This timer counts down an hour and a half, shown as 1:30:00, with a 20-minute break mode beside it. Ninety minutes is a common length for a deep work block: long enough for a demanding task to really move, and a natural unit to plan one or two serious sessions in a day around.
The sleep researcher Nathaniel Kleitman proposed that the roughly 90-minute cycle seen in sleep might continue during the day as a basic rest and activity cycle. The evidence for a precise daytime rhythm is mixed, so treat 90 minutes as a practical length rather than a law of biology. What is better supported is that attention fades over long stretches and that real breaks help it recover.
Decide the outcome before you start: a finished section, a fixed bug, a draft. Clear everything else from the screen, keep a sheet of paper next to you for stray thoughts, and start the countdown. When the alarm rings, take the full 20-minute break away from screens before deciding on a second block.
A 90-minute block works best when nothing is scheduled to break into it, which usually means before the first meeting or the first look at email. Protect that slot in your calendar the way you would protect a meeting. Pomodorian's guide to customizing Pomodoro intervals compares 90/20 with the shorter options if you want to mix them.
Something physical and away from screens: a walk, food, daylight. After a long block, the break is where your attention recovers, so do not spend it on messages.
Pause, stand up for a minute, and resume. If it happens every time, try 50 or 60 minutes instead; a block you finish is worth more than a long one you fight.
Yes. It opens Pomodorian with your saved focus length set to 90 minutes; set the break you want in the settings.
Pomodorian is a free Pomodoro timer: focus and break cycles, an AI task planner, ambient sounds and focus stats. No account: your tasks, settings and stats stay in your browser.
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