Allegro.cc - Online Community

Allegro.cc Forums » Off-Topic Ordeals » Alarm Clocks

This thread is locked; no one can reply to it. rss feed Print
 1   2   3 
Alarm Clocks
Chris Katko
Member #1,881
January 2002
avatar

I need some help.

I have near zero luck with alarm clocks. My body has somehow adapted to the point that it will give me enough energy to disable my alarm clock devices... and then return to sleep. I have an alarm clock, a phone alarm, and a computer alarm.

The sickening part is that even with the computer alarm, I have the ability to adapt. If I unplug my keyboard before I go to bed (which is hard to reach), I'm able to realize that while I can't shut off my speakers (there is no button), I can shut off the equalizer hooked up to the speakers. And then I'm off to sleep.

I need two things:
1 - Alarm software that requires more than a button press to shut off. Please give me some links!
2 - Ideas for getting up.

-----sig:
“Programs should be written for people to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute.” - Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
"Political Correctness is fascism disguised as manners" --George Carlin

Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
avatar

If you had something to live for, it wouldn't be so hard to get up.

jhuuskon
Member #302
April 2000
avatar

1.1 Reorganise your bedroom so all noise-making equipment require getting up to reach.
1.2 Make your room as quiet as possible. Suddden noises wake you up better when there's no background noise to begin with.
2. Go to bed at a reasonable time. :)

You don't deserve my sig.

Northburns
Member #8,821
July 2007
avatar

I have the same problem. I have two mobile phones (mine and missis's), a wake-up-light, and a phone-shaped alarm clock (which is kinda cool, when you answer it, it says "This is your wake-up call. If you would like another one in five minutes, press 5 now." in a deafening volume). All of them are set to wake up at ~2min intervals. But still I oversleep.
I've thought of buying this next, and see if it works good.

The video doesn't promise much, since the dude just picks the propeller up from his bed :(

I've also thought of the wake-up-light thingy "What a sissie lamp", and I should buy some 1.21 Giga Watts light bulbs and wire them to a cheap alarm clock somehow.
Quick-EDIT---
As jhuuskon said, the quiet room works quite well. When I was ~14 years old, I put my stereos to alarm setting to play Clawfinger at high volume (which I don't personally really like in the morning). I though that since we live a few hundred meters from nearest neighbours, it wouldn't upset anyone. "Good morning, mom!"

Dizzy Egg
Member #10,824
March 2009
avatar

Drink 3 pints of water before bed...you'll either wake up in time or p*ss the bed, in which case you'll probably wake up anyhoo.

----------------------------------------------------
Please check out my songs:
https://soundcloud.com/dont-rob-the-machina

jhuuskon
Member #302
April 2000
avatar

What do you call that thing you plug into a power outlet that has a clock than can be set to switch the attached device on at a certain time?

There's your answer. :)

You don't deserve my sig.

Northburns
Member #8,821
July 2007
avatar

Or get inspiration from Flintstones and start building. No, honestly, what wakes me up best is someone taking my blanket away. Sure, I'm not happy about it, but I then have to dress up to keep warm, and I'm making coffee in no time.
(Did Flintstones have a blanket eating dinosaur?)

Slartibartfast
Member #8,789
June 2007
avatar

3 pints will wake you up in a couple of hours, not a full night's sleep. (Though generally that's a good idea, maybe switch it to a couple of glasses. (200ml glasses :)))

How about you attach the alarm clock to the ceiling and keep a ladder in the next room?

Ben Delacob
Member #6,141
August 2005
avatar

Quote:

3 pints

Now, when you say that by itself in America, there's a little implication that it's three pints of beer.

When there's noise around, I tend to want to block it out by going back to sleep. How about setting up some food? Candy? Something to entice you out of the dream world.

__________________________________
Allegro html mockup code thread -website-
"two to the fighting eighth power"

Goalie Ca
Member #2,579
July 2002
avatar

My alarm is set so that it is quite mentally disruptive. It makes this beeping sound that is quite harsh and pisses me off all to hell. It's got all the wrong harmonics :-) When I really need to get up I set it on that instead of the radio mode.

-------------
Bah weep granah weep nini bong!

Albin Engström
Member #8,110
December 2006
avatar

Get a clock that has a "snoozle" feature.

Onewing
Member #6,152
August 2005
avatar

I'm slightly disappointed you haven't rigged your alarm to set off your car horn. :-/

That would wake you up. That or the neighbors yelling at you to turn your car off.

------------
Solo-Games.org | My Tech Blog: The Digital Helm

Thomas Fjellstrom
Member #476
June 2000
avatar

I've set my alarm each night for the past week or so, and I haven't needed it once :o

Of course I've set it for 8am, and been going to bed around 3-6pm (and wake up around 3-6am ;)) I'm hoping this pattern will stick for a while. I actually get stuff done.

--
Thomas Fjellstrom - [website] - [email] - [Allegro Wiki] - [Allegro TODO]
"If you can't think of a better solution, don't try to make a better solution." -- weapon_S
"The less evidence we have for what we believe is certain, the more violently we defend beliefs against those who don't agree" -- https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/592870205409353730

gnolam
Member #2,030
March 2002
avatar

In my experience, alarm clock adaptation can usually be defeated by placing the clock at enough distance from your bed that you have to get up to turn it off. Well, that and putting a box of caffeine pills on top of it...
I find it more disturbing that I eventually get a Pavlovian conditioning to my alarm clocks - the adrenaline rush from being brutally awakened eventually gets associated with the sound itself. The sound from a clock I had for ~6 years occasionally pops up in movies and TV series, and every time I hear it it still causes me actual physical discomfort.
This is why my alarm clock is currently set to a sample of an air raid warning from the national civil defense sirens. If I'm going to get a fight-or-flight response to any sound, I might as well make it a sound that should make me run... ;D

--
Move to the Democratic People's Republic of Vivendi Universal (formerly known as Sweden) - officially democracy- and privacy-free since 2008-06-18!

