The best alarm clocks for heavy sleepers in 2024

You can’t just use an alarm clock when you’re a heavy sleeper. You need one that is the sonic equivalent of getting dragged out of bed and thrown into a cold pond. It can’t be too loud, however, since you most likely have neighbors or roommates who you want to be respectful of. We’re not expecting you to be the most bright-eyed and bushy-tailed person in the room first thing in the morning—we just want you not to miss a meeting because you slept through your phone alarm again. Fall and winter can be particularly challenging for deep sleepers, and snoozing repeatedly may provide short sleep satisfaction but leave you drowsy during the day. The best alarm clocks for heavy sleepers will get you up and at ’em and ready for your day.

How we chose the best alarm clocks for heavy sleepers

I’m a heavy sleeper who is prone to snoozing too much. I have had full conversations with people in my sleep without remembering them and have missed many a nighttime raging summer storm. Besides being a very capable and willing human guinea pig, I’ve also covered life-hack gadgets for Gear Patrol and PopSci, among others. With that in mind, I combined personal experience with critical reviews, peer recommendations, and user impressions in our quest for the best alarm clocks for heavy sleepers.

The best alarm clocks for heavy sleepers: Reviews & Choice

It’s time to admit and accept that even the best app and phone alarm may not be enough for some to get out of bed. And that’s okay—plenty of people struggle with waking up. Here is what we found in our search for the most effective alarms for heavy sleepers. 

Why it made the cut: Nothing wakes you up like a serving of 113 decibels with a side of vibration and strobes.

Specs

• Dimensions: 10.23 x 20.46 x 15.35 inches
• Display type: Digital
• Wake-up method: Alarm, vibration
• Power source: AC adapter with battery back-up

Pros

• Combines loud noise with vibration
• Adjustable display dimmer
• Red flashing strobe lights

Cons

• Will wake up others in the house

If the Sonic Bomb doesn’t wake you, you might need to talk to a doctor. Assuming you could ever wake up enough to go see a doctor. The alarm rings at a pounding 113dB max—that’s just as loud as a rock concert (though volume/duration are adjustable if you’re not quite ready for an arena-level alert). If you’re looking for a relaxing sunrise alarm, this is not it: Red strobes nail in the point that you need to wake up. If you need another layer of rousing, the Sonic Bomb comes with a bed shaker that can be placed between your mattress and box spring or under a pillow for some classic shake-til-awake. And trust us: the vibrations are intense and difficult to sleep through. You can even record a personalized message to your sleepy morning self to wake up. An adjustable display dimmer makes it so you sleep soundly when the lights are off since excess light can make it harder to sleep. If you are looking for a heavy-duty alarm clock that combines multiple ways to wake up, this is it.

Best vibrating: Roxicosly Vibrating Alarm Clock for Heavy Sleepers

Why it made the cut: Choose from standalone vibration or wake up with an alarm-bed shaker double whammy. 

Specs

• Dimensions: 6.82 x 1.5 x 3.39 inches
• Display type: Digital
• Wake-up method: Alarm, vibration
• Power source: AC outlet with a backup battery

Pros

• Large digital screen
• Built-in USB-A port
• Four levels of volume

Cons

• Vibration shakes entire bed

I personally have very clear memories of my mom walking into my room to shake me awake. But I am a grown adult who lives four hours away from her childhood home, so I can no longer rely on a parent to wake me up. The Roxicosly Vibrating Alarm Clock can be your parental stand-in if you are in the same boat. Simply place the disk-like vibrating bed shaker between your mattress and box spring or under your pillow, set your alarm, and enter a borderline coma. You can choose between bed shaker, an alarm, or a combo to wake you from your deep sleep. And the vibrating disk has a 71-inch cord, meaning you have enough room to place the alarm clock far enough to walk to turn it off. All that’s missing from this alarm clock is a warm hug and scrambling to find a Mother’s Day card.

Best to not wake roommates: Pavloc Shock Clock 3

Why it made the cut: Break your snooze habit with this wristband that wakes you up silently with a sequence of vibrations or zaps. 

