Tag Archives: Alarm Clocks
Bedroom Design: A Better Way to Wake Up
Post by Stephanie Noble.
On weekdays, I wake to a squawking beep that is impossible to ignore. That is by design, because it is not easy to get up at 5:00a.m. when my body is saying, “Just another hour or two would be so much better .”
We may not raise corn or cows, but our commute has us keeping farmer’s hours.
“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” My first grade teacher had us memorize this advice from Benjamin Franklin and for most of my life I have followed it, although never quite as early to rise as I currently manage.
On the weekends and holidays, the squawking is turned off. It is replaced by a much more palatable, “Dad? Mamma? DAD? MAMA? DAD?? MAMA??” refrain of our son letting us he’s ready for us to rescue him from his crib and start our day’s adventures.
Sometimes, if Alarm Number Two is really tired and sleeps past 6:30, I wake up to the avian songs of our neighbors who have built a nest next to our window.
Basically, five days of my week I am rushed out of deep sleep in a way that is extra harsh when compared to my weekend wakeup calls.
Thus my quest for a gentler alarm clock, one that breaks through the cozy comfy dream world to get my butt out of bed, but maybe with a little more kindness than the squawking beep that puts me in a bad mood.
The Zen Alarm Clock Company in Boulder, CO has created Zen Clock’s ‘E tone’ chime has been hand-tuned to produce the same tone as the tuning forks used by musical therapists. The 10 minute chime progression sequence follows the “golden ratio progression” to gently move one from sleep to an awake state with music.
I’ve also been looking at Soleil Sun Alarm SA-3 Sunrise and Sunset FM Radio Alarm Clock. It gradually lightens the room to Set the alarm for your desired time to wake in the morning, choose the Sunrise time (i.e., set sunrise for 15 minutes and for 15 minutes prior to alarm time the light will gradually get brighter and brighter until the intensity awakens you. Just like natural sunlight. It can also be set to nature sounds like chirping birds, crickets, flowing water or an ocean.
Much better than the rude squawker!
Bedroom Design: WAKE UP!
Post by Erin Sears.
Cock-a-doodle-doo! Huh? Cock-a-doodle-doo! What? COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO! Awakened by a rooster? I’m upset. I live in a city. Portland, Oregon to be exact. I know that many of us in the city are currently half-courting, half-sneering at our Portlandia driven fame and I know that urban farming is popular here, but a ROOSTER? Seriously? No. How quickly can I google Portland Chicken Ordinance (we have one) and turn that piece of poultry in to the authorities? I’ll put a bird on him…
These are my very grumpy thoughts as I try to will myself from my bed over to the computer. Just then, I hear my neighbor getting out of his bed on the other side of the wall (yes, quarters are THAT close) and I suddenly realize that the rooster noise was coming from his place. It occurs to me that what I was hearing was not a live animal, but rather an app on my neighbor’s phone. Damn. I guess you can take the guy out of Nebraska, but you can’t take Nebraska out of the guy.
Here are some neighbor friendly AND design friendly ideas for alarm clocks:
Source: http://www.designsponge.com/2010/05/diy-project-faceted-alarm-clock.html
This is the DIY faceted wood alarm clock from Design*Sponge. Use it to creatively cover up your conventional digital alarm clock. As I am geometrically challenged, the plans are too complicated for me, but I’m sure you can handle it.
Source: www.chapters.indigo.ca
While traveling in Alaska many years ago, my dad asked for a wake-up call at a hotel. They handed him a clock with ringer bells. Here’s a new version of this classic. White on white. Ghost love.
Source: http://www.pbteen.com/products/bright-side-alarm-clock/?pkey=cclocks-phones-all
I want all of these! These inexpensive silicone encased clocks can add that much needed punch of color to any room.
Source: https://www.canoeonline.net/shop/inspect/punkt-alarm-clock/3329
I appreciate the sleek and simple design of this analog clock. It would look right at home in your modern bedroom and it is battery operated, so you don’t have to worry about pesky electricity.
Source: http://mmminimal.com/minimal-ring-alarm-clock-designed-for-couples/
And for something a little different… a futuristic alarm clock you can wear!
Sweet dreams, lovelies!
