When the Alarm Goes Off, it’s Time to Get Up

Credit: Unsplash
Don’t even think of touching that snooze button.

I take a small mote of pride in the fact that in my 28-plus years of life, I’ve only ever hit the snooze button on an alarm clock maybe twice. It’s one of the little perks of being a morning person; I only need to be woken up once. That said, I know plenty of people for whom waking up in the morning is a battle of attrition, for whom the temptation of the snooze button is too great to resist. If you’re having trouble getting out of bed in the morning, you might need to get a little more creative.

For one thing, if at all possible, you actually shouldn’t put your alarm clock within arm’s reach of your bed. If you can smack it without lifting your head from your pillow, it kind of defeats the purpose. Put it on the other side of the room on a counter or dresser. That way, when it goes off, you’ll have no choice but to get out of bed to turn it off.

Alternatively, try switching up the kind of alarm clock you use. If your problem is that loud noise enough isn’t enough to rouse you (and I used to live with someone with death metal as an alarm, so I know there are people like that), try a clock that also employs light or motion. Some special clocks come with vibration pads you install under your bed that’ll shake you awake, or annoying, flashing lights. I saw an alarm clock once that launched a little helicopter drone when it went off, and the only way to stop it was by shooting it down with a light gun.

Credit: Unsplash

If you absolutely can’t get out of bed, perhaps the problem is less in your alarm clock and more in your sleep habits. Try going to bed earlier than usual so your body can get the additional rest it craves.