What are the perks of setting an alarm clock?
Routine
Having a set routine both prior to going to bed and waking up can be important to the structure of our day. Following the same rhythm and routine daily can keep our brains in a state of relaxation, which can in turn promote a better night’s sleep.
Peace of Mind
With an alarm being set, this can give us the peace of mind knowing that we won’t oversleep, and we’re guaranteed to wake up at this time, and even if we hit the good old snooze button a few times it still gives our brain the wake up call it needs to start the day off right.
Less chance of being late
Getting up with enough time to get yourself ready and get where you need to be can not only give you a positive mood boost, but reducing your chances of being late will reduce your stress levels in the process, so it’s a win win.
What are the downsides of an alarm clock?
Stress
One potential downside of setting an alarm clock is the chance of stress that can accompany it, if you suffer with insomnia as a prime example, being wide awake and looking at your alarm clock can trigger an internal stress as you count down the hours until the alarm sounds, this increased stress level from clock watching can in turn fuel the insomnia.
Sleep anxiety
Paired with the stress of clock watching mentioned above, sleep anxiety can also kick in from the use of an alarm clock, if for example it’s set for 7am, and you need to leave at 8am, this can spark an internal monologue of questions. “Will I have enough time” “should I have set it earlier” “should I just turn it off” , “what if I hit the snooze button”.
This internal argument we have with ourselves can certainly be one potential downside to setting an alarm for those to suffer with anxiety or insomnia.
Summary
Further to all of the above, I think it’s safe to say there are certainly both positives and negatives to setting an alarm clock, there is certainly no right or wrong answer as to which is best, it depends on your own personal sleep style and headspace, but it certainly gives some food for thought.
