A Guide to Selecting a Clock Alarm
It’s best to develop a rhythm of going to sleep and waking up at regular, set times. But, there may be times when you have to work or study extra hours, and waking up at the right time in the morning will be more of a challenge. Your smartphone undoubtedly has an alarm clock feature. But, it’s not advisable to use your smartphone as an alarm clock on a regular basis. A dedicated alarm clock that just does its job of waking you up in the morning is the best bet.
Alarm clocks have progressed quite a bit from the traditional ones that you just set to ring at a certain time. Nowadays, you can select from among alarm clocks that play pleasant music or white noise to wake you up more gently. Some employ lights as well, to simulate a sunrise. Others vibrate, to shake you a bit when it’s time to wake up. And you have a wide selection of different displays to let you know the time, or perhaps also the date, and even the temperature and humidity!
We’ll go through some of the alarm clocks in the Best Reviews Guide list. You can get a simple alarm clock for around $12. Or you can splurge on something techy, which adds a special ambiance to your bedroom.
FAQ
Why should I use an alarm clock, instead of using my smartphone to get up in the morning?
If your main goal is to get a good night’s sleep and wake up at a certain hour refreshed, an alarm clock is a better option. Sleep experts recommend not falling into the trap of looking at your smartphone before going to sleep or in the first hour of waking up. Studies show that using your smartphone before going to bed makes it more difficult to have a restful sleep. It could be because of the blue light emitted by the smartphone, or because you’ll do activities on your smartphone that tend to make you more agitated than sleepy. And looking at your phone first thing when you wake up can also be detrimental. It tends to hijack your priorities for the day and increase anxiety.
Types of Clock Alarms
Looking at the Best Reviews Guide list of clock alarms, we see several varieties, such as a traditional analog display, and a modern digital display:
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Analog display: These are inexpensive, low-tech models with a traditional clock face. You adjust the clock hands manually. For example, the battery-powered Peakeep Twin Bell Loud Alarm Clock has a very simple design, but instead, it focuses on being loud and annoying so as to wake up even heavy sleepers. It has a backlight to ensure you can tell the time, even in perfect darkness.
Peakeep Twin Bell Loud Alarm Clock
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Digital display: This displays the numbers in digital form, which is more accurate. But, there will be quite a few variations between models:
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Senior citizen alarm clock: These will have a very large display so that you can tell the time from anywhere in the room. An example is the XRexs Large Digital Wall Clock. It measures 16.5” x 4.84”, and displays the date and temperature as well as the time. It can be suspended from the wall as a wall clock, or you can use the fold-out stand to prop it up on a desk or night table. The settings can be adjusted by means of a remote control.
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