Quick answer
Ninety minutes is roughly one full sleep cycle, the regulation time of a football (soccer) match, and a common length for exams and deep-work sessions. Playxoft's free 90 minute timer is already set to 1 hour 30 minutes: press Start or the Space key and it sounds an alarm at zero. Add a 45-minute timer if you want a halfway marker.
- Set to 90 minutes
- Alarm rings in background tabs
- Multiple timers
- Six alarm sounds
- Fullscreen focus mode
How to use this 90 minute timer
- 1The timer is already set to 90 minutes. Press Start or the Space key to begin.
- 2Optional: name it (for example "Deep work"), pick an alarm Sound, and turn on Repeat to run it again automatically.
- 3While it runs, use +1 min or the quick chips to adjust, and Focus mode for fullscreen digits.
- 4When the alarm rings, press Dismiss, or Snooze 5 min for more time.
What is a 90 minute timer used for?
- Full-cycle naps. A sleep cycle lasts roughly 90 minutes on average, so a 90-minute nap lets you wake at the end of a cycle rather than in deep sleep. Cycles vary from person to person.
- Football (soccer). Regulation time is two 45-minute halves, 90 minutes in total, plus stoppage time.
- Deep work. Many people find 60 to 90 minutes is the longest they can focus intensely before needing a real break.
- Exams. Many exams and practice papers run for 90 minutes.
- Films and long workouts. Plenty of films run about 90 minutes, and so do long rides and hikes.
Why do people use 90-minute blocks?
Two reasons come up most often:
- Sleep cycles. During sleep you move through light, deep and REM stages in cycles that last roughly 90 minutes on average, typically ranging from about 70 to 120 minutes. A 90-minute nap is long enough to complete one cycle, which some people find leaves them less groggy than waking from deep sleep. It is not a substitute for a full night's sleep.
- Focus. Long, uninterrupted blocks suit work that needs a lot of context in your head, such as writing, programming or design. Ninety minutes is a common upper limit before attention fades, so schedule a proper break of 15 to 20 minutes after each block.
Adding a 45-minute timer as a halfway checkpoint helps you pace a 90-minute block.
Tips for using a 90 minute timer
- Use Soft rise for naps so the alarm builds gradually.
- Turn on Keep screen awake if the timer runs on a phone you are watching during a match.
- Add a 45 minute timer for each half.
- Need two hours? Open the 2 hour timer.
How many seconds is 90 minutes?
90 minutes is 5,400 seconds, or 1.5 hours.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Seconds | 5,400 |
| Minutes | 90 |
| Hours | 1.5 |
| Back to back in one day | 16 |
It ends exactly 90 minutes after you press Start, and the end time appears under the digits so you can plan around it.
Need a different length?
- Shorter: 1 hour timer, 50 minute timer
- Longer: 2 hour timer, 3 hour timer
- Any length: the online timer takes whatever you type, for example
1h 45m. - Focus sessions with breaks: the Pomodoro timer.
- Work and rest rounds: the interval timer.
- Counting up with laps: the stopwatch.
Frequently asked questions
About 90 minutes on average, though cycles vary from roughly 70 to 120 minutes and change through the night. A 90 minute timer is a reasonable target for a full-cycle nap.
Regulation time is 90 minutes, two halves of 45 minutes, plus stoppage time and a half-time break of up to 15 minutes.
This 90 minute timer is already set to 1 hour 30 minutes. On the main online timer you can also type 1h 30m, 90m or 1:30:00.
Last updated by the Playxoft engineering team.