diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0cf7242..5b43196 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -72,6 +72,18 @@ env.list('ALLOWED_ORIGINS');        // Shorthand for getList()
 
 // Get a numeric list
 env.list('VALUES', { cast: 'number' }); // [1, 2, 3] (converts from '1,2,3')
+
+// Get a duration in milliseconds
+// CACHE_TTL=5m
+env.getDuration('CACHE_TTL');              // 300000
+env.duration('CACHE_TTL');                 // Shorthand for getDuration()
+
+// With a default — strings are parsed, numbers are treated as ms
+env.getDuration('CACHE_TTL', '30s');       // 30000 if CACHE_TTL is not set
+env.getDuration('CACHE_TTL', 1000);        // 1000 if CACHE_TTL is not set
+
+// Supported units: ms, s, m, h, d, w (case-insensitive, decimals allowed)
+// Returns null if the value and default are both unparseable.
 ```
 
 #### URLs and IPs
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 803e143..04e2b48 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "good-env",
-  "version": "7.6.3",
+  "version": "7.7.0",
   "description": "Better environment variable handling for Twelve-Factor node apps",
   "main": "src/index.js",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/src/index.d.ts b/src/index.d.ts
index a4760c1..7652a84 100644
--- a/src/index.d.ts
+++ b/src/index.d.ts
@@ -125,6 +125,24 @@ declare module "good-env" {
    *
    */
   export const num: (key: any, defaultVal?: any) => any;
+  /**
+   * @description Fetches the value at the given key and parses it as a
+   * duration string (e.g. "500ms", "30s", "5m", "2h", "1d", "1w") into
+   * milliseconds. The unit is case-insensitive and whitespace between the
+   * number and unit is allowed. If the env value is invalid, the default
+   * is parsed instead. Numeric defaults are treated as milliseconds.
+   * Returns null if nothing can be resolved.
+   *
+   * @param {string} key - A unique key
+   * @param {(string|number)} defaultVal - A duration string or number of ms
+   *
+   */
+  export const getDuration: (key: string, defaultVal?: string | number) => number | null;
+  /**
+   * @description An alias function for getDuration()
+   *
+   */
+  export const duration: (key: string, defaultVal?: string | number) => number | null;
   /**
    * @description Fetches the value at the given key and attempts to
    * coherse it into a list of literal values
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 950ad2b..c2300c6 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -12,6 +12,22 @@ const isObject = x => is(x) === '[object Object]';
 const isFunction = x => is(x) === '[object Function]';
 const mapNums = items => items.map(t => parseFloat(t));
 const validType = item => ['number', 'boolean', 'string'].includes(item);
+const DURATION_UNITS = {
+  ms: 1,
+  s: 1000,
+  m: 60 * 1000,
+  h: 60 * 60 * 1000,
+  d: 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000,
+  w: 7 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000
+};
+const DURATION_RE = /^(\d+(?:\.\d+)?)\s*(ms|s|m|h|d|w)$/i;
+const parseDuration = input => {
+  if (isNumber(input)) return Number.isFinite(input) ? input : null;
+  if (!isString(input)) return null;
+  const match = input.trim().match(DURATION_RE);
+  if (!match) return null;
+  return parseFloat(match[1]) * DURATION_UNITS[match[2].toLowerCase()];
+};
 const store = { ...process.env };
 
 module.exports = Object
@@ -339,6 +355,34 @@ module.exports = Object
       return this.getNumber(key, defaultVal);
     },
 
+    /**
+     * @description Fetches the value at the given key and parses it as a
+     * duration string (e.g. "500ms", "30s", "5m", "2h", "1d", "1w") into
+     * milliseconds. The unit is case-insensitive and whitespace between
+     * the number and unit is allowed. If the env value is invalid, the
+     * default is parsed instead. Numeric defaults are treated as
+     * milliseconds. Returns null if nothing can be resolved.
+     *
+     * @param {string} key - A unique key
+     * @param {(string|number)} defaultVal - A duration string or a number of ms
+     *
+     */
+    getDuration (key, defaultVal) {
+      const parsed = parseDuration(this.get(key));
+      if (parsed !== null) return parsed;
+      const parsedDefault = parseDuration(defaultVal);
+      if (parsedDefault !== null) return parsedDefault;
+      return null;
+    },
+
+    /**
+     * @description An alias function for getDuration()
+     *
+     */
+    duration (key, defaultVal) {
+      return this.getDuration(key, defaultVal);
+    },
+
     /**
      * @description Fetches the value at the given key and attempts to
      * coerce it into a list of literal values
diff --git a/test/test.env b/test/test.env
index 07eca01..46be7d5 100644
--- a/test/test.env
+++ b/test/test.env
@@ -20,3 +20,13 @@ AWS_REGION=us-east-1
 AWS_SESSION_TOKEN=session
 VALID_IP=192.168.1.60
 INVALID_IP=nope
+DURATION_MS=500ms
+DURATION_S=30s
+DURATION_M=5m
+DURATION_H=2h
+DURATION_D=1d
+DURATION_W=1w
+DURATION_FLOAT=1.5h
+DURATION_UPPER=10S
+DURATION_SPACED=5 m
+DURATION_INVALID=nope
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
index 43ec26e..e66f864 100644
--- a/test/test.js
+++ b/test/test.js
@@ -279,6 +279,52 @@ test('returns undefined for exequalsting non-number', (t) => {
   t.end();
 });
 
+test('getDuration parses every supported unit', (t) => {
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_MS'), 500);
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_S'), 30 * 1000);
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_M'), 5 * 60 * 1000);
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_H'), 2 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_D'), 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_W'), 7 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
+  t.end();
+});
+
+test('getDuration parses decimals, is case-insensitive, allows whitespace', (t) => {
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_FLOAT'), 1.5 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_UPPER'), 10 * 1000);
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_SPACED'), 5 * 60 * 1000);
+  t.end();
+});
+
+test('getDuration returns null for invalid env values', (t) => {
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_INVALID'), null);
+  t.end();
+});
+
+test('getDuration falls back to default when env value is invalid', (t) => {
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_INVALID', '2s'), 2000);
+  t.end();
+});
+
+test('getDuration resolves defaults for missing keys', (t) => {
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_NOPE'), null);
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_NOPE', '1m'), 60 * 1000);
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_NOPE', 1234), 1234);
+  t.end();
+});
+
+test('getDuration returns null for unparseable defaults', (t) => {
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_NOPE', 'garbage'), null);
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_NOPE', NaN), null);
+  t.equals(env.getDuration('DURATION_NOPE', {}), null);
+  t.end();
+});
+
+test('duration() is an alias for getDuration()', (t) => {
+  t.equals(env.duration('DURATION_M'), 5 * 60 * 1000);
+  t.end();
+});
+
 test('returns a list of values', (t) => {
   let result = env.getList('MY_LIST');
   t.equals(result.length, 3);