Why are Some People Heavy Sleepers?

Before we delve into alarm clock suggestions, we need to address the elephant in the room: Why are some people such heavy sleepers?

The first and most obvious reason is sleep deprivation. People who are lacking good quality sleep tend to develop into heavy sleepers. This sleeping pattern is the body telling you that you need sleep—above anything else.

Also, heavy sleeping can be genetic. Studies suggest that the elements of deep sleep may be in the genes. Researchers found that people with certain genetic mutations had more profound, intense sleep than people with the more common gene. People with this genetic mutation also reported waking up less often in the night.

However, medications and certain lifestyles can make people sleep heavy, as well. Some medications, like sleeping aids, make snapping out of a deep sleep more difficult.

People who have night-time jobs or ones that require late nights in the office often describe themselves as deep sleepers. This, as we alluded to earlier, is probably the result of not getting good quality of sleep when off the clock.

What Type of Alarm Clock Should a Heavy Sleeper Use?

If you’re a heavy sleeper, odds are your smartphone alarm isn’t going to do the trick. You’re going to need a purposely built alarm clock for heavy sleepers.

These alarm clocks are designed to help people who have trouble waking up spring into action. Most of these alarm clocks use louder-than-normal speakers to ensure you won’t snooze yourself into the afternoon. In recent years, alarm clocks that mimic the sun have also come to the market.

Alarm clocks and alarm clock apps that track your sleeping pattern are also great to use for heavy sleepers. These alarm clocks have built-in microphones that, when position close enough to your bed, keep track of your breathing patterns.

Through a series of calculations, these devices and apps can determine whether or not your breathing patterns match those seen in deep or shallow sleep cycles. Many of these types of alarm clocks can be customized so that they only wake you up in shallow sleep cycles. This can help heavy sleepers not just wake up refreshed but better their odds of waking up in the first place.

Benefits of Having a Good Alarm Clock to Wake You Up

A good quality alarm clock can help you in more than one way. But aside from making you rise when you need to, here are other benefits of a good alarm clock:

Tone Alarms for the Hearing Impaired

Finding an alarm clock that is hearing-impaired friendly is tough. And if you’re a hard sleeper with hearing problems, it’s even more difficult. Thankfully, there’s a solution: shop around for tone alarms.

These alarm clocks emit specific frequencies that are quickly picked up by ear. Conventional alarm clocks simply use volume to wake sleepers up, not tone-specific wavelengths.

When looking for a tone alarm clock, make sure it operates at various frequencies. Depending on how of hard of hearing you are, you’ll want the option to choose between certain wavelength frequencies.

Also, consider buying a tone alarm that also uses light to wake you up as well. Should you sleep past the alarm, the change of lighting will help prompt you to wake up.

Phone Apps Vs. Alarm Clocks

Many of us nowadays just use our phones for our alarm clocks. However, this isn’t ideal for heavy sleepers.

The speakers used on smartphones aren’t to par with those used in actual alarm clocks. This is why so many deep sleepers can doze right past them. But, smartphone apps like Sleep Cycle are great to use in tandem with a purpose-built alarm clock.

These apps can help you track your sleep cycles, which can help you figure out just how much sleep you need. If you’re a heavy sleeper, we’d recommend using them in conjunction with a very loud alarm clock.

Other Tips on How to Get Out of Bed, With or Without an Alarm

Using an alarm clock isn’t the only way to get out of bed.  Many times, ensuring you’re getting quality sleep is the best way of making sure you’ll get up on time. If you’re having trouble waking up, consider doing the following to help you get out of bed and improve your sleep:

All said, setting an alarm clock is always a good idea. Below are a few tips to make sure you won’t hit the snooze button:

Best Alarm Clock for Heavy Sleepers Review

Shopping for alarm clocks either online or in person can be a daunting task. However, we’ve done some of the legwork for you and compiled our favorites into one place. Here are our recommended alarm clocks for heavy sleepers, based on a few criteria: