Updated 23 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
How Long Is a Minecraft Day?
A full Minecraft day lasts 20 minutes of real time: time runs 72 times faster than real life. Sleeping in a bed at night skips to the morning.
How long is a day in Minecraft?
One full day-night cycle is 20 minutes (1,200 seconds) at the normal 20 ticks per second, which makes Minecraft time 72 times faster than real time: 1,440 real minutes in a day divided by 20. That means one real hour is three full Minecraft days.
| Part of the day | Game ticks | Real length |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime | 0 to 12000 | 10 minutes |
| Sunset | 12000 to 13000 | 50 seconds |
| Night | 13000 to 23000 | the rest of the cycle |
| Sunrise | 23000 to 24000 | 50 seconds |
A new single player world always starts at the beginning of daytime, tick 0.
Why does night matter?
Most hostile mobs spawn only in darkness, so night brings zombies, skeletons, creepers and spiders onto the surface. Light your base and sleep through it if you can; see the beginner's guide.
How do you change the time?
/time set dayor/time set nightwith cheats on.- Sleep in a bed at night to skip to morning.
- A
/gamerulecontrols whether the daylight cycle runs at all.
Does the sun move at a steady speed?
No. The sun, moon and stars move faster around noon and midnight and slower during sunrise and sunset. The sun and moon always stay opposite each other, so there are never eclipses.
Does ArtemisPvP have day and night?
/events; see World Events and Events and PvE.Frequently asked questions
How long is a Minecraft day in real time?
20 minutes.
How many Minecraft days are in a real hour?
Three.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.