My Friend With Four Kids Found the Best Alarm Clocks
My friend Mo had a problem. “My four kids have very close sleeping quarters,” she laughed. “And they kept waking each other up with their morning alarms. Everyone was going bananas.”
Her kids share three bedrooms off a small landing. One room doesn’t have a door, and two kids sleep in a bunk bed. “We would wake up so much,” lamented Indy, age 11, “Like, six times between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. Someone would hit snooze and then get in the shower; and on weekends we’d forget to turn off our alarms, so they’d all start beeping.”
The family brainstormed different solutions and finally figured out a cool one: a bed shaker! Have you heard of them? When they described them this weekend, I was fascinated. “You put a disk under your pillow or mattress,” said Mo. “When it vibrates, you wake up, but no one else does.”
When I asked her two younger kids how it compared to a regular alarm clock, they answered immediately. “The vibration isn’t as annoying as loud beeping,” said Ike, 13. “It sort of eases you awake.” Adds Indy: “It’s a nice way to wake up because an alarm is a frantic noise and I genuinely have trauma from all the alarms!”
As for my friend Mo’s take? “I just want everyone to get a good night of sleep.”
How cool is that? Have you ever heard of vibrating alarms? (I still swear by my very simple alarm clock:)
P.S. Sleeping tricks, and 10 fun ideas for kids’ bedrooms.
(Photo from Maggie Pouncey’s house tour by John Gruen.)
Tags: pro tip
Comments
105 commentsYep. As someone who has been hearing-impaired and a very heavy sleeper her whole life, I have used a bed vibrator since I was a teenager. (I’m the Answer To Life, The Universe and Everything this year.) During my Senior year, it still didn’t work. My dad had to repeatedly shake the foot of my bed a la What About Bob after my alarm went off because I would turn the alarm off in my sleep.
Another suggestion is an alarm clock watch! I got one when my baby was a newborn and sleeping by our bed but I didn’t want to wake her. It vibrates on your wrist and it’s nice and simple! I got mine on Amazon but I’m sure you can find it elsewhere too
I have chosen a birdsong alarm on the iPhone – gentle on my ears and I wake up wondering what birds are singing before realising it’s my alarm. The best thing I’ve done for my anxiety.
the alarm on my alarm clock is birds singing, I love it! Best alarm clock after having tried so many different ones. Love from Paris
I don’t know if anyone else has noted this, but bed shaker alarms are also used by people with Type 1 Diabetes so that they don’t sleep through low blood sugar alarms and potentially have a seizure or go unconscious. My teen daughter has Type 1 and the bed shaker feature will be important when she flies off from the nest.
QUESTION: If you share a bed, does the under-the-pillow alarm vibrate enough to wake both people up? I’d consider this a great option, but I wouldn’t want it to wake up my husband who sleeps later than me.
*shrug* It depends on how light a sleeper your husband is.
As others have mentioned, this is a necessity for the Deaf/HH community. I highly recommend the book, True Biz, by Sara Novic. Hopefully, this post is an opportunity to raise awareness.
I love that “Friend with 4 kids” is synonymous with being an expert of all things because how could they not be
My six-year-old is his own alarm clock and his parents’ too. 4 days out of 7 he wakes up at exactly 5:46am. We’re all awake before 6am every day, even weekends. Heeelp!
Do you have one of those “okay to wake” clocks? Or because your child is older, maybe you could tell him that he can’t wake you until 7:30 or 7 whatever works for you? I’m guessing he can read a digital clock at his age. He can get himself a simple breakfast, water, etc. and do whatever you deem appropriate (when I was a kid I wasn’t allowed to wake my parents but I was allowed to watch cartoons) but he cannot wake you up.
Thanks for the suggestions! We do have an ok to wake colored light. And he can read the time. But we’re in a relatively small apartment so one person waking means pretty much everyone’s awake. We’ve tried getting him to read books, but he doesn’t like to be alone. Hoping it’s just a phase and he’ll sleep more soon.
I hope he sleeps in later soon! Maybe a sound machine and ear plugs for you would help? And a warning that his parents deserve to sleep too or maybe he might get something taken away? A little disincentive might help
Maybe just go with it and find a way to embrace it as cozy family time? I can’t relate because I’m like your son, I naturally wake at 5:40am (consistently 5:38am to be weirdly specific, lol) and LOVE the quiet time to sit and have tea, read a little, etc, before beginning the grind of the day.
