What time exactly is brahma muhūrta, and must I wake up then?

roughly 1 hour 36 minutes to 48 minutes before sunrise; it is ideal, not compulsory.

A muhūrta is about 48 minutes. Brahma muhūrta is commonly taken as the second-last muhūrta of the night — from about 96 minutes before sunrise to about 48 minutes before it. Since sunrise changes through the year and by city, the clock time changes too; Chiluka’s daily page shows the sunrise for your location.

Tradition values this time because the air is fresh, the house is silent and the mind, after sleep, is clear and not yet filled with the day’s news. Āyurveda also recommends rising early.

But it is a recommendation, not a test of devotion. Shift workers, new parents, the elderly and the unwell should honour their sleep. Practise at whatever calm time you can protect. If you want to move earlier, shift your wake-up by 15 minutes every week and sleep earlier to match.

1 muhūrta ≈ 48 minutes · Source: Dharmaśāstra and Āyurveda tradition

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