<p>The University of Alabama CC community has been so helpful this past year. The topics have run the full gamut from: helping us decide on a school; to information on when to sign up for dorm rooms, BamaBound & football tickets; class scheduling; move in tips & packing lists, adjusting to college life, etc. etc.</p>
<p>However, regarding adjusting to college life there is one specific topic I have not seen discussed (nor did a few searches find anything). It may sound silly, but my DS has a very difficult time waking up to his alarm clock. It is not a problem every morning, but frequently enough to both concern his dear old Dad (me) as well as himself. </p>
<p>In about five weeks he moves to Tuscaloosa (Alabama Action) and out of desperation we just moments ago ordered a new type of alarm clock. [I am not endorsing the product and thats why I wont name it
but if anyone wants to know PM me.] The product is described as an:
expressive alarm clock that features turbo-charged vibrations and a powerful bed shaker. Built-in pulsating alert lights and adjustable volume and tone controls ensure you rise on time. Sound drastic? Yup thats what we have to do!</p>
<p>My DS started the research for a solution to this problem by looking for a clock that he would connect an electrical lead which would emit a shock to his body (see, I told you he is desperate!). However, apparently that type of solution has not yet been perfected!
Anyone else have this problem and if so what did you do? Certainly we cant be the only ones
thanks!</p>
<p>Does he have a trustworthy roommate or suitemate who can be a back up to the expressive turbo alarm? I hope you’ll be posting about how well it works!</p>
<p>I have thought about the same thing- I cannot believe that my DD can sleep through multiple loud alarms that wake me from 6 rooms over! But, I also think that they know we are there to get them up…kinda like dad sleeping through the crying baby because he knows mom will hear…I’m hoping that knowing they have to get up and there is no back- up, i.e. mom, they will indeed hear that alarm! Am I being too hopeful?</p>
<p>@Whitlo… the roomies have not yet been “tested” for their own ability to wake up. Stand by for a report in a couple of months!</p>
<p>@malanai… that alarm clock you suggest is hilarious!</p>
<p>@lattelady… the clocks mentioned in that string include the one we ordered “Sonic Boom”. Although I think a REAL sonic boom is needed… where’s the nearest air base? </p>
<p>@Sdgal2… hopefully knowing there’s “no back up” will change how deep he sleeps.</p>
<p>Noted… thanks to the post above “Gift Suggestions…” which discusses alarm clocks within that thread. Now we have to place a 2nd order for the extension cord for the Sonic Boom due to the lofting of the beds in the dorms. Hopefully this tip will help someone else! [Again…see how helpful this forum can be!]</p>
<p>A new product idea… what about a UA EE Major developing an electric shock alarm clock. Can you imagine the legal hurdles and disclaimers that would generate?! :-)</p>
<p>A Sonic Boom plus extension cord has been " on the list" since I read about it here last year!</p>
<p>So funny!</p>
<p>But seriously, your S could have another clock across the room. Hopefully, he will get up to turn it off and therefore be awake!</p>
<p>Try not to take 8am classes!</p>
<p>Your S will benefit a little from the change from Eastern time to Central time! Mine D does!!</p>
<p>I slept so deeply as a teen that one semester break in college, I awoke in my old bed at home to find my mother holding a small mirror under my nose. I had slept for eighteen hours or something, and she was checking if I was breathing. </p>
<p>True story.</p>
<p>I had EXACTLY this concern with S1. </p>
<p>We got a very loud alarm clock, plus he slept with his cell phone inside his pillowcase (on alarm AND vibrate.) With all of that, he’d wake up.</p>
<p>Plus, NO 8 am classes!</p>
<p>I have had some success with this, both in my own life and my kids. It’s called the sleep cycle method. We sleep in 90 minute increments, cycling through deep sleep as you go. The theory says we should sleep in increments of 1.5 hours only, so 6, 7.5, 9, and 10.5, etc. Go to bed whenever you want (or feel tired), but set your alarm for exactly 6 or 7.5 or 9 hours (+ about 15 min to get to sleep). If you time this correctly, you can get by on as little as 4.5 hours of sleep (for short durations), because you are not interrupting the body’s deepest sleep. If you try to wake yourself in the middle of a cycle, you will be forever tired (and grumpy!). Google it and let me know once you’ve tried it. I loved the look on my daughter’s face when I said at 11 pm, “sure, stay up another hour - because you missed your cycle!” ;)</p>
<p>I will tell you, that <strong>SUper</strong> alarm clock did not work for my DS in High School and did not last past the warranty.</p>
<p>It WILL wake the person rooming beneath him. The vibrations are wicked, but apparently my DS would sleep through an earthquake.</p>
<p>I’d also second setting cell phone alarm.</p>
<p>And I should add, my SO NOT a morning person DS is planning on rowing. Crew practices begins at 5:30 a.m.</p>
<p>He do believe he will MAKE practice, but I am afraid he’ll go back and sleep thru his 1st class on Tues & Thurs.</p>
<p>My son (attends a different school) can regularly sleep til 1:00pm (or later) through more noise than I could ever image.</p>
<p>At school he is in Army ROTC and has to be up at 'em around 6 AM. He somehow manages. He is in a single room so has no one else to wake him.</p>
<p>All right, I’ve found THE solution to the problem here. Check out this video about the 140db alarm clock you can slap together in no time at all: [140</a> db alarm clock hack](<a href=“http://hackaday.com/2009/09/25/140-db-alarm-clock-hack/]140”>140 Db Alarm Clock Hack | Hackaday)</p>
<p>We can deal with the impact on the neighbors later. :)</p>
<p>ThorEric - what time are his classes? His roomie #1 has class at 9 am MWF, but not till 11 am TTh. He is a very reliable waker, and I’m sure would be happy to make sure your S is up if his class times work. 
</p>
<p>I forget, is your S in the A room? I think my S will be glad he is in the D room with that alarm clock you’ve got planned! LOL I don’t think the clock linked by malanai will be appreciated on the hall…</p>
<p>My younger S has much more trouble waking up than S1, but putting the clock across the room worked well for him this year.</p>
<p>getting yourself up is part of growing up.</p>
<p>my kids were in charge of getting themselves up in high school. if they didn’t get up, the consequences were theirs. not mine.</p>
<p>they can try to schedule classes to avoid the early ones, but sooner or later there will be a time that it will be worth it to THEM to get up for that earlier class with the good teacher (or what have you.)</p>
<p>We have the same issue…We just bought a Philips Wake Up Light ([Amazon.com:</a> Philips HF3520 Wake-Up Light With Colored Sunrise Simulation, White: Health & Personal Care](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0093162RM/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0093162RM/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1))</p>
<p>It was not cheap but so far our son seems to wake up more alert and actually wakes up…</p>
<p>Entering frosh DS has 8:00 classes. </p>
<p>This summer he routinely sleeps through 2 obnoxious alarms for an hour without any trouble at all. Not sure what #3 buys us, but I’ll probably get one.</p>
<p>When I encourage him to do his best to change his schedule, and ping the add/drop website regularly and move the class, he shrugs. “I’ll be fine.”</p>
<p>Yikes.</p>
<p>I don’t know if all the BB sessions made this point, but in our session we were specifically admonished to NOT make wake up calls or texts to our precious darlings.</p>
![http://wordsaboutsomething.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/RubeGoldbergSimpleAlarmClock.jpg[/url]](http://wordsaboutsomething.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/RubeGoldbergSimpleAlarmClock.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
