Should I include the time it takes to fall asleep?

Yes, include your usual sleep latency when calculating bedtime. If you need eight hours of actual sleep and normally take 20 minutes to fall asleep, plan to be in bed at least eight hours and 20 minutes before your alarm. You may also want a small buffer for settling down. Sleep-cycle calculators commonly add around 15 minutes, but your personal average may be shorter or longer. Estimate it by tracking your sleep for a week without watching the clock obsessively. Remember that time in bed is not always time asleep, especially if you wake during the night. If you regularly need more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, review caffeine, screen use, stress and bedtime timing.