Specs

• Dimensions: 6.81 x 4.65 x 1.46 inches
• Display type: N/A
• Wake-up method: Vibration
• Power source: Battery

Pros

• Connected app with sleep-tracking
• Helps break the habit of snoozing
• No snooze

Cons

• Very powerful at even 50 percent power

If you’re a heavy sleeper but live in group housing—whether with your family or roommates—multiple loud alarms can cause some divides. Since it’s a shared space, you want to be as respectful as possible, especially when it comes to not interrupting people’s sleep. Maybe you’ve tried the haptic alarm on your Apple Watch, but it’s not enough. Enter the Shock Clock, a wearable alarm clock that uses vibrations, zaps, or chimes to wake you up. And, this thing has no snooze—the only way to turn it off is by completing some jumping jacks, solving a puzzle or riddle, or taking a picture of a QR code in another room—talk about getting up and staying up. Despite being a hard sleeper, go easy on the Shock Clock settings when getting used to it. It’s very powerful, and getting zapped at 100 percent … is intense. Trust us. But, if you’d like to free yourself from the snooze overlords without making too much of a ruckus, you’ll be Pavlov’d by the Shock Clock. This vibrating wrist alarm is also perfect for someone who is hard of hearing or Deaf. Everyone deserves the opportunity to wake up at the same time every day!

Best for very heavy sleepers: CLOCKY Alarm Clock on Wheels

Why it made the cut: You can only snooze once with this alarm clock, which jumps from your nightstand and rolls around if you don’t shut it off.

Specs

• Dimensions: 5.25 x 3.5 x 3.5 inches
• Display type: Digital
• Wake-up method: Alarm, movement
• Power source: 4 AAAA batteries (not included)

Pros

• Limited times to snooze
• Gets you out of bed
• Durable

Cons

Much like McGruff the Crime Dog, sometimes you need a cartoon character to motivate you. Meet Clocky, a crazy little guy who entered this world in 2006 thanks to Gauri Nanda, who was attending MIT at the time. Her plight is similar to many heavy sleepers: snoozing too many times, sleeping through alarms, missing classes. You’re only allowed to snooze once with this alarm clock with wheels. If you don’t shut him off before shutdown, he will leap up to 3 feet from your nightstand and roll away, leaving you to catch him. This gets you out of bed and will keep you out of bed. If you are especially not a morning person—and waking you up is like poking a sleeping bear—you can disable Clocky’s wheels and use it like a regular alarm clock so you don’t smash it into the wall out of anger when it rolls away. This rolling alarm clock is durable, but don’t push his limits … or yours.

Best sunrise alarm clock: Hatch Restore 2

Why it made the cut: Like gentle parenting for your circadian rhythm. 

Specs

• Dimensions: 7.24 x 2.43 x 5.31 inches
• Display type: Digital
• Wake-up method: Soft noises, light
• Power source: AC outlet

Pros

• Lots of colors and white noises to choose from
• Includes sleep alerts to help you wind down
• Helps with sleep hygiene

Cons

• Expensive
• Needs a phone to control it

I’m the kind of person who scares easily, meaning a loud noise rousing me out of slumber is … not ideal. I also can’t sleep if it’s too light outside, but I can’t wake up without light. Enter the Hatch Restore 2, a sunrise alarm clock that uses a very bright light and nature sounds over loud noise and vibration to wake you up.

Unlike the Loftie smart alarm clock—which requires a separate lamp for true sunrise alarm clock capabilities—the Hatch Restore 2 can be used as a lamp and sound machine. I love the large Rest and Rise buttons. The recessed Rest button kicks off your wind-down routine—which can also be scheduled in-app to happen automatically—while the raised Rise button turns off the alarm. You can set mood lighting and play some white noise when you’re already risen or not quite ready to rest.

The Hatch is also the most stylish thing to grace my nightstand. The cloth elements on the face and back give some texture and luxurious tactility, and I love that it comes in colors other than basic black. I’m sporting Putty, an off-white, but the other two colors are just as pretty: Latte is a warm khaki color, and Slate is a cool blue-green. Hatch makes it simple with a toggle on the side if I want to turn off all alarms.

The app is robust, even without a Hatch+ subscription. I can access all colors of the rainbow and important sleep sounds like “morning singing bowls.” I didn’t even know bowls could do that. I don’t need bedtime stories or sleep guidance, but you get both with the $4.99/month or $49.99/year Hatch+ subscription. I do lose some functionality if the app and clock aren’t communicating, however. This is to say, I wish there was more functionality without your phone.

You see, my Hatch—along with my Loftie smart alarm clock—didn’t always do what they’re made to do: Sound an alarm. I couldn’t tell if it was my app or me, but one thing I could