The Best Alarm Sounds for More Energized Mornings, According to Sleep Pros

view original post

Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images

Possibly no one understands the power of mornings better than Martha herself, who believes in maximizing your mornings by never starting your day later than 7 a.m. But have you ever considered that the specific sound you’re waking up to can help (or hurt) your morning routine before it even really begins? According to sleep coach Jasmine Lee, “Your alarm sets the tone for your entire day. If you want better mornings, start by changing the sound that wakes you.”

To best set yourself up for success, learn how different alarm sounds affect wakefulness, mood, and productivity. It may be the difference between rising refreshed, ready to whip up a Martha-level breakfast, or stumbling groggily toward the coffee maker.

The Best (and Worst) Alarm Sounds for Waking Up

The sound you wake up to may seem like a small detail, but, according to a recent study, it may actually help shape your entire day—from mood and stress levels to your productivity and health habits.

Best for Wakefulness

The study, which polled over 1,000 employed participants, found that those who woke up most naturally were 10 percent more likely to feel well-rested than those who used an alarm. This is because dedicating time to gradually waking can positively influence your body’s sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, and its relationship to patterns of light and sun.

All this points to the most natural, gradual sounds being the most beneficial to wake up to. Soft melodic music and rising chimes that gradually increase in volume are the top performers, as are nature sounds like birdsong, rainfall, or ocean waves.

Such sounds provide a gentler wake-up that feels less jarring, easing you out of sleep and reducing sleep inertia (that state of grogginess experienced right after waking). And paired with a sunrise simulator, they can help mimic waking up with the sun. “Your alarm sets the tone for your entire day,” says Lee. “Melodic alarms help your brain wake up gently.”

While not universally relaxing, vibrating wearables are also a common option, especially practical for shared spaces or those with hearing impairments.

Worst for Overall Mood and Productivity

The classic blaring alarm? It’s actually the least effective when it comes to a restful sleep and easy wake-up. According to the study, respondents who set their phone alarms “took an average of 28 minutes to fully wake up.”

Moreover, these respondents also reported higher grogginess and weren’t set up as well for a day of productivity and healthy habits. “Sixty-four percent of natural risers managed to set time aside for a fulfilling and healthy breakfast, compared to only 48 percent of people waking up to a phone alarm,” reported the study, with the former also “13 percentage points more likely than those waking up with an alarm to feel motivated at work.”

With their abrupt way of disrupting the natural cycles of sleep and the temptation of the snooze button, buzzers and beeps just aren’t conducive to a gentle wake-up. “Your alarm isn’t just about waking you up—it’s the first cue your brain gets that it’s time to function,” Lee explains. “If that cue is harsh, inconsistent, or mismatched to your sleep stage, it can throw off your entire morning.”

Building a Routine That Supports Better Sleep

A better wake-up and more productive morning doesn’t start with your alarm; it starts the night before. Here’s how to best support natural, restful mornings—and, yes, choose (and use) the right alarm.

Keep a Consistent Bedtime: Aligning sleep with natural light cues helps your body regulate itself.
Unplug Before Bed: Avoid phones and screens, whose blue light “directly inhibits our circadian rhythm,” according to the sleep study.
Choose Soft, Melodic Tones: If you choose to wake to sound, opt for rising music or nature-scapes.
Avoid Blaring Buzzers: “Harsh buzzers can jolt you into stress and grogginess,” says Lee.
Resist the Snooze: Breaking up your sleep cycles with snooze sessions will likely only leave you foggier.
Add a Light-Based Alarm: Sunrise simulators can help ease your body into the morning and cue it into proper circadian rhythm, suggests Lee.
Don’t Rely on Phone Alarms: In the cited study, half of the participants used their phones to wake up—so you’re not alone!—but this group took nearly seven minutes longer to feel alert compared to even those using a traditional digital clock.
Create a Martha-Approved Ritual: Gentle activities like reading, journaling, and stretching all signal to your body that it’s time for rest. Similarly, the same habits can ease your body into wake-up and work mode. It’s all about creating and sticking to a specific routine. Take, for instance, Martha, who kicks off each morning with a brain-teasing crossword puzzle and green juice.

By swapping harsh buzzers for melodic alarms, prioritizing consistent routines, and experimenting with natural waking, you can transform mornings from groggy to grounded.

Read the original article on Martha Stewart