ORLANDO, Fla. – Waking up: It's something we do every day, but for some, it still never gets any easier.
There's nothing worse than waking up late, starting your morning in a panic and immediately setting the tone for a day you're about to spend completely frazzled. Sound familiar? That's because I, too, am guilty of oversleeping on the reg.
If the 12 alarms you're setting for every few minutes on your smartphone just aren't getting the job done in the mornings, you may need something more intense -- or annoying.
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You're in luck, because there are some creative clocks out there that are up for the challenge.
Each of the following alarm clocks is designed to wake the heaviest of sleepers, and all of them can be ordered online, through our dear friend Amazon.
We hope you love these recommendations! Just an FYI, Graham Media Group may collect a small share of sales from the links provided on this page.
Here's what we found:
iLuv's Smartshaker 2 may be just what heavy sleepers need to wake up on the right side of the bed. You just take the clock, place it under your pillow and use an app to schedule your wake-up time in the morning. The company says the alarm can be a good option for people who are deaf or suffer from hearing loss, anyone who lives with someone who has a different sleep schedule or those who just need more wake-up support because they're simply heavy sleepers.
For $130 on Amazon, Pavlok says this shocking alarm clock will actually train you to wake up. In fact, the company says most users never get shocked because the device trains you to wake up before the shock hits. To use it, the company suggests wearing the shock clock on the inside of your wrist. Start with the silent and gentle "vibrate" setting. If that doesn't wake you, add the loud and irritating "beep" feature to the mix. If you're still sleeping like the dead, it could be time to use what Pavlok calls the powerful and effective "zap" feature. Eventually, the brain catches on and knows when it's time to start the day.
This clock helps you kill two birds with one stone: Burning calories and, well, simply waking up for the day -- you can't say either is always easy to cross of your to-do list! The ESMART Shape Up Dumbbell alarm clock doubles as a digital alarm and dumbbell, which can have you lift up to 30 times to stop the ringing. If you can do that in your sleep, I'm not sure there's anything that will wake you.
Clocky the Rolling Alarm Clock is annoying, funny, quirky, pretty athletic and just about guaranteed to make you get up to turn him off. The company that built the alarm clock says the gadget will run away, hide, roll, wheel and beep. Oh, and can jump up onto a 3-foot nightstand, so watch out. If you're a snooze abuser, you'll only get to snooze his R2D2-like voice once, so snooze wisely.
The Northwest Flying Alarm Clock may not be the same as having an airplane fly through your bedroom, but the company says it'll sound pretty close. Just load this thing up with four AA batteries and watch its propeller send it to new heights to make sure you're awake. Since it's supposed to sound like an airplane taking off, we're almost sure this clock should promptly bring you to your feet.
Speaking of your feet, this Ruggie Alarm Clock will make sure you're on yours before it stops making noise. The rug, which doubles as an alarm clock, actually needs to sense your pressure for a minimum of three seconds to stop ringing. Waking up and standing tall on the memory foam rug could help you get in the habit of starting each morning on the right foot -- pun intended.
If you're on that dark and early shift, maybe you find it tough to get out of bed before the sun does. If that's the case, the HeimVision Sunrise Alarm Clock is helping you out by scheduling your own personal sunrise. Sure, you're tricking yourself into thinking the rest of the world is waking up with you with an artificial morning routine, but hey, whatever works!
Do you ever hear your alarm sound in the morning and think, "Uh, I'd love to shoot that thing"? If not, that's fine, because that's pretty extreme. But if you do, the target alarm clock by Creatov Design is here to not only help get you up on time, but also sharpen your aim. The alarm set comes with an infrared target and gun with recoil action and sound effects. You'll need the perfect shot to silence the alarm, so you'll obviously have to wake up to make it. If you can do it in your sleep, I suggest you join the military or law enforcement, or become a professional hunter or something because, wow, that's impressive.
This alarm clock is literally called the Screaming Meanie. If a screaming meanie doesn't wake you up, I honestly just don't know what will.
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Have you tried any of the alarms I mentioned? Let me know in the comments below if you've had any success. I need all the help I can get these days.