Everyone has to get up at some point. Whether you wake up early, late, or somewhere in-between, having a routine in the morning is crucial. As a college student, I wake up to an alarm almost every day for class. After snoozing my alarm for the fifth time, I leave myself little room to have an effective morning routine, though that is something I am trying to change. The days that I don’t have to get up early with an alarm are usually much more relaxing and lead to a productive day. Research shows that alarms are not only annoying, but also damaging to our health.Â
In the article, “How Alarm Clocks Can Disrupt Your Sleep & Stress Your Body” by the Chilipad editorial team, it explains how alarms can introduce serious effects on people’s health. The article references Yeonsu Kim’s study at the University of Virginia. The study compared the blood pressure of those who woke up to alarms, to those who didn’t, and “participants jolted awake by an alarm experienced a 74% spike in morning blood pressure compared to those who woke naturally.” This just shows that something we consider so simple can have serious effects. Spike in blood pressure is dangerous; it can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It is also shown that waking up to alarms can increase one’s anxiety and brain fog, making it difficult to focus for the rest of the day. There are many other things that alarms can cause, like messed up metabolism and increased cortisol levels. All of this shows us that alarms don’t really have any positive effects and only cause more issues down the road.
It can be really difficult to not use an alarm. Most people don’t naturally wake up early, even if they don’t go to sleep late. Sometimes you could go to sleep around eight and still wake up around noon, though going to bed at a reasonable time can possibly make getting up easier. With that being said, there are alternatives that can make getting up a little less stressful. The New York Post created an article, “The 7 best alarms to wake up to for better brain function” By Emma Glassman-Hughes. It explains the best alarms for better focus. The article also recommends alarms that you can find on your phone. While the best alarms are no alarms, there are some decent options out there. While most people are busy throughout the day and into the evening, having a good night routine is just as important as a morning routine. A good night routine can help you get fully rested when it comes time to wake up.
Overall, alarms are obvious stress causers. The anxiety people get from them is serious and can have future effects. By looking into different options, you can better your relationship with waking up early.