Are you sleeping through you alarm?

Have you ever felt irresponsible because you overslept? You couldn’t hear your alarms, even when you set them about 30 minutes apart. I promise I have been there too.

Have you figured out a way to subconsciously switch off your alarm when you are asleep, and now you feel at war with your alarm clocks? This is me on most days until I find a solution. Keep reading; I will share the secret of winning the war against the alarm clock.

The first thing is to discover why you are oversleeping and not hearing your alarms. Here are some common reasons

1. You are not getting enough sleep

We each have our own biological sleep needs. It is the amount of sleep you need to wake up feeling refreshed and able to go about your day. It can be 7-9 hours, but if you are in medical school or on a tight schedule at work, you are lucky to get 5.

When you don’t get the sleep your body needs each night, you start to rack up sleep debt. If you are in a chronic state of sleep deprivation, then you might have sleep deprivation and a higher sleep drive, and you are probably not going to hear your alarms when they ring. 

2. You go to bed at the wrong time

Are you a morning person or a night owl? You need to figure that out so you schedule your sleep well. I am an early waker, so I must sleep early to wake up early. If you are a night owl, you need to find a way to adjust your sleep schedule to fit your activity time. 

3. You are spending too much time on social media

After a long day, you might want to reward yourself a little by scrolling through a few posts on social media, but unfortunately, you get trapped and find yourself mindlessly scrolling. Before you know it, it’s 1 am, but you must be up by 5 am. So you set up multiple alarms to wake you at 5 am or at least 5:30. But sadly, you couldn’t hear the alarm, and now it’s 8 am. Sounds familiar? Hehehe 

Now let’s discuss how to avoid sleeping through your alarms

1. Have a routine

Having a routine means going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time every day. If having a routine is something plausible for you, try to work out a routine that benefits you.

For many who cannot work a routine out, the next best thing is sleeping the same hours daily. 

2. Dont press the snooze button

I have the magical power of switching off my alarm while asleep. For some people, they are in an infinite cycle of snoozing. Just keep your phone far from you before sleep, and let your alarm ring enough to annoy you out of bed. Then, grudgingly, make yourself a coffee or switch on the lights. 

3. Have good sleep hygiene

Sleep hygiene is a habit you develop to ensure you have quality sleep. Try reading a book before bed, eating a balanced meal, and exercising regularly. 

I remember how much my sleep improved once I started going to my gym. I could initiate sleep quickly and had a better motivation for waking up in the morning.

Speaking of motivation, you need to be motivated to wake up in the morning. Are you trying to wake up to study for a test or want more functional hours in your day? Find a way to be motivated to wake up. A cup of coffee, yummy leftovers, or a sweet conversation with your partner

4. Change your alarm tone

Having the same alarm for years can desensitize you from hearing it ring. So, changing the tone helps a lot. Furthermore, don’t set your alarm as your favorite song. Trust me, you will sleep through it or even dance to it in your dreams, haha.

Keep your alarm or phone a little distance from you; that way, you need to physically get up to stop it from ringing. 

5. Light 

Do not underestimate the power of light in waking you up; it works. Light from your phone or the lights in the bathroom work well, but you could also invest in light therapy alarm clocks  

In conclusion

Don’t beat yourself up for sleeping through your alarm. There are many solutions:

• Have a sleep routine and good sleep hygiene.
• Change your alarm clock.
• Be motivated to wake up and use light to your advantage.

I hope you found this article helpful. Leave a comment below; I would like your feedback after trying these methods to ensure you wake up on time.