You set a length, start your audio, and let the glow fade away while you fall asleep. When the timer reaches zero the screen is essentially black and a gentle chime plays, so it doubles as a soft bedtime alarm.
It works right in your browser, on your phone, tablet or laptop. There is nothing to install and it is completely free. Prop your phone on the nightstand, pick 15, 30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes, and let the screen dim itself.
A Sleep Timer for Music and Videos
Most people use this as a sleep timer for music. Start a playlist in Spotify, a track on YouTube, an album, a podcast or a white-noise video, then come back to this tab and start the timer. Your audio keeps playing while the screen slowly darkens, so the light does not keep you up but the sound still lulls you to sleep.
You can run it on the same device as your music or on a second one — play a YouTube video on your TV or laptop and use your phone as the dimming bedtime timer beside the bed. One important note so expectations are clear: this is a visual sleep timer and gentle alarm. It dims this screen and chimes at the end. It does not stop the audio in Spotify, YouTube or any other app for you. If you want the music itself to stop, use the built-in sleep timer inside that app alongside this one.
How the Screen Dimming Works
For the first part of the countdown the screen stays fully lit so you can read the time and get comfortable. Once you pass roughly the 40% mark, a dark layer begins to fade in over the page and grows steadily thicker, easing toward almost fully black over the final stretch. The big countdown numbers are lifted above the dark layer, so the remaining time stays faintly visible the whole way down if you glance over. At zero the screen is essentially black and a soft chime plays. Hit Reset any time to clear the dimming and bring the screen back to full brightness.
Best Sleep Timer Lengths
- 15 minutes - a quick fade for nights when you are already tired and just need the light gone
- 30 minutes - the most popular choice and a great default; a 30 minute sleep timer is enough time to unwind to a few songs
- 45 minutes - a longer wind-down if it usually takes you a while to settle
- 60 minutes - good for an audiobook, podcast or a full side of an album
- 90 minutes - one full sleep cycle, handy if you like sound playing well after lights out
If none of the presets fit, type any number of minutes into the custom field and start the timer.
Tips for Falling Asleep Faster
- Set the timer, then put the phone down and stop watching the numbers — the point is to let the screen dim the screen for you
- Turn your device brightness down before bed so even the early, fully-lit part is gentle
- Pick calm audio: soft music, rain or brown noise beats anything with talking or sudden loud parts
- Keep your phone face-down or across the room so the end chime is a soft cue, not a jolt
- Use the same bedtime length each night so your body learns the routine and you fall asleep on cue
- Pair it with your music app's own sleep timer if you also want the sound to stop