Thomas Fjellstrom
Member #476
June 2000
avatar

gnolam said:

In my experience, alarm clock adaptation can usually be defeated by placing the clock at enough distance from your bed that you have to get up to turn it off.

In my experience it doesn't really matter how far away the alarm is so long as you're tired enough. One time when I was younger I managed to snap my classic yellow walkman in half before I found the alarm and went back to bed. I didn't start actually waking up till I laid back down.

--
Thomas Fjellstrom - [website] - [email] - [Allegro Wiki] - [Allegro TODO]
"If you can't think of a better solution, don't try to make a better solution." -- weapon_S
"The less evidence we have for what we believe is certain, the more violently we defend beliefs against those who don't agree" -- https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/592870205409353730

Ben Delacob
Member #6,141
August 2005
avatar

I didn't start actually waking up till I laid back down.

If I'm really tired but need to get up, my mind tries to play tricks on me to get me to sleep. I start to imagine/dream that I'm getting up and getting ready or that I'm doing work until I either notice that this is happening or am back asleep.

Try a bunk bed if you can.

__________________________________
Allegro html mockup code thread -website-
"two to the fighting eighth power"

Epsi
Member #5,731
April 2005
avatar

gnolam said:

I find it more disturbing that I eventually get a Pavlovian conditioning to my alarm clocks

The ONLY tune I'm able to use to wake up and not develop a Pavlovian condition to is a music from the game "Knytt Stories", even though I've been using it for months. I find it so peaceful that I'm not angry to hear it in the morning, which is probably why I can still listen to it nowadays without feeling unease.

Being able to use a MP3 as an alarm is priceless! (thanks iPhone)

___________________________________

piccolo: "soon all new 2d alegro games will be better. after i finsh my MMRPG. my game will serve as a code reference. so you can understand and grab code from."
piccolo: "just wait until my invetion comes out its going to take the wii to the next leave of game play. it will run sony and microsoft out of busness if i dont let them use it aswell."

GameCreator
Member #2,541
July 2002
avatar

jhuuskon said:

Go to bed at a reasonable time

I'd like to repeat and emphasize this. Figure out how much sleep you need if your alarm doesn't wake you up. Then time accordingly.

X-G
Member #856
December 2000
avatar

gnolam said:

In my experience, alarm clock adaptation can usually be defeated by placing the clock at enough distance from your bed that you have to get up to turn it off.

When I tried that, I realized that my apartment wasn't THAT big, so it was entirely possible for me to get up, turn the alarm off, then go straight back to bed.

--
Since 2008-Jun-18, democracy in Sweden is dead. | 悪霊退散!悪霊退散!怨霊、物の怪、困った時は ドーマン!セーマン!ドーマン!セーマン! 直ぐに呼びましょう陰陽師レッツゴー!

gnolam
Member #2,030
March 2002
avatar

jhuuskon said:

Go to bed at a reasonable time

I'd like to repeat and emphasize this. Figure out how much sleep you need if your alarm doesn't wake you up. Then time accordingly.

... that only works if you're a morning person (yes, there are fundamental biological differences between "morning persons" and "night owls"). If not, no amount of sleep the night before is going to make you think that 06-fucking-30 is a good time to get up.

X-G said:

When I tried that, I realized that my apartment wasn't THAT big, so it was entirely possible for me to get up, turn the alarm off, then go straight back to bed.

And that is why the coffee table was invented. Blunt force trauma to the knees wakes you right up. ;D

--
Move to the Democratic People's Republic of Vivendi Universal (formerly known as Sweden) - officially democracy- and privacy-free since 2008-06-18!

jhuuskon
Member #302
April 2000
avatar

gnolam said:

And that is why the coffee table was invented. Blunt force trauma to the knees wakes you right up.

Word. I support this clause based on experience, and I've got the scars to prove it.

You don't deserve my sig.

Onewing
Member #6,152
August 2005
avatar

I wish there was an alarm clock that asked you a math question that you have to get right to be able to turn it off. I need something to force me to think just a little to help me wake up. Even if the alarm clock is on the other side of the room, I can get up, turn it off and get back in bed without ever waking up. :-/

------------
Solo-Games.org | My Tech Blog: The Digital Helm

le_y_mistar
Member #8,251
January 2007
avatar

What you need is motivation, find something productive to do, obviously, try staying away from the computer as sitting your ass down is not good for your health. Go to bed on time, and wake up early. Eat good healthy foods and treat yourself well :)

-----------------
I'm hell of an awesome guy :)

Crazy Photon
Member #2,588
July 2002
avatar

If you have a Windows Mobile based phone, try G-Alarm and set up an alarm that will not shut off till you clear one ore more mazes and or math questions. Does the work for me.

-----
Resistance is NEVER futile...

Myrdos
Member #1,772
December 2001

gnolam said:

yes, there are fundamental biological differences between "morning persons" and "night owls"

I have never heard of these differences - please explain. I had understood that circadian rhythms can be rescheduled to allow sleep at a different time of day after two weeks of adaptation. And, it would seem to be generally harder to get restful sleep during the day for all types of people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin#Light_dependence

__________________________________________________

 1   2   3 


Go to: