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When Your Regular Alarm Clock Just Doesn’t Cut it Anymore

Picture of flat disc alarm clock

Alarm clocks are a necessary evil to anyone that has to get up in the morning. Whether you have to get to a job, or you need to rouse your kids and get them moving for school, you simply cannot do it on time without a good alarm clock. In addition to these challenges, some people may be hearing-impaired or be deep sleepers, which makes alarm clocks null. However, there are alarm clock solutions for practically every person out there. Here are just a few that go above and beyond your typical alarm clock:

The Bed Shaker System

SmartShaker by iLuv

If you are deaf, hard-of-hearing or just plain tough to get out of bed in the morning, a bed shaker alarm system is ideal. Used by the deaf community for the better part of the last two decades, this system activates when a preset alarm goes off. There is a pad that fits between the box spring and mattress, a plug for the wall, and a timer similar to the ones you use when you go on vacation but want your lights to turn on at home. You set the dial alarm for the time you want to get up, and then go to bed. When that time comes around, the shaker pad is activated and shakes you awake.


The Escalation Alarm

TimeSmart App-Controlled Bluetooth Alarm Clock Radio

Some people do well with being shocked awake by a loud alarm. Others need a gradual crescendo of sound to bring them out of a very deep sleep. If you are a deep sleeper, consider buying an alarm clock that utilizes an escalation alarm. As the alarm goes off, it quietly sounds, growing with intensity every twenty to thirty seconds.

By the time the alarm is exceedingly loud, you should be fully awake. Most people who are deep sleepers find that they awake more easily and more quickly with this type of alarm clock because they become aware of the sound and rise to consciousness as the noise elevates. This is definitely an ideal alarm clock if you are single and do not have a partner who will start smacking you with pillows so that he/she can go back to sleep while you get up.

The Forced Workout Alarm
New York Gift Dumbbell Alarm Clock


This Dumbbell Alarm Clock really takes the cake. To shut your alarm go off, you have to do 30 bicep curls! If you cop out half way, the alarm will re-sound and you have to restart the set. Weighing in at 1.5 lbs, it’s certainly not heavy, but it’s definitely enough to get the blood flowing through your whole body and wake you up!

The Simulation Sun Rise Alarm
Philips Morning Wake-Up Light With Sunrise Simulation and Dusk Fading Night Light

Maybe your body is telling you it’s not time to get up because it’s still dark outside or because you use blackout curtains to keep out the lights from your vibrant city.  There are now ‘alarm clocks’ that simulate the sun-rise to help your body tune into it’s natural sleep cycle to wake you up naturally,  improving mood & energy levels.

With the Phillips Morning Wake-Up Light, the ‘wake-up’ process begins 30 minutes prior to your alarm time, and the light intensity increases over that time span. If your body responds well to the simulated sunrise waking you up, then you have the option of forgoing a sounding alarm at all, but you still have the option of adding either the FM Radio or Nature Sounds at the 30 minute mark as backup if needed. By the time the alarm sounds, you’ll be ready to jump out of bed and seize the day!

Still having trouble getting up in the morning? Try these 5 Easy Health Resolutions for 2017 to start feeling more energized and get back on track!

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