20 minute timer
Twenty minutes is the usual advice for a short nap and for regular screen breaks.
A twenty minute countdown, ready to start.
Ready. Press Start.
Other timers
When a 20 minute timer is useful
Twenty minutes turns up in two pieces of everyday advice. The first is the short nap: about twenty minutes is long enough to feel rested and usually short enough to wake without grogginess, so set the timer, turn the volume up and lie down. If you are using a phone, remember that a locked screen can delay the beep; a dedicated alarm app is safer if you must be up at a set time.
The second is the 20-20-20 habit for people who look at screens all day: every twenty minutes, look at something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Start the timer, and when it beeps, look out of the window and press "Start again".
It is also a common length for a workout video, a pressure-free study block for younger students, a pizza in a home oven (check the box) and a "be ready to leave in twenty" warning.
How this timer works
- Press Start. The time left also shows in the browser tab, so you can switch tabs.
- Three short beeps play at zero. Sound is only possible after you click, which is why it is armed by the Start button. Check your volume.
- Pause holds the time; Reset returns to the full duration. Change the minutes or seconds boxes for any other length.