The wake-up journal
Sleep science, alarm teardowns and honest comparisons, written by the people who built an alarm with no snooze button.
What is sleep inertia?
Sleep inertia is the impaired, slow-thinking state right after waking. It usually lasts 15 to 60 minutes and hits hardest out of deep sleep.
ComparisonThe alarm that makes you get out of bed: an honest roundup
Clocky, Ruggie, wake-up lights and mission apps, judged on two questions: can you cheat it half-asleep, and does it survive silent mode? An honest roundup.
iOS how-toHow to get the loudest alarm sound on your iPhone
Max out iPhone alarm volume in two minutes: the Sounds & Haptics slider, the Attention Aware trap, the harshest built-in tones, and why louder stops working.
ComparisonAlarmy alternatives: the honest list
The best Alarmy alternative depends on why you are leaving: Risly for missions on Apple’s AlarmKit, Sleep Cycle for grogginess, the Clock app for free.
How it worksWhat is the alarm app that makes you take a picture?
The alarm from your feed that will not stop until you photograph something across the room: what it is called, which object to pick, and how people cheat it.
Sleep scienceIs snoozing actually bad for you?
A sleep lab measured it: snoozing costs about six minutes of sleep and no measurable cognitive harm. What it really costs is your morning: about 27 minutes.
ComparisonThe best alarm apps for heavy sleepers
An honest comparison of the alarm apps that actually wake heavy sleepers: Risly, Alarmy, Wayk, SuperAlarm, Sleep Cycle, the Clock app and Alarm Clock Xtreme.
ProblemI keep sleeping through my alarm
You are not sleeping through your alarm: you dismiss it in your sleep and forget. The evidence on your phone, and the four fixes ranked by effort.
How it worksThe alarm that makes you do math
A math alarm rings until you solve chained arithmetic. How the mission works, what the problems do to a half-awake brain, and when to pick another one.
ComparisonThe best alarm app for ADHD
ADHD mornings fail twice: a body clock running late, and a snooze button that asks an impaired brain to decide. What to look for in an alarm app.
TroubleshootingiPhone alarm not going off: the real causes
iPhone alarm not going off? Silent mode never muted it; Apple documents that. The likeliest cause is Attention Aware Features lowering your alert volume.
ProblemHow to stop hitting snooze
You will not out-discipline the snooze button: the decision gets made while your judgement is impaired. Five fixes ranked by how long each one actually holds.
How it worksThe alarm that makes you do push-ups
A push-up alarm rings until the front camera has counted your reps. How the counting works, how many to set, and what the evidence actually supports.
Ready when you are
Three days free. One morning is enough to feel the difference.