I “invented” this as part of a 7th-grade school assignment and received a bad grade on it because I “didn’t take the assignment seriously.” I FEEL VINDICATED that this is real! Also, my mom is deaf (and has been for her whole life), and I remember writing about that in my assignment, and about how a vibrating alarm could help people like her, and now feel double-vindicated that it was already a solution for that specific community. Now to figure out how to take this up with my middle-school teachers three decades later…
What a heart-felt smart kiddo you were! <3
I can’t believe you got a bad grade on this idea, especially with your mom being deaf. I am hard of hearing but did not know about this product until now. Brilliant. I am going to try it out.
These are genius! They remind me of my (very Catholic) mom’s most embarassing story. She was with her friend and their teenage daughters, and her friend’s daughter was telling my mom she had such a hard time waking up- no sound woke her up. So my mom goes- you have to get a vibrator! That will really wake you up! My sister and her friend both burst into laugher much to the confusion of my mom, who kept insisting her friend’s daughter should really try a vibrator in the mornings.
Excellent!
Oh wow, could not buy this fast enough for our three tween/teenage boys! Thank you!!
I spy Dory Fantasmagory on the bookshelf. Never have I laughed so often while reading a children’s book aloud! Run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore/library.
Yes!! Those books are hilarious!
Curious about this – is it normal for small children to have alarm clocks ? I only got one when I was 13 and had to wake up before my parents for high school. Before that I was woken up. Even now when I visit my parents they will wake me up :) wondering if this is a cultural thing or different based on when the adults wake up.
My parents got me my own alarm clock when I was starting third grade — so I would have been almost 8. I loved it; it made me feel so grown up!
I think it might be a cultural thing, Priyanka. My Indian mom woke me well into high school years. But when I refused to get up, she would come at me with a cold wet paper towel that she would rub on my eyes. I’m still traumatized lol
I also have hearing loss and, especially if I happen to be sleeping on my right (better ear) side, often would sleep through a regular alarm clock. I’ve been using this amazing clock for a while now and am completely in love with it! The alarm volume starts out low and gradually increases until it’s at a level I can hear. There is also a control for the brightness of the numbers (I hate when my alarm clock is way too bright in the middle of what should be a dark room). It’s also quite pretty and you can choose what color you want the glowing numbers to be! REALLY appreciate all of the comments from everyone in the Deaf/HH community!! Important awareness!! https://amzn.to/4cZrRfa
Now I want a house tour of Mo’s place!
This bookshelf! I was pinching to zoom on all the titles! Lots of overlap with my kiddos’ interests, but some new ones now added to our library list. Come for the clock, stay for the reading materials. ❤️
I invented this and even built a mock-up with my Dad when I was about 16. I’m 49 now-it’s about time someone else had the grit to follow the idea through!
I absolutely love the simple alarm clock you recommended Jo! I bought it off based off your recommendation and just bought the same one for my 8 year old. She used it for the first time this morning and got up right on time and seems to be really keen on it too. Thanks for the recommendation- never thought I would enjoy an alarm clock so much:) it helped me finally stop using my phone as an alarm too, which is a huge plus.
This might come across as pearl-clutchy and mean-spirited, but speaking honestly, if my 13-year-old claimed that alarm clocks had caused “genuine trauma” we’d be having some conversations about what trauma (actually) means and why it’s important not to dilute the power of words through exaggeration. Not trying to pick this apart! Truly!
I had the same thought but then was like, hyperbole as humor is okay too? I don’t know!
Fair–but being jolted awake by a loud noise is a pretty distressing way to wake up, especially for someone who is sensitive to loud noises and/or already carrying trauma that’s triggered by being shocked or surpised. I can’t stand alarm clock noise. I’ve always imagined the perfect alarm clock would be my grandma’s kind voice and her gentle hand shaking me. I can’t wait to try this!
I mean, sleep deprivation is also a recognized torture tactic, so I feel like this description isn’t as “out there” as it could be.
I sympathize with that 13-year-old. I can’t stand alarm clocks and what she’s saying—it’s one of those things you have to endure day after day for years and you never get used to the shock of it—is really not that far from the truth.
