katestine | This is what happens when you have lists of things you want

My alarm clock died a few weeks ago and I decided yesterday I should replace it. Unfortunately, the totally excellent alarm clock I picked out on ThinkGeek, the one I'd desperately been waiting for my current alarm clock to die for, with Stephen Fry as Jeeves bidding you good morning, is no longer sold. Amazon doesn't have it either, but I found another place on the Internet that sells it... for $73. Which is a lot for, y'know, an alarm clock, especially since I could get an inexpensive iPhone dock (and maybe a cool wakeup app) for less.

Are there alarm clocks you like?

I thought about getting a clocky, but I don't have much trouble getting up in the morning and when I do, I often have someone in bed who might not appreciate the hijinks of me bouncing around the room looking for something in the dark. The Star Wars action figure mini-alarm clocks are mildly entertaining, except it's not Jon's fandom and more importantly, I don't want Boba Fett or Darth Vader waking me up in the morning. Grr.

Also, I need to stop looking at ThinkGeek before I buy all the things.

Edit: On the one hand, a natural light alarm clock might be great, bc I get up to the sun anyhow. On the other hand, it'll be a bit rough on whoever's in bed with me. Anyone have experience with one of these?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I have this sunrise alarm clock and I like it a lot, because waking up to light works really well for me. You can set the max brightness level from "barely there" to "really friggin bright." My bed partner doesn't mind waking up a little and then going back to sleep after I get up (since my waking up always wakes him a little anyways), but if you had a partner who was more sensitive to light it might not work as well.

Ha, that is the one I'm considering, although there's one that has a USB port for twice as much. The sleeping settings sound like a nice idea, for another $30...

It's still not Jeeves waking me up every morning though.

people i know really love the natural light alarm clock. i've thought about getting it myself.

the totally excellent alarm clock has always been $70+ dollars, which is why i haven't gotten one :(

i like the "iphone dock plus app" solution if i weren't always waking up with someone who doesn't really want to be energized by music in the morning... though he's been dayshifting more recently, so it might bear re-evaluation.

Wait, which is your totally excellent alarm clock?

sorry, i was quoting you, about the "totally excellent" stephen fry alarm clock (which i agree is both excellent and overpriced :)

:( I got really excited thinking there were awesome things on the Internet, waiting to be explored.

I once had a cassette tape alarm clock, probably from Sony (back when I would allow Sony stuff in the house), which I would routinely set up to blast the beginning of "Time" by Pink Floyd for my wake-up.

That clock lasted about four months before it was FUBAR.

Since I hate alarm clocks, I don't use one. I found it was easier to train myself to wake up at whatever time I wanted. Getting up, on the other hand, isn't aways so easy ;)

I too am able to do this, provided I get enough sleep the night before and go to bed at a reasonable time on the eve of whatever event I need to wake up for.

How do you handle getting up at unusual times, like needing to be up 4am to get to the airport or something like that?

Kate, why not just use your iphone, isn't there an app for that? That has the added benefit of making sure your phone is charging overnight. Are you resisting the trend that all functions will eventually be performed by a universal device?

I just decide when I need to wake up. Sometimes I wake up early, but almost never late. It always helps to make sure you get enough sleep, of course.

Isn't an alarm clock rough on whoever's in bed with you no matter which kind it is? At least the natural light clock is gradual and not jarring. They could wear a sleep mask.

I got to the point where I would hear the noise of my CD player starting to whirr on my alarm clock and I would wake up and turn it off before anyone else would roll over.

(i.e. I'm a very light sleeper who worries a lot about disturbing the sleep of others, even when they are heavy sleepers.)

Edited 2012-09-22 21:17 (UTC)

This is what happens when you have lists of things you want

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject