3.09.2018

7 better alarm clocks for the heavy sleepers

Whether you're guilty of hitting snooze one too many times or wake up 45 minutes into your scheduled morning meeting without ever hearing your alarm, oversleeping is the fastest way to ruin a day.

For heavy sleepers, it's not even as simple as getting to bed at the appropriate time and setting an alarm. It's something that's been made abundantly clear to me by the fact that my roommates evacuated our college dorm for a fire alarm sophomore year only to filter back in and find me sleeping directly below the alarm soundly.

Things like tone of the alarm, proximity to you, and what kind of sense (sound, sight, etc.) works for you are important to identify.

Below are 7 options for the heavy sleeper worth looking into if you're tired of sleeping through alarms:

 The Sonic Bomb clock

You can get all the details here, but this alarm clock is a fan favorite among heavy sleepers.

It uses more than loud noises to get you out of bed — which is good if those haven't been enough up until now.

Instead of just making loud, LOUD sounds to wake you up like a traditional alarm clock (which it does, too), it also comes with a powerful 12-volt bed shaker to literally shake you awake.

You can put it under your pillow or mattress, or let it dangle against something that will make a truly abrupt clattering sound. According to one reviewer, "The vibration is very intense. Depending on the thickness of your mattress… you should feel it through the mattress."

On top of the shaker component, the Sonic Bomb also has built-in pulsating alert lights.

But don't worry, if the thought of waking up to sounds, vibrations, and lights going off simultaneously seems a little overwhelming, you can customize it to use different combinations of the three.



Drink a lot of water before bed

If you can't rely on your biological clock or the one in your room to wake you up, you can at least rely on your need to use the restroom. Not only will drinking a lot of water before bedtime keep you hydrated, it also means that (depending on your body's particularities) you'll definitely have to get up sometime soon.

CamelBak Chute 1L Water Bottle, $12.99

The Sonos PLAY:1

This was my personal solution since it also has the added benefit of being a great speaker. The Sonos PLAY:1 can be mounted away from your bed, so you'll have to get up to turn it off, and its alarm also builds in volume, which means that I don't wake up feeling jarred out of sleep but I do indeed always get up. You can read more details about the PLAY:1 here.

Sonos PLAY:1 Compact Wireless Smart Speaker, $198.50

The Philips Wake-Up Light

If your other senses aren't pulling their weight in getting you out of bed in the morning, you might want to look into something that manipulates light. This Wake-Up Light is not only a more pleasant way to get up, but it might help tap into your sensitivity to light.

Featuring a colored sunrise simulation and 20 brightness settings, the light gradually increases between 20 to 40 minutes prior to your alarm time. The light also offers the option of waking up to one of five different nature-inspired sounds.

Especially if your trouble waking up is impacted by the seasons or mood, the introduction of a more natural and sunny way to begin your day might go further in helping change the habit.

If you need shocking sounds more than shifts in light, you might be looking for the Sonos PLAY:1 or the Sonic Boom.

Philips Wake-Up Light with Colored Sunrise Simulation & Sunset Fading Night Light, $134.99

The Ruggie Alarm Clock

Many heavy sleepers, in preliminary research, will have come across this little gadget. The Ruggie Alarm Clock forces you to get out of bed and put your weight on the rug in order to stop the alarm sounds. It works off the idea that once out of bed, most of us will not get back in.

Ruggie needs to sense your pressure for 3 seconds to stop the alarm, but if 3 seconds isn't enough, you can prolong it up to 30 seconds for added insurance.

Ruggie Alarm Clock, The Original Rug Carpet Alarm Clock, $69.99 - $89



The Peakeep Twin Bell

This 80s style alarm clock doesn't have a snooze button, so you'll have to commit to the ON/OFF button if you really want the noise to stop, which is helpful for those of us who abuse 'Snooze' on our phones.

The Peakeep is even recommended for those sleepers who are hard of hearing or might have some hearing loss.

All in all, it's simple, functional, and has a cool retro look.

Peakeep 4" Twin Bell Alarm Clock with Stereoscopic Dial, Backlight, Loud Alarm Clock, $13.99

The Clocky Alarm

Applying the same logic as Ruggie (but taking it a step further), this alarm clock will literally run away from you at the allotted alarm clock time if you want it to. One of the answered questions on Amazon is "Does it come with a sledge hammer?"

It also features a flashing backlight (for that added sensory component) and a random beeping pattern as the alarm sound, so you won't become immune to the pattern and sleep through because of it.

Clocky Alarm Clock on Wheels, $39.99