Sam, a thirteen year old who is obviously exaggerating doesn’t need to be corrected or taught what “real trauma” is. I have CPTSD and have spent so much money trying to fix my body… She’s a kid, let her believe that waking up to a loud alarm is a terrible trauma. A kid.
I agree with this. I work in a very high trauma field, and we learn that it’s not our place to put weight on other people’s trauma, but words DO matter and calling this “genuine trauma” really bothered me because it dilutes what “genuine trauma” actually is for those who have experienced it. I also am trying to use the lens that it is just a child describing something frustrating, but I think perhaps some discussions on word choice would be appropriate.
This is how teenagers talk. They’ve always talked this way; they always will! “Trauma” has entered the teen lexicon in the same way “I’m dead” has; it’s pretty much used ironically, which you can gather through context. We all know, including the teens, that alarm clocks are not truly “traumatic.”
As a deaf person, I’ve been using a bedshaker alarm clock since I was in middle school! Funny to see them become more mainstream. I think its important to give credit to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community when it comes to articles like this, I’m glad that hearing people find it beneficial but for some of us, these technologies literally change our lives for the better and enable us to experience life in a more accessible manner. I remember I let a hearing friend try out my alarm clock when I was in high school and it freaked him out at first but he understood how appealing it would be for someone who is D/HH or a person who has a hard time waking up. Once you get used to the slight shaking of the bed, its not unsettling at all to be woken up that way. That being said these days I usually rely on my apple watch to shake me awake but the original alarm clock still has its place in my life too (it’s much easier to use the watch especially when traveling, I used to have to bring a travel shaking alarm clock with me which was a pain).
YES. This article just made me think about how little people know about deaf and hard of hearing people’s lives and culture, advocacy and struggle. My older sister is deaf, and I grew up with subtitles (very common now), a doorbell that made the lights flash off (quite exciting) and my mum talking to my sister at university through a service called typetalk – my mum would talk to the operator, who would type to my sister on a text phone, then my sister would speak directly to my mum. When you were done with your part of the conversation you would say “go ahead”. Technology has changed so much for all of us, but being able to see people’s faces on video calls (and now automatically caption them) is so much warmer.
Just curious, Mo had 2 kids in her house tour and now has 4. Is she a foster/adoptive mom?
Different mom! The house tour was Maggie pouncey. I just used that photo as an illustration. Xoxo
My (super old) Fitbit is my alarm. It wakes me during the ideal sleeping window within half an hour of when I need to wake up, and just gently vibrates on my wrist – no one else hears or wakes up.
Maybe a knocker-upper could be the solution?? Old school human alarm clock at its finest!! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35840393
this is so cool!
I knew exactly what a knocker-upper was because of the kids’ podcast Forever Ago!!! If y’all aren’t listening with your kids, do it. It’s amazing, my entire family loves it, and my husband and I would be starstruck – literally – if we ever met the Joy Dolo (the host)!
Piggybacking off the comments about vibrating alarms being used for decades by the Deaf/HOH community to say that while it’s great that Mo’s family found a solution that works for them, I would have appreciated the post more if it acknowledged what this is at heart, which is a solution for a disabled population that has now found a new home in the mainstream. Texting is something most of us do daily that also has its roots in the Deaf/HOH community. Curb cuts are another great example – they are put in place by the ADA for people who use mobility devices, but parents with strollers and movers with furniture dollies benefit just as much. CoJ has a strong history of celebrating the experience of people with disabilities and I feel like you guys missed the mark a bit by not acknowledging the origins of Mo’s solution.
I understand, Amy. Thank you so much for your feedback. I really appreciate it.
Thank you for this Amy!
Hope I’m not the only one hoping Yoda was the magic alarm. He would say something like “Awake, you must”
That was very much my wish also!
hahahaha
I need that yoda alarm clock for my son! love from Paris
Anyone else live in earthquake country and find this idea terrifying?? Can’t imagine waking up that way every day eep
This is my experience too – these are great for so many people for so many different reasons! But having experienced several earthquakes and living in earthquake country: “Drop. Cover. Hold on is what I’m primed to do. Moreover, if you’re in bed and you feel shaking you need to immediately cover your head with your pillow. I can’t imagine responding without deep stress to a shaking alarm, and….if I managed to desensitize myself enough to not be stressed with a shaking alarm – that’s now a new problem, because we have to be able to react and take measures extremely quickly in the first seconds of an earthquake. But (like decorative shelves above beds!) this is something that is great for others but not for me :)
Had the exact same thought! Like the idea in theory but think it would be too anxiety provoking here.
That’s so funny to me because I’m born and raised in earthquake region (Bay Area, CA) and shakes don’t faze me at all!! I wouldn’t mind a shaking alarm, shout out to Deaf/HoH community for this invention.
OMG came here to say this! Born and raised in the SF Bay Area and my first reaction was HELL NAWWW..
No more terrifying than using an egg timer that vibrates. The sensation of an earthquake is so different from a small object shaking.
I use my phone set to vibrate as my alarm, and I’ve never once thought it was an earthquake waking me up lol very, very different sensation! I’ve been woken up by quite a few earthquakes and always knew what was happening. Signed, a lifelong Californian
I have been searching for an alarm clock that is just an alarm clock (not my phone) but will let me set a music track to wake up to. I can’t believe with all the tech we have now this doesn’t seem to be generally available? I hate all “alarm” sounds and just want something very quiet and gentle to wake up to. But honestly I haven’t been using any alarm for almost a year now – since my husband and son get up first (and we live in an apartment) I just let their breakfast sounds wake me up gently.
I have also searched for an alarm clock that isn’t my phone in vain! I need an alarm clock that I can set for different days of the week, and somehow that feels all but impossible!
Yessss I am too! I bought a Sharper Imagine “clock Radio”’a few years ago and it’s not user friendly. I refuse to sleep with my phone and Alexa doesn’t do the trick. A good, old fashioned clock radio with radio/alarm/functions etc please. Will be crossing fingers in hopes someone has a suggestion. Thank you! 💓
Very mid-tech idea inspired by an experience during college in 2006: I spent a semester in England, and we all had to get essentially what are now called burner phone (since our US cell phones wouldn’t have worked?/would have been expensive there?). I don’t love alarm sounds either, and this was the heyday of customized ringtones. So I recorded (from cd, of course) the opening piano melody from Coldplay’s song ‘Speed of Sound.’ It was a lovely way to be awakened, somewhat energizing but not jarring. And now when I relisten to the X&Y album, I’m transported to my little guesthouse room. Maybe if you have a random device that can record and also has a clock (possibly an old phone you’re not using?), you could make it into the alarm clock you’re looking for, and it won’t have all of the distracting and stressful smartphone elements.
I bought an old school one used on eBay. It’s perfect, a clock radio alarm clock.
This isn’t exactly what you were asking for but I have this and live it. find the sound delightful.
Emily, this might be not the route you want to go, but I have this alarm clock, which has four different alarms (though you’d need to remember to click to select a different alarm; you can’t program it for a specific day): https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=sony+liv+alarm+clock+icf-c180&_sacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_odkw=sony+liv+alarm+clock&_osacat=0 Sony no longer manufactures it, but it looks like they abound on eBay! Mine is going strong after 12+ years, maybe more like 15+. My mom bought it for me after loving her own alarm clock, which lasted probably 30 or more years and played the sweetest version of “Here Comes the Sun” and was my first introduction to the Beatles: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Vintage+Sony+ICF-A10W+FM%2FAM+&_sacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_odkw=sony+liv+alarm+clock+icf-c180&_osacat=0
Rosie – incredible idea! Will I follow through on it? who knows lol but I hope someone does!
Love my old Sony clock radio alarm! I wake up to music every day. Look on E-bay or thrift shops.
When did everyone start having their kids wake up to an alarm on school mornings, vs waking them up yourself? My 12yo son wakes up less and less on his own in time to get ready in the mornings. A part of me loves coming in and opening the curtains and gently waking him up… and a part of me keeps thinking that maybe I don’t have to be a human alarm every morning.
It was ~7th Grade for us.
I moved my 11-year-old to an alarm clock about 6 months ago and haven’t looked back. Before it, I woke her myself and had to go in multiple times to give her warnings (“20 minutes til we leave, sweetie”). It became exhausting and stressful trying to remember to go remind her while fixing my other child breakfast + lunch. The alarm clock made her self sufficient and has been so much easier for me, and better for our relationship. I’m no longer the “bad guy”.
