# Thoughts on using an alarm without waking everyone else up?



## Satori (Jan 30, 2003)

I need to start getting up well before the kids do but when the alarm goes off it wakes them up and then my day is kinda shot for getting stuff done that I need to do in quite (like wake up, drink coffee/tea in silence (seriously, I'm cranky all day if my day doesn't start with 1/2 hr of quite time at least) and study). So is there some kind of alarm I'm not aware of? Maybe a watch that will vibrate or something? I thought about sleeping with my cell in a pocket and setting the alarm but I often don't feel it go off even when I'm awake.

So, suggestions?


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## SaraC (Jan 11, 2002)

I was going to suggest your cell phone. I use mine as an alarm to get up at least a 1/2 hour earlier than my kids so I can eat, have computer time, and/or pump before they are up and getting ready to go to school. My hubby sets his phone for him to get up at 5:30 am and I rarely hear it. My baby never wakes with mine and will usually sleep until I have to get her up to leave for school. Hope you figure someting out that will work. I am really liking my quiet time in the morning.


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## To-Fu (May 23, 2007)

Yes! My husband has to get up super early and he's a heavy sleeper. He has this watch:

http://www.sleeptracker.com/

He loves it.


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## Rubber Ducky (Jul 16, 2009)

How about a radio alarm?


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## AndrewsMother (Jul 30, 2007)

I second the cell phone. You can put it on vibrate/alarm and place it under your pillow.


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## littlehoneybee (Jun 20, 2005)

My brother had a vibrating watch. A hotel fire alarm would not wake him up, but the watch did.


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## victoriaaustin (Apr 22, 2007)

I say cell phone under the pillow, too, and if you're generally well rested, start experimenting with a mental alarm. Basically, you look at the clock when you go to sleep and tell yourself "I need to wake up at 6 am" or whatever. Practice with a backup alarm first, but in a few days/weeks, especially if you're getting up at the same time, you should be able to wake without an alarm at the right time.

This doesn't work for everyone, though, and especially not if you're overtired.


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## _betsy_ (Jun 29, 2004)

I'm a light sleeper, and I have a cranky, teething 8 month old who isn't sleepig well these days. We both sleep through DH's alarm clock (radio setting) going off every single morning. Maybe we're just used to it?

Can you tell the kids you're giong to get up early and do boring things like study and drink coffee, and they don't need to get up when you do? I think in part because I KNOW DH is getting up everyday and I expect it to go off, I don't notice.


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## Satori (Jan 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *To-Fu* 
Yes! My husband has to get up super early and he's a heavy sleeper. He has this watch:

http://www.sleeptracker.com/

He loves it.

Now that is a seriously cool idea! The price though







I have to agree with the website though, my alarm usually goes off when I'm in deep sleep rather then light sleep and then it takes me about 2 hours to wake up and by then I'm cranky the rest of the day because my day got such a bad start. This morning I woke up from a light sleep and I was fully awake within a few minutes in a much better mood. Of course it probably helped that I got about 10 hours of sleep last night instead of the 4-5 broken hours I've been getting for weeks. I want to try going to bed when the kids do then getting up early to study because staying up isn't working. By the time I can relax and focus my brain is just to tired and next thing I know its 2am with not much done. If I can wake up say 2 hours before the kids wake up and actually be awake within a few minutes that would be better and I'd get 8-9 hours sleep out of it too. I'll keep my eye out for a cheaper one but I have a feeling it will have to wait until Nov when I get more school money.

Thank you everyone for the suggestions, I wish the cell phone in the pillow would work but alas, I don't use a pillow when I sleep







Seriously, I don't! I fall asleep with this squishy little travel size pillow but any pillow I fall asleep with always ends up on the floor.


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## Satori (Jan 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *_betsy_* 
I'm a light sleeper, and I have a cranky, teething 8 month old who isn't sleepig well these days. We both sleep through DH's alarm clock (radio setting) going off every single morning. Maybe we're just used to it?

Can you tell the kids you're giong to get up early and do boring things like study and drink coffee, and they don't need to get up when you do? I think in part because I KNOW DH is getting up everyday and I expect it to go off, I don't notice.


My 3 yr old is a very light sleeper and doesn't care if I'm doing something boring, if mom's up she wants to be up too and drives me crazy, were not even out of the room yet and she's wanting food, tea and cartoons or worse an hour of nursing before she'll let me out of the room!


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## MomAlly (Sep 21, 2009)

cellphone on vibrate is the best option. i've done that a few times and it worked great. my 4 year old hears everything, so if i need to get up before him i opt for the cellphone.
otherwise he jumps in my bed in the morning and is my alarm!


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