I’m a Heavy Sleeper, So I Tried 5 Clocks That Shock and Roll
Heavy sleepers know how easy it is to snooze through the overly genteel alarms on your phone. For people who can’t get out of bed without a bigger jolt, extreme alarms have popped up in recent years—from relatively simple puzzle-alarm phone apps to alarms on wheels to alarms that shake the bed. Not only are these an innovative way to get chronic snoozers out of bed, but they can be great for those who are hard of hearing, utilizing different frequencies and pitches as well as movement through vibration.
I’m a very heavy sleeper, so I tried each of these nontraditional extreme alarms every day for a full workweek. I chose the extreme alarms that were the most rated or reviewed online, found most often on online retailers like Amazon and in the app store, and tried to get a versatile range of options that focused on different areas, whether it be sound or activity. While I can say that they worked better at getting me out and helping me stay out of bed, most mornings I woke up with anxiety—like I was being hunted for sport. Be forewarned that some of these extreme alarm clocks are not for the faint of heart.
Check out our other guides for everything sleep-related, including Best Sunrise Alarms, Phone Bedside Alarms, Sleep Trackers, Best Mattresses, and Best Pillows guides.
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Which Extreme Alarm Is for You?
This all depends on your problem with getting out of bed.
If you are a chronic snooze-pusher, opt for alarms that physically make you get out of bed. Many types incorporate movement to get your blood pumping and shake off some of that sleepy grogginess—like Clocky, the alarm on wheels, or an alarm clock that requires you to shoot a target to turn it off.
If you are hard of hearing, some of these alarms have adjustable pitch and volume, which are useful for hearing loss in certain ranges. Some of these alarms also have a vibration pad, which can be inserted between the mattress and box spring or under the top sheet, that wakes the sleeper via vibrational movement. There’s even a wrist clock that shocks the sleeper, which can be helpful for those sleeping with partners who don’t want to be disturbed by noises.
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Photograph: Molly Higgins
Best for Deep Sleepers
Sonic Bomb
There’s a lot going on with the Sonic Bomb alarm clock. It has a small 12-volt buzz-pad insert that vibrates the surface it’s touching—it can be placed under a pillow or fitted sheet, or between the mattress and box spring. It has a 113-decibel alarm for heavy sleepers (a standard alarm clock hovers at about 60 decibels), and the volume and pitch can be adjusted—helpful for folks with hearing loss in certain pitches or ranges. The alarm’s settings are pretty customizable—with high or low settings and adjustable pitch, volume, snooze length, alarm duration, and even brightness on the clock face itself. Although the vibration hovers at one level, you can choose between a vibration, buzz, or vibrate/buzz combo. In between the mattress and box spring it was most comfortable and still shook me awake. The hard, circular surface was uncomfortable beneath my pillow and under the fitted sheet, but the vibration buzz felt stronger and more rattling.
The alarm also has a place for a battery so it doesn’t have to be plugged in to work and ensures that if the power goes out when plugged in, the alarm will still go off. The noise it makes is a loud beeping, which isn’t too different from regular alarms. Even when the pitch was changed between different levels, from low to high, the alarm didn’t feel egregiously loud. The vibration didn’t feel as powerful as when it was between my mattress and box spring (although it was a lot more comfortable that way), but I would be curious if hard-of-hearing folks would be easily woken just through the sensation of the vibration. I’d recommend this alarm for anyone who is hard of hearing or a deep sleeper—it’s highly customizable, which makes it adaptable for almost any type of snoozer.
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Photograph: Molly Higgins
Best for Hard-of-Hearing People
Super Loud Vibrating Alarm Clock
Another vibrating alarm clock, this Roxicosly clock is one of the most reviewed nontraditional alarm clocks on Amazon. It’s much simpler than the Sonic Bomb and has a more powerful vibration. This alarm is semi-customizable, as the buzzer goes up to 106 decibels with a bed shaker that can be used separately or together with the alarm. The vibrations provide a more subtle way to wake up by forgoing the jarring alarm sounds, and the escalating pattern of the buzzing helps ease the snoozer into wakefulness. The Roxicosly allows two set alarm times, and the snooze goes off every nine minutes. The dual alarms have five volume levels, with 106 decibels as the loudest, and the clock face has adjustable brightness in five levels. The alarm also has optional battery backup (which requires two AAA batteries, not included) in case of power outage, plus a USB charging port. Setting the time and alarm is simple and the alarm “off” button doesn’t stick out, which minimizes the temptation to just turn off the alarm.
The vibrations, along with the noise and adjustable intensity, helped me wake up more easily than other buzzing alarms—without making me feel like I needed to immediately turn it off so I didn’t have a cardiac event. It is a good deal at $19, and I woke up without hitting the snooze button too much or turning off the alarm altogether throughout the week. However, my cats were not too pleased with the bed shaker, and one morning my cat flew off the bed, hit the dresser, and hid under the bed—so pet parents, beware.
