What's Your Alarm Clock Personality?

By Sharon Tanenbaum

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It can be the one of most dreaded parts of your day: waking up. Before you were blissfully dreaming of unicorns and fairies (or maybe Louboutins and George Clooney), only to be rudely awakened by a disruptive, relentless beeping or an obnoxiously loud radio deