The Best Alarm Sounds for Getting You Out of Bed
Do you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning? Do you hit the snooze button repeatedly until you’re running late for work? If so, you need to find a better alarm sound. The sound of an alarm clock can be very jarring, and it’s not surprising that so many people have trouble getting up in the morning. This blog post will discuss some of the best alarm sounds for getting you out of bed!
What Is the Best Sound for an Alarm to Wake You Up?
According to sleep expert Dr. Till Roenneberg, there is no good way to wake up in the morning. He feels so strongly about it that he is writing a book called “An Obituary for the Alarm Clock.”When we asked him if there was a song, sound, pitch, or pattern that made the morning go more smoothly, he said it was like asking a nutritionist what kind of potato chips are best for you. The only way to ensure you get enough sleep is to wake up without an alarm.
Although he concedes that occasional use isn’t wrong, Dr. Roenneberg prefers that we rely on our natural clocks. Instead of forcing ourselves to wake up at a socially mandated time.
Unfortunately, not many people know how to wake up on their own. March 2017 found that only 8% of people can do this. Out of the 20,000 people surveyed, 18,400 woke up to an alarm.
How Alarms Affect Our Body & Mind
One of the problems with our alarms is how they wake us up. For some reason, the loud noise from old-fashioned analog devices still wakes people up.
The sounds from our phones, computers, and other electronic devices can harm our health. Michael J. Decker, a sleep expert, recently told the MIT Technology Review that loud alarms make your body react. It sounds wake us up, startle our nervous systems and make us feel stressed.
The Right Alarm Sounds
1. Uplift
Uplift is a type of music that sounds like a sunrise.
2. Blues
This gentle piano riff is a more soothing soul than a jazz club. You’re bound to wake up feeling groovy.
3. Chimes
Chimes are not too loud, but it is enough to wake you up without hitting the snooze button. It feels like you are waking up in a Zen garden.
4. Twinkle
Though slightly high-pitched, Twinkle slowly develops over time. The long notes create a more significant impact and a less abrupt morning wake-up.
5. Slow Rise
Slow Rise is one of the iPhone tones that sounds the most like music. It starts quietly and builds to something more stimulating. In other words, it slowly wakes you up.
6. Hillside
Hillside sounds like someone knocking on a door in the distance. That’s the closest we get to birds singing on iOS, the perfect song for an early morning wake-up.
7. Silk
Silk is a good material for making music that is calming and not too loud.
8. Crickets
How could the sound of crickets be more natural? Crickets offer the most realistic nature sounds of the bunch.
9. Harp
Harp is the best alarm for the iPhone because it starts softly and gets louder and higher in pitch.
10. Ripples
This water-themed alarm clock is the best because it has a low frequency and a long, gradual pattern.
Other Alarm Options
There are different types of alarm clocks that you can try. Some people prefer light-based alarm clocks or vibrating watches. You can find out which kind of alarm clock wakes you up the best by trying them out.
Read more: A (Former) Night Owl’s Guide to Becoming a Morning Person
Frequently Asked Questions About Best Alarm Sounds
Research has shown that certain alarm sounds can help us wake up more quickly. Alarms with the qualities of “tunefulness” (sounds like music) have melodies that energize the listener and are great for effective waking.
Waking up to music can help you focus. Researchers studied how well people performed tasks after waking up to different sounds. They found that people who woke up to music did better on tests than those who didn’t.
If you find it hard to wake up in the morning, turn on the lights. Parents, open up the blinds or turn on the overhead light. If you want to wake yourself up, get a light alarm clock or an intelligent device lightbulb that can be scheduled to turn on 30 minutes before you want to wake up.
Some people naturally sleep very deeply and don’t wake up to their alarm. According to research, they have more sleep spindles, a kind of brain activity that happens during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.
