But alarm clocks don't workThis post assumes that you went to bed at a reasonable time, actually got some sleep, and REMEMBERED to set your alarm. Alarm clocks work just fine, but maybe not the way that you use them. Snooze much? For years, I had been the Snooze Button Queen (they have a parade for that in my hometown ;). I would set the alarm and snooze for at least an hour, and was still late. So, I set my alarm earlier to gradually wake up, snoozed away, still late. An Alarm Needs to get Your Brain WorkingFor people with ADHD, it's too easy to hit a button and fall back asleep. Carrot is a perfect example of an alarm app that makes you think and wakes up your brain. There are a ton of other similar alarm clocks (Google "puzzle alarm apps"), but none of them even come close. (I mention about some actual alarm clocks later in the post.) Carrot Carrot is by far my favorite alarm clock for anyone with ADHD. She is snarky, sentient, and gets really irritated if you snooze. Carrot has several tasks for you to perform before she will shut off. And, boy, is she effective. ($2.99 in the App Store, not available on Google Play) Sleep Cycle Sleep Cycle works by measuring your sleep movements and waking you up when you are in your lightest sleep (i.e. usually when you are moving around the most). So, when it goes off, you are less likely to be groggy and cranky. ($1.99 in the App Store, $1.69 on Google Play) But, you Must get Out of BedIf you have the willpower to get out of bed, you probably aren't reading this post. It took me awhile to find an alarm that could actually get me out of bed, here are two. Alarmy Alarmy is a great app for getting you out of bed. The concept and interface are simple and well-designed. The result is pretty incredible. Alarmy lets you set an alarm by taking a photo, I suggest taking a picture of something far enough away from your bed that you are not tempted to get back in (like the bathroom or the kitchen). Then when your alarm goes off, you have to take the same picture to shut it off, and it is relentless. You can't turn down the volume or shut it off, but you could shut off the smartphone if it goes off, say, in class. (There is also a shake-to-shut-off feature.) So now you're out of bed and in the bathroom, and by the time you're in the bathroom, you might as well take a shower. ($1.99 on the App Store, $2.65 on Google Play) Barcode Alarm Clock This app is also good for getting you out of bed. Be forewarned, it can be a little glitchy and some reviews complain of alarm failure. :-// This app stores a barcode from any product and uses that barcode to turn the alarm off... meaning you have to get out of bed to go find whatever it is and shut it off. This has a back-up method which you can shut on or off, if someone, say, throws away that tube of toothpaste, you can click the math problem link instead. However, that is also a good way to cheat the alarm and stay in bed, which... was the whole point. (Free on the App Store, Not available on Google Play, but Morning Routine might be a good alternative.) What About Real Clocks?Try positioning an alarm clock away from your bed, just make sure you don't get back in. I suggest making your bed first thing. I don't know about you, but if I go to the effort of making it, I'm not getting back in and messing it up right away. Here are some great alternatives to the traditional alarm clock. Clocky $39.99 on amazon.com Clocky is cute and fun... and really annoying, from what I hear. He drops right off your night stand and rolls around your room randomly making you come to find him in order to shut her off. Each morning he'll run off in a different direction, which both gets you out of bed and wakes you up some as you are crawling around looking for her. Tocky $49.99 on amazon.com Tocky is Clocky's little cousin. She is smaller and spunkier, with the ability to record personalized wake up messages and play up to 2 hours of mp3 music. She is also more skilled at rolling to hard-to-reach places, helping you wake up just a little bit more. (You're welcome, she says.) Sunrise Alarm Clocks $116 on amazon.com Sunrise alarm clocks turn a light on slowly, mimicking a sunrise and helping you gradually wake up. This one is my favorite, because it plugs into a lamp, which offers a lot more light than clocks that have their own small light. Two other, less expensive ideas. First, if your room faces the right direction and gets enough light, you can leave your blinds open and wake up with the sun, but this doesn't help in the winter or if the actual sunrise is just too early for you. Second, you could always by a light timer that plugs into the outlet, like this one by GE, but this effect is startling and I didn't enjoy it much. SNŪZNLŪZ - WIFI DONATION ALARM CLOCK $39.99 on ThinkGeek.com If you are motivated by money, this clock may be your ticket to being on time. It charges your bank account when you snooze and gives it away. Ouch. That might make you think twice about hitting the snooze button, if you were sending $20 to your arch nemesis each time. I mean, I can't imagine donating $20 to a charity like Abolish Bacon or Get Rid of Recess for All Children. Apparently, this company thinks donating to the GOP is the most horrifying idea ever. What about things I don't have to buy?Here are a list of suggestions to motivate you to be up on time:
How have you managed to wake up on time? Let me know in the comments, I'm sure we'd all love some more ideas on the subject! DISCLAIMER: Not much. I have no affliation with any company, website, or app developer mentioned here, nor did I receive anything in return for mentioning them. Prices were accurate at the time of publishing, but common sense says they will probably change ;)
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Nikki Schwartz,
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