In just the last decade, alarm clocks have improved drastically. There is now a wide array of features to help people based on how they sleep.
To aid you in deciding on the best alarm clock for deep sleepers, I have put together this handy guide and reviews. Hopefully, it will not put you to sleep!
Editor’s Picks for the Best Alarm Clocks for Deep Sleepers
Alarm Clock | Quality | Rating |
|---|---|---|
A- | 5/5 | |
A- | 4/5 | |
B- | 3.5/5 | |
B+ | 4/5 | |
B+ | 4/5 |
How Do You Buy an Alarm Clock?
If you have dealt with an alarm clock that does not have the power to wake you up, you will be delightfully surprised to find there are an array of products designed just for you. If you are the kind of person who can sleep through water being spray in your face, take a moment to read the following tips for buying an alarm clock for heavy sleepers.
How Does It Wake You up?
A classic alarm clock with simple ringing or beeping will not do the job of waking up deep sleepers. Going back to sleep after silencing the alarm is a common issue. Fortunately, there are alarm clocks that will ensure you stay up once you wake up. To guarantee you get out of bed consider the following waking methods:
Forced Activity. If you get on your feet, it is often easier for you to stay awake. Based on this theory, there are alarm clocks that essentially force you to your feet. For instance, you can choose an alarm that is on wheels and rolls off your nightstand. You are then forced to chase it around the room to stop the loud noises.
Loud Volume. Other alarms clocks can wake you up with very high decibel sounds. If you have neighbors nearby, though, this may not be a viable option.
Gentle Wake. A gentle wake may not intuitively seem like the best solution for a heavy sleeper. Yet, they are worth a try. They leave you lively and rested when you wake up with the soothing nature sounds, aromatherapy, and bright lights they utilize. This keeps you from going back to sleep.
Vibration. As you try to go back to sleep, there are few things more annoying than having your entire bed shake. You are sure to get out of bed and on your feet with this aggravating feature.
Does a Backup Battery Come with the Alarm?
You need to make certain that your alarm clock comes with a backup battery feature. This is fairly common, yet it is essential to reduce the wear and tear on the buttons and prevent time settings from being lost when the power goes out.
There are some alarms that use AA or AAA batteries, but the standard is 9V batteries. It all depends on your preference. Also, if you travel a lot, consider purchasing an alarm clock that can run off of batteries.
How Does the Snooze Button Work?
Odds are if you are a heavy sleeper, you do not want easy access to a snooze button. Or, perhaps the snooze is not your downfall. Either way, you need to do your research to make sure you are getting a snooze function that fits your needs.
Some alarm clocks list the snooze feature as “Drowse.” Most snooze buttons allow you to shut your alarm off temporarily, and some models allow you to choose how long you want to snooze for. Others may make it increasingly harder for you to continue to snooze.
Are There Dual Wake Times?
Many people want extended snooze times, take regular naps, or share a bed with someone else. You could buy two alarms. Or, you could shop for an alarm that offers dual wake times. This allows you to set the alarm for two different times for the entire week or for particular days each week.
If you do not want to reset your alarm every day, which increases the chance for error, this is a convenient feature when you want a planned snooze or have multiple waking times throughout the week.
Sleep timers are another feature you might find useful. This turns your clock radio off after a certain amount of time has elapsed. I like to fall asleep to a radio show, but if I left the radio on all night, it would wake up my partner. With the sleep timer, the radio turns off an hour after I turn it on.
Check out the Additional Features
An expensive alarm clock is not necessarily the best alarm clock for deep sleepers. This is because the more costly items are often packed full of features that you may or may not need. This makes it important for you to do your research and ask yourself if you really need pricey features.
Radio reception is one of those features that you may care about. As mentioned above, I need my radio shows! If you generally have trouble getting radio reception where you live and this is a feature you want, you may want to consider an alarm clock with satellite radio.
Now that you have a good primer on what to look for in your new alarm clock, here are some of my favorites. All of these should be able to wake you up from even the deepest of sleep:
Snapshot of Our Editors Top Picks
Alarm Clock | Quality | Rating |
|---|---|---|
A- | 5/5 | |
A- | 4/5 | |
B- | 3.5/5 | |
B+ | 4/5 | |
B+ | 4/5 |
Screaming Meanie 110 Alarm Timer
The Screaming Meanie has been one of the loudest alarm timers on the market for two decades. There are two loudness settings: 70 and 120 decibels. To get an idea of how loud that is, imagine standing near a chainsaw or being in the vicinity of a thunderclap. That will get you out of bed!
The 110 Alarm Timer is a travel alarm clock that is powered by just one 9V battery. It is also housed in a nearly indestructible case so you can’t simply destroy it to get it to shut up. We recommend this for deep sleepers as well as seniors and the hearing impaired.
Peakeep 4” Twin Bell Analog Alarm Clock
You are taken back to the ‘80s with the classic design of this analog alarm clock from Peakeep. If you have trouble waking up, this alarm clock is ideal since it lacks a snooze button. There is a backlight to make the time visible at night.
The Twin Bell clock is battery operated using one AA battery. The only way to turn off the alarm is to flip a switch in the back. This is nice, except you have to remember to set the alarm again each day. If you are not afraid of waking up the neighbors, this is a good alarm for you.
DreamSky Novelty Alarm Clock
The DreamSky Novelty Alarm Clock has all of the whistles and bells. It wakes you up gradually with a beeping sound that slowly get louder. This way you are not awoken abruptly and will not be tempted to slip back into sleep.
You can set the alarm for Monday through Friday, Monday through Saturday, or for every day of the week. The screen is large and digitally displays the temperature in your room, the date, and what time your alarm is set for.
The screen features light-activated nightlight technology, which gives off a soft light at night. This alarm is also battery operated, so you can bring it with you on the road.
Zhpuat Digital Alarm Clock
Their name may be unpronounceable, but Zhpuat makes a quality alarm clock. This device is similar to the DreamSky alarm clock above. The alarm sound gradually gets stronger to awake even heavy sleepers. You can temporarily turn it down, but it will still get louder over time.
This is another battery operated clock that takes three AAA batteries. The smart soft light automatically gets brighter when the room becomes dark. And, the LCD display lists the temperature, time, date, and alarm clock setting.
The manufacturer recommends using carbon batteries for low radiation and for better viewing angles. I recommend this alarm clock for heavy sleepers who are able to stay up once they have been gradually awoken. If you need something that abruptly jolts you out of sleep, you should consider other options.
Sonic Boom Alarm
Heavy sleepers are the main target demographic for the Sonic Boom Alarm from Sonic Alert. It can get up to 113 decibels. In addition, it features flashing lights, and you can get a vibrator that is sold separately that will shake your bed. You can use all of these features together or separately.
Sonic Alert offers a broad range of products that are compatible with this alarm, including doorbell and telephone alerts. This is the only product I’m reviewing here that plugs into your wall. However, there is also a 9V battery backup. This is not only great for heavy sleepers but also deaf people.
As you can see the varieties of alarm clocks are as varied as the people who use them. All of the above items should work well for heavy sleepers. However, the best alarm clock for deep sleepers depends upon one factor: you. Do your research, and you will find the perfect solution for your purposes.
