Setting The Alarm… by JoAnn
For years, from my teens to my 50s, I set an alarm clock every night before bed. First, it was a wind-up clock that could be heard ticking throughout the room. Then it progressed to an electric clock radio that was all the rage back in the 1970s and 1980s. That clock would be set for music to start playing when the alarm went off—much more pleasant to wake up to.
My husband was the deepest sleeper I have ever known. No alarm could wake him. The loudest, most obnoxious alarm, buzzing in a high-pitched note, would pierce my brain but not disturb him in any manner. So I became his personal alarm! It was up to me to do whatever was necessary to wake him for work. A wifely duty that I did not like in the least. It usually ended with me being very frustrated and stressed out. Not a way to begin your day. I can laugh at it now, but it felt like torture at the time.
Almost as soon as cell phones became available, I started using mine as an alarm clock. It is always at my bedside, so using it as an alarm is convenient. It also never fails. There is no power outage or drained batteries to worry about. Just make sure the cell is charged before bedtime.
I gave up using an alarm of any kind to wake me several years ago. Unless I have a pressing doctor’s appointment or some other important meeting, I let my body wake up at the time it naturally sees fit. I wonder if other seniors do the same. Or if they still like having a formal wake-up schedule. It has been very freeing to me and is much less stressful. I always hated that darn alarm, making me jump out of a sound sleep. I’ve noticed that if I let my body wake up on its own, I feel better when I get up. It reminds me of how we always let babies nap. Lol
I fear there will come a time when I will need to rely on an actual alarm again on a regular basis. If I need to go into an old folks home, will I be forced to wake up on a schedule? After all, they will indeed be taking all my money for room and board. Shouldn’t I be allowed my own schedule? I am hoping I have paid my dues, and I will never be a prisoner to an alarm again.
