The Problem

You know that you don’t feel good when you wake up to your alarm blaring, but did you know that traditional alarm clocks can actually be detrimental to your health? Standard alarms wake you up instantly and abruptly from a deep sleep state, which according to the latest sleep research can raise blood pressure, increase adrenaline, and leave you feeling confused and irritated throughout the morning. That groggy feeling you experience upon waking is the result of being forced out of REM sleep, which is a dream state that can benefit learning, memory, and mood. Many factors in modern society like blue light, pharmaceuticals, and alcohol push back the start of REM sleep later into the night. Your body tries to make up for the lost REM sleep by keeping you in a deep sleep state closer to when you wake up. Research shows that REM sleep deficiency can accumulate over time and lead to emotional distress, decreased productivity, and even insomnia. Who knew that one little alarm clock could cause so many big problems?

I argued with her about how it was my only day to sleep in that week, and how I dreaded the coming week knowing I’d be exhausted.

Since she didn’t have any other options besides her alarm, she was equally frustrated with the situation and the strain it was causing on our relationship.