Should You Be Using an Alarm to Wake Up?

Many Americans wake up to alarms. We all know people who intentionally choose abrasive-sounding alarms so that they cannot ignore them. Others build in extra time between their alarms and when they actually "must" get up so that they can hit snooze several times. Alarms are a fine fail-safe, but most mornings we should wake up before we are jarred up. When our body wakes us up, we feel better and stay in rhythm. Believe it or not, alarm clocks promote very unhealthy sleep habits.

You might also be dealing with a partner that sets loud alarms and you are looking for the best solution to help them wake up in the best way possible. Continue reading to learn about the side effects of using an alarm to wake up and what you could be doing to your body over time.

Sleep Cycles and Natural Waking

Throughout the night, our body cycles between deep sleep and lighter, REM sleep. As we run out of sleep juice (hormones) and the sun creeps up, we hit one last REM session and then come into the world. That is how it should work. This is one reason we often awaken from dreams. If you are awoken from a deep sleep, you know it (or perhaps rather, do not know it because you fall back asleep): confusion, flailing, groaning. As a result, we wake up grumpy and still feel tired.

Alarms and Sleep Inertia

Alarms risk shaking us from a deep sleep and waking us up too abruptly. You might notice that the first few minutes out of bed are especially difficult on your sense of balance, your bad back, and your ability to form intelligent sentences. This is called "sleep inertia." Some parts of our brain that control our more human qualities take longer to become active than involuntary functions.

Alarms worsen sleep inertia because they jar you from slumber and trigger stress hormones immediately. You'll know this has happened when twenty minutes after arriving at work you suddenly start nodding off, despite blowing through your morning routine.

Snooze

Snooze is tempting for some who think those last few minutes of sleep are needed more dearly than the preceding 6 hours. Once you've gotten used to waking up tired, you might believe that if you didn't have the snooze button, you'd be completely unconscious. The opposite is probably true. Snooze is like dunking your head in a toilet over and over as you go from harsh waking to deep, slow-wave sleeping. Like using alcohol to fall asleep, it's short-sighted. If you aren't going to bed early enough or sleeping through the night, the last few minutes are not your problem.

The Best Way to Wake Up in the Morning

If waking up with an alarm is something you just can't live without, then you can try a different type of alarm, such as a sunrise alarm clock. A sunrise alarm clock uses a personalized sunrise alarm to gently awaken you and promote healthy cortisol levels.

While using an alarm clock is still not ideal, we recommend better alternatives, such as purchasing a better quality mattress and making sure you get sufficient natural light in the morning.

As we've mentioned in past posts, much of modern life pushes against natural sleep cues. The discipline to set a healthy sleep routine is one aspect of a healthy sleep pattern, but modern mattresses also help us sleep, put up with our sleep partners, and even feel cooler so that we wake more naturally and stay awake. Having consistent sleep habits with natural morning sunlight is truly the best way to go.

Shop Local, Shop Bedzzz Express

With mattresses from industry leaders such as Tempur-Pedic, Sealy, Beautyrest, Purple, Dreamcloud, Nectar, and Serta, our experts at Bedzzz Express will help you lose the snooze and win better zzz's. Bedzzz Express has mattress store locations throughout Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee. Visit us in-store to discuss which mattress if best for you and your lifestyle.