Special Snowflake needs an Alarm Clock!

September 17, 2012 10:28 PM

Special Snowflake needs an Alarm Clock! I have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep and waking up well. If I awaken too abruptly it rattles me and it takes hours to get on an even keel.

I have developed hearing issues, due most likely to exposure to very loud sounds over the years. It has worsened to the point where I can't hear many alarm clocks. Over the past two years I have developed tinnitus. My version is a bit of a mynah bird - if I hear certain buzz-ring-whirl sounds repeatedly my brain/ear will latch onto it and change the internal buzzing to match the sound. The everyday buzzing is already distracting and has taken some time to adapt to. "Hearing" my alarm clock all day is distracting and eventually diminishes the ability of the real alarm to get my attention when needed.

I'm afraid the sonic boom sort will get me too rattled. Since my sleep issues get me on crazy cycles I have developed the ability to not be disturbed by changes in light.

I need an alarm which:

*has numerous sounds I can vary to trick my demonic buzzing

*an alert which gets progressively louder

*snooze option

*10" X 7" or smaller to fit on my night stand

*not cost an arm and a leg

*be fairly low-tech, as I am!

I appreciate any suggestions you may have!

Thanks!

posted by cat_link to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

Have you tried music alarms? Since they're not a continuous limited-pitch noise, I'd think they'd be harder to tune out.

I've had radio versions as well as ones set to play a CD, and I believe some do have ease-in functions where the music starts off soft and gets louder as time passes. Hopefully others will come along with links as for the past eight years I've had the same beep satellite alarm and don't have any currently sold recommendations.

Also there are programs you can download to have your computer be your music/sound files you tailor yourself alarm if you'd prefer that.
posted by vegartanipla at 10:38 PM on September 17, 2012

Not quite what you're asking for, but have you considered a natural light alarm clock? Generally speaking, they slowly raise the light level in the room (roughly simulating sunrise) and usually they have more gentle sounds since the whole idea is sort of easing you awake rather than jarring you awake.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 10:40 PM on September 17, 2012

If you have android on your device, there is a glorious and super-effective alarm clock app that always works for me!

-You can set as many alarms as you want
-Set each individual alarm to any sound or music file on your phone/ device
-Optional: Set each alarm to start at a specific noise level and gradually increase in volume
-Select the speed at which the volume increases
-The option to have challenges preventing you from using the snooze button and/or disabling the alarm. Challenges are: math questions (you select the difficulty level) or entering captcha.
-It also has a stopwatch and timer

I know at this point I sound like a company shill, but I swear, I'm just a really satisfied user. Oh yeah, it's a free app. Glorious. This app has also had the added bonus of making me better at mental math. Huzzah!
posted by windykites at 10:54 PM on September 17, 2012

Have you ever considered a vibrating alarm clock? There are types that sit on the bedside, clip to the pillow or can be worn on the wrist.
It looks like this one has a graduated vibration.

Or, for something completely different, here's a gradual alarm that has a light and an aroma diffuser - maybe that will overcome your insensitivity to light alone. (Kinda spendy, though.)
posted by gingerest at 12:58 AM on September 18, 2012

I use music wherever possible and make sure it's set to a gradual increase in decibels because I too get rattled and odd if woken abruptly. I use it with my three year old if we need to wake her too. I can set whatever song I want as my alarm on my phone and I could do it with my old nokias as well, so it might be low tech enough depending on your set up already.

My ancient (1998) stereo has the capacity to set any of the inputs as the alarm, with a gradual increase in volume and a snooze button. I had to have the stereo next to my bed though, or fumble with the remote.

I find vibration alarms startle me worse than beeping annoying ones.
posted by geek anachronism at 2:50 AM on September 18, 2012

I use the same alarm as windy kites. I used to be really good at getting up right after hearing my alarm but in the past year that went out the window. Alarm clock extreme has helped me get up relatively quickly again!
posted by missriss89 at 5:06 AM on September 18, 2012

As mentioned above, I've had the best luck with the Android app on my phone, set to a pleasant tone (that won't wake up the rest of the family) and a vibration. Snooze is one touch, and I can slip the phone into my pajamas pocket.
posted by thanotopsis at 5:48 AM on September 18, 2012

I have This watch alarm. It also tracks your sleep pattern. I have the same trouble as you do. Hope this helps!
posted by Yellow at 5:56 AM on September 18, 2012

I dated a hearing impaired girl in college, and she has this awesome alarm that would vibrate the bed so she could get up on time for class. I wish I could remember anything about it other that it was really cool to be vibrated awake. Much less jarring than a traditional alarm.
posted by Sphinx at 10:50 AM on September 18, 2012

Thanks to all of you!

I'm going to try the android app suggested by windykite and others. If that is not successful or I need backup I think I'll try the graduated vibrating alarm gingerest linked to.
posted by cat_link at 9:56 AM on September 19, 2012

If there is an Android version of the Sleep Cycle iOS app, that might be right up your street. It vibrates, but crucially to your question, it wakes you at the lightest phase of your sleep cycle so you never/rarely get that awful feeling of being jarred awake.
posted by bimbam at 12:31 AM on September 22, 2012