We just got my 11.5 year old an alarm clock. He usually wakes up before it goes off, but there have been a few times I woke him up with 25 minutes to go before we had to leave and he was bummed he didn’t have more time. I said good news! You can be in charge of when you wake up!
I look at loving parenting as building independence and promoting responsibility. There are college kids that have never been responsible for getting themselves up and then miss morning classes. Everyone needs to learn how to wake up on their own, how to do laundry, how to clean a bathroom and how to cook a few things. I used to tell my daughter, I want to teach you to be a capable adult! And she is!
I have a kindergartener who gets BIG MAD when we wake her up. Our solution was setting her hatch to make bird sounds and do rainbow lights every morning! I offered it as an option and she got to choose the lights/sounds. Mornings are still occasionally tough, but she makes her own way downstairs for breakfast and has that moment to herself before! No more angry five year old right when her eyes open.
My mom woke me up until the day I went to college at 18 :) It was the best.
My kid asked for an alarm clock in first grade. It’s gentle- lights up slowly and plays nature sounds (currently birds). I go in after it goes off to snooze it for him and see if he needs a few more minutes- It’s the best of both worlds. It’s also really helpful if I have become distracted/lost track of time!
Similar concept of vibration—we use soft wristband alarm clocks! There are lots of wristband alarms but usually they are resemble a plastic watch, which I don’t find comfortable for sleeping. The one we use is like a sweatband, from a brand Coolfire on Amazon. I would love another soft-band option, if anyone has recommendations. Works great, though. I often just put it under my pillow. The lowest vibration is more than enough, and everyone can wake up without disturbing their bed or room partner! (My daughters share a bedroom and one wants to wake up earlier than the other. You can probably guess which one from birth order.)
I am a social worker and helped a patient get a bed shaker alarm connected to her cell phone! She was deaf and was awaiting a kidney transplant, we needed a way for her to get calls if an organ were to become available in the middle of the night. This is such a great resource for the hearing impaired community <3
Unrelated but an incredible invention like the vibrating alarm: I recently wanted to install a dimmer on a light switch in my daughter’s bedroom, but instead learned about dimmable light bulbs. Y’all, you just switch out the bulb and then have three settings just using your wall switch (bright, medium, dim, on/off/on/off/on/off). Who knew?!?!?!? It’s magic and so simple.
These have been used by the Deaf/HoH community for a long time. So to piggyback off this (accessibility hacks)…I’m looking for a recommendation for fire/Co2 alarms. I live in a weird apartment where my alarms go off randomly, which has resulted in me taking them all down (I know, I know). The issue is that super loud noises (especially sudden ones) make my ears ring and cause intense dizziness/nausea/headaches. The only alternative I’ve found are silent alarms that flash lights, which…also cause dizziness/headaches/nausea. Any other ideas? Do I just choose the less evil of the two? Help me and my pets (there’s a lot of them! I worry!) not die in a fire! I live in the US, if that helps. I could use the same recs for timers! Like oven timers.
Definitely choose the lesser evil over nothing! Because once you install a new one, how often does one in working order go off? Almost never. It’s worth it to keep you safe.
I should add that my house is haunted and these alarms go off at least once a month, even with brand new alarms. So I’m looking for an option I can tolerate through all that. If the house was not haunted and the alarms operated like they should (only alerting to an emergency and not to…air? ghost chatter? a fly? bad vibes? the house knowing I’m already overstimulated and wanting to test my strength?) I’d be good to go! I can take some physical symptoms for safety. I might just need to put them all back and try and deal. Thank you to anyone who chimes in!
If you use a smart fire/co2 detector, they often speak before beep and you can turn them off remotely from phone. Might help you control the chaos. “There is smoke in the living room”.
why not get someone to clear the ghost out? I know those people exist somewhere. spend some time online and hire someone. problem solved. or move? why live like that?!
