I rarely sleep through my morning alarm, yet I have a fear of oversleeping when I have an early morning responsibility. There are a few weekends each year where I am home alone and need to get up early to preach on a Sunday or I have an early morning flight to catch. On those nights, I set 5 different alarms in hopes that one will wake me up. Here are three alarm clock apps I have used that have been very helpful in waking me up and give me peace of mind.
Alarm Clock Pro By iHandy – (iOS only) I like this app because it has a black background and a dimmable screen. It is still pretty bright but I can lay it facedown and it will still work.
Pros:
Dimmable
Black background (other apps can be busy and bright hindering sleep)
Clock can change colors
I can fade it the alarm (any song I choose so it does not start off BLARING LOUD)
99¢…not free, but almost (want to test it out first? Here is their ad supported version)
Cons:
40+ 1 star reviews (I have never had a problem…but it looks like many have)
App must be running in the foreground to work (it needs to be open and the screen on to play alarm)
Smartphone Clock App – (Comes with your smartphone) If you want something that just works and is not flashy you already have it on your phone. Both iPhone and Android have simple alarm clocks built in their clock app. As long as you have the volume on and the timezone correct these work great, but they are just an alarm, not a bedside clock.
Pros:
Free
They work
Easy to set
Cons:
No bells and whistles
Not a good bedside clock
FitBit Charge – (Fitness Watch)
The FitBit Charge is not an app, but the FitBit app is where the magic of FitBit happens. This watch and app are a great fitness tracker combo. One of my favorite features is its alarm. I like that the watch alarm is a gentle vibration on my wrist, it is a non-startling way to wake up. I also like its ability to track my sleep patterns. If I am not sleeping well I can see an hour by hour chart of my sleep in the app. While this choice is so much more than an alarm app it is by far my favorite way to wake up.
Pros:
Free App
Tons of fitness stats
Sleep tracker
Cons:
$116 watch (on Amazon)
Must charge watch weekly (don’t forget or it won’t wake you up)
There are so many alarm clock and sleeping aid apps. What is your favorite?
– Brandon
Hey Brandon,
Thanks for your helpful article.
I really agree with how you said, “On those nights, I set 5 different alarms in hopes that one will wake me up”. I know that feeling. Currently, I use the iPhone smartphone clock app. I find that it works very well, I even can choose a song to put as the alarm.
I’ve never used the FitBit, however I did by the Garmin Fenix watch, and wouldn’t recommend it. It tried the vibration function and it was just too soft to work. The watch, even though it said 50m water resistant, couldn’t really handle a simple shower, or light swim.
Anyway, thanks for suggesting Alarm Clock Pro by iHandy, I will check that out 🙂
Kind regards,
Mitch Hamilton
http://www.hamiltonatural.com