How Alarm Clocks Can Help in Getting Better Sleep

Sleeping is an activity that we need to do every day in order to rest and let our bodies heal. However, most of us would often sleep too much or do not get enough sleep, and these abnormal sleeping patterns can often cause problems with our health. When you get too much sleep or have insufficient sleep, there is a higher risk of you getting different kinds of diseases, including diabetes and heart disease. [1]

So, it is important for people to get enough sleep without oversleeping or sleeping for just a few hours. One of the best ways for you to get better sleep is to use and set up an alarm clock. How can alarm clocks help in improving your sleep? Let us find out as we take a closer look at alarm clocks and their benefits.

What are Alarm Clocks?

digital alarm clock

Alarm clocks are devices that create loud sounds at a set time. So, you can set the alarm clock at a specific time, like 7 AM or 8 PM, and then the loud sounds of the alarm would set off once the clock of the device reaches the specified time. Alarm clocks come in different shapes and sizes, but the ones that are very popular today are the rectangular digital alarm clocks that have speakers built into them. Speaking of shapes and sizes, here are some of the common types of alarm clocks you can get today:

  • Analog Alarm Clock – the analog alarm clock is the traditional version that features a regular clock that has two bells installed on its top. Between the two bells is a small hammer that moves left and right repeatedly once the set alarm time is activated. When the hammer hits the bells, it creates a loud sound that is enough to wake you up.
  • Digital Alarm Clock – this type of alarm clock is made up of various parts, including an LCD screen that can show you the time. In order to produce loud sounds, digital alarm clocks would have speakers. What’s great about digital alarm clocks is that you can usually set the volume of the alarm so that it won’t be too quiet or too loud.
  • Phone Alarm Clock – true to its name, the phone alarm clock is found in your smartphone and can be accessed through the alarm clock app. The phone alarm clock works similarly to the digital alarm clock, but the difference is that you will see the time and the set alarm through a phone screen, and it is much more convenient to use since you don’t need a separate device anymore to set the alarm.

Can Alarm Clocks Help in Getting Better Sleep?

Getting better sleep is essential to having a healthier body, as sufficient sleep can truly help in energizing the body so that you will be able to do different activities without getting too tired or being in too much pain every day. Alarm clocks can help in getting better sleep in many ways. To know more, here are the reasons why alarm clocks will give you an energizing and satisfying sleep.

Helps Normalize Sleeping Schedules

waking up on time with the help of an alarm clock

If you want to get better sleep, you would need to normalize your sleeping schedule so that your body clock won’t have to adjust every single day. The body clock is a biological clock that enables a person to wake up and fall asleep in specific time slots. For example, if you are always waking up at 7 AM, your body clock is already adjusted to your wake-up time so that you can wake up at 7 AM even if you don’t use an alarm clock.

For people that don’t have an adjusted body clock yet, they can use an alarm clock so that they will wake up at a specific time every day. With a normal sleeping schedule and an adjusted body clock, you will be able to have a better sleep.

If your senior loved one does not have a normal sleep schedule and you are worried that he or she might go somewhere or fall upon getting out of bed while you are still asleep, then you should read our Guide to Selecting Bed Alarms  to learn about the different solutions that you can try.

Helps Alleviate Sleep Anxiety

Alarm clocks can help alleviate sleep anxiety, which is a condition wherein a person fears that he or she may not wake up on time or may not wake up at all. By having an alarm clock, people with sleep anxiety will be sure that they will wake up no matter what, although they may have to set the volume of their alarm clocks high.

If you have severe sleep anxiety and you watch the time every now and then, you should turn the clock face away from you or place the alarm clock away from your bed so that you won’t always watch the time and lose sleep. [2]

Helps You Have a Peace of Mind

woman turning off an alarm clock

With alarm clocks, you will have peace of mind to wake up on time if you have to go to work or school early in the morning. Alarm clocks would give you peace when it comes to knowing when you will wake up, which can then allow you to get better sleep since you don’t have to subconsciously count the time.

Being anxious in trying to wake up early can lead to an unsatisfying sleep that wakes you up every now and then. Thus, an alarm clock can ensure that you will wake up whenever you need to without thinking too much about it.

And these are the benefits of alarm clocks and why you need them to have a better sleep. If you already have a smartphone, you can just use its alarm clock app to wake you up at a certain time every day. But, if you have the budget, it would be best for you to get an analog or digital alarm clock that is louder and more reliable.

Another way to get better sleep is by taking sleep aids. If you are interested, check out our post Doxylamine Succinate Vs Diphenhydramine – Which Is The Better Sleep Aid for more information.

References

[1] Premier Health. (2022, August 1). Too Much Sleep Can be Bad for Your Health. Premier Health. Retrieved March 4, 2023, from https://www.premierhealth.com/your-health/articles/women-wisdom-wellness-/too-much-sleep-can-be-bad-for-your-health  

[2] Osmun, R. (2023, January 6). The Role of Alarm Clocks in Getting Better Sleep. Early Bird by Amerisleep. Retrieved March 4, 2023, from https://amerisleep.com/blog/alarm-clocks-better-sleep/