I don’t believe in ghosts, so you may feel free to disregard my advice, but you may have another serious issue you may want to investigate, like faulty wiring, or dust being generated and/or actual CO in your home.
thanks for the recommendation! I also wanted to say that I love that bedroom photo- would love a house tour.
right here! :) https://cupofjo.com/2024/02/12/maggie-pouncey-house-tour/
Instead of a sunrise clock, I’ve programmed my echo dot to turn on a dim lamp light across the room and play NPR. I wake engaged with the news and the light guarantees I can’t fall back asleep.
lol that’s a fun post, CoJ team. You know what would be interesting? I wonder sometimes how you guys come up with ideas for posts. Considering you’ve been writing this blog for over a DECADE!! I think it’d be fun to have a sneak peek behind the scenes on how you guys come up with ideas on posts, how you guys work together and give feedback, and what the whole process is. Sometimes I imagine Joanna just goes through her cool life and talks to as many friends and strangers on the street as possible and any time she thinks “oh that’s neat” she furiously writes it down in a notebook to make a future post. Anyway, as someone whose job is entirely not creative, maybe it’d be only interesting to me and a few people, but just thought I’d throw it out there
Yes, I’m also interested in this! I’m curious too about the scheduling of posts. If a post seems to be taking off with a lot of comments, do you ever push back your next scheduled post? Can you predict which will get a lot of feedback, or any recent or old posts that got a surprising amount of traction?
I would find that really interesting too!
To me the blog has a nice rhythm, I can nearly predict posts! Like an editorial calendar of sorts! There’s always 1-2 community engagement posts per week to help readers connect (what did you do this wknd, what book are you reading, etc.) 1-2 family posts 1-2 design posts (clothing or interiors) 1-2 sponsored posts 1-2 personal essays (sometimes overlapping with family content) Then every now and then a random or topical post!
Would LOVE this.
I think the blog is closer to 20 years old!
yes, our 20th anniversary is this coming January :) :) :) and it would be fun to talk about our editorial cadence; how we come up with story ideas, series, and columns; etc — SO much thought goes into it all, and it would be sort of gratifying to share :)
I’ve always been curious about how the editorial calendar gets built, and how far in advance posts are worked on, etc. it’s also fun that the rhythm has become predictable (Motherhood Mondays, Food Wednesdays, Cartoon and Links Fridays, and then design, travel, lifestyle, etc on Tuesday/Thursday). I’m also curious about how the team decides who will write what, whether it will be a one or two post day, any factors behind the timing of the posts going live, whether to overlap or not work Big Salad, and how recurring link sources are selected (like is there a partnership with the British homes and gardens site, or is it a team favorite like Kotte/Swissmiss?). What’s I like moderating comments, and are staff doing it round the clock, or filtering for certain words? I would love to hear behind the scenes, like a house tour or COJ :)
I would love to see this too, I think it would be fascinating.
I’ve had this same challenge with my husband (who typically sleeps much later than I do) so I use the alarm setting on my Garmin running watch. It took a bit to get used to sleeping with a watch on and I still don’t love it (do we believe in free radicals from electronics, Y/N?) BUT waking up alone to a quiet house and getting some time alone before everyone needs me is well worth it.
Oh wow, I have two alarm clocks in my cart right now while I decide which one so I can’t wait for all the comment recs!! I need a gentle alarm but more than light alone. Also I reallllly prefer a deep almost dark amber light period, for about the 1st hour I’m awake. These both allow a darker amber at 10% luminosity so hoping they work. It’s just a style decision at this point. I love them both so I’m trying to decide: Vivilumens Bedroom Alarm Clock with Sunrise, Sound Machine, Nightlight https://amzn.to/4yO3CJd HOUSBAY Sunrise Alarm Clock with Bluetooth Speaker & Radio https://amzn.to/4rr3yNh
Yup, I use a wrist-band on the mornings I wake up early to write and don’t want to wake my husband. It doesn’t shake the whole bed, which is nice, and it’s not jarring at all. No notes!
I have been using this exact alarm for about 6 months and I love it! It’s far less jarring in the morning, you can still snooze it (very important), and I haven’t had to charge it since its initial charge. Even the dog doesn’t mind it and he sometimes sleeps on top of it.
I am laughing at your dog getting the occasional free massage.
Vibrating bed alarms have long been used with the hard of hearing and Deaf community. I had considered it for my husband when he was working a very l early shift and I was waking in the middle of the night when his alarm would go off (and off and off) through various snoozes. I figure he’d like that more than ME shaking him. I like the alarms that gradually light up the room myself.
I’m also a light person – when my Philips sunrise clock’s bulb burned out (and couldn’t be replaced, which, cmonnnn), I moved to just using smart bulbs and occasionally my phone as a back up. Like Indy, I’m happy to be rid of frantic noise!