Twenty minutes is the length of the ideal power nap and a solid focused-work block. This free 20-minute timer runs full-screen with an alarm and keeps wall-clock-accurate time in the background, so you can nap or work without watching it.
What is a 20 minute timer good for?
- The classic 20-minute power nap (wake before deep sleep)
- The 20-20-20 rule: rest your eyes every 20 minutes
- A focused reading, study or writing sprint
- A 20-minute home workout or walk
How this 20 minute timer works
Press Start and the countdown runs full-screen in your browser; press it again to pause and resume, hit Reset to return to 20 minute, or +1 min to extend. You can also press the spacebar to start or pause. It is wall-clock accurate, so it stays correct even in a background tab, and it rings when it reaches zero. Need a different length or a stopwatch and date countdown? Open the full timer.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 20-minute nap actually good?
Yes — sleep researchers consistently point to about 20 minutes as the ideal nap length. It is long enough to restore alertness and mood but short enough to wake before you enter deep slow-wave sleep, which is what causes the groggy, heavy feeling of a longer nap. Set this timer before you lie down so you do not oversleep, and add a minute or two for falling asleep if you need it. The same 20-minute interval is used in the 20-20-20 rule for reducing eye strain at a screen.
Does the timer keep accurate time if I switch tabs?
Yes. Instead of counting ticks (which browsers throttle in background tabs), it records the exact end time and works out the remaining time from your clock on every update, so it is always correct. When you return to the tab the display instantly shows the true time left, and the alarm is scheduled through the Web Audio API so it still rings on time even while the tab is hidden.
Will it make a sound when it finishes? Is it free?
Yes to both. When the countdown reaches zero the timer plays an alarm tone and the card flashes with a “Time’s up” message, so you are notified even with the sound off — use the speaker button to mute or unmute. The first time you press Start the browser unlocks audio from that tap, which is why a timer you start yourself can ring later. It is completely free, runs entirely in your browser, needs no sign-up, and nothing is uploaded.