As I’ve now got to get up long before dawn to get to work, I find that I have a hard time getting up when 1) it’s cold 2) it’s dark. I heard about the life-changing alarms that have a 100 watt or so bulb on them (probably one of those all-spectrum “natural” lights for all I know) that are on a dimmer and gradually lighten up to their full intensity to keep you from being jarred awake by some godawful morning radio. I think they also play soothing rain sounds or bird songs or something.
While I’m generally not the sort to believe the people on TV when it comes to things like this, I figure that this may be a good idea as 1) It’s easier to get up when it’s bright out and 2) it sucks to shuffle into the bathroom and then get hit with the full power of flourescent lighting without giving your eyes time to adjust. So, I like the idea of waking up more easily and having my eyes at least slightly adjusted to the light so I don’t just go and hide in the shower.
Like I said, I’m generally wary of the As Seen on TV stuff, so I was wondering if anyone has experience with these. Are they worthwhile?
My SO and I live in the northern part of the US, and we noticed that it was much easier to get up in the summer (when it was light) then in the winter (when it was dark). So we bought one of these alarms.
The increased light seems to make waking up a little easier. It’s not such a sudden event when the alarm goes off. Getting up for work is still not my favorite thing, but at least it’s not quite as abrupt.
Sure there is. Back in the day when my routine required me to rise at 5:30, I kept a little consumer-grade Faema espresso machine on my nightstand, running on a timer.
The sound of steam being forced through ground beans builds gradually, and it pretty gentle compared with the klaxon-styled racket of most alarm clocks, and certainly less potentially injurious to the waking psyche as waking to CBC FM news used to be.
If you’re not into espresso, even a drip coffee machine is a pleasant way to wake up. An inoffensive sound – and anyway, what really wakes you up is the room filling up with the scent of coffee. Mmmm…
The term for these is “dawn simulator”, in case you want to do searches for info. In my experience, they are helpful, though I’m not sure a 100-watt bulb is bright enough–my local store sells them with those big floodlight bulbs.
I may have to look into getting one of these; I’ve long thought that the idea makes sense, and Og knows I have trouble waking up in the morning. (And I hate coffee, so Larry’s approach is not for me.)
On a bit of a tangent: I’ve wondered, given the connection between the sleep-wake cycle and the body’s thermal cycle, how much temperature has to do with waking up. Has anyone tried to used a timed temperature increase (either via thermostat or an electric blanket on a timer) to improve waking?
I just wanted to say that I’ve seen them as Zen Alarm Clocks, as well. I think they have a chime that starts out chiming every ten minutes, and then eight, and so on. It also has the light that slowly increases in intensity. I’ve found those online, but the cheapest is around $80 US.
FYI, I got mine from this store’s brick & mortar storefront. The dawn simulator is quite pricey, but worked well. It’s just a control that you plug a lamp of your choosing into, so you’re not limited in your choice of lamp.
So how effective are these for the Sleep Like the Dead?
I can sleep through a regular alarm for over an hour. I have one super, extra, makes the cat jump, loud alarms just to get me to the waking point. Then I have a persistent regular alarm on the other side of the room to make me actually get up. So do these daylight clocks work for weirdos like me?
Another option that you might want to try (though I have no personal experience with them) is a vibrating alarm clock. These are alarm clocks designed for deaf people–they have a motor unit of some sort that you stick under your pillow, and when the alarm goes off, it vibrates to wake you up.
There are a number of online stores that sell clocks like that, but I don’t know offhand how much they cost. A simple web search should turn up a number of options, though.
I looooove the Zen Alarm Clock I got for Christmas. It rings a chime, waits 3.5 minutes, rings again, and the frequency gradually increases. It’s a very pleasant sound, and, since I hear the first chime only subconciously, it helps prepare me to wake up; I remember dreams somewhat better now than I did with my loud buzzy alarm clock. And the pyramidal wooden clock looks nice in my room. You can also get a smaller ‘travel’ version, or a digital version (with a real chime, but an LCD display).
I just have the radio come on to a morning show. I can drift in and out, but having a lively conversation in my room even at low volume, wakes me up within 5 minutes.
Zen clock sounds better than dawn simulator, I’ll have to check both out. The problem with the radio is that I wake up and go, “NPR assholes” and put in earplugs.
I suppose I could listen to something else. Nothing like starting the day off with a steaming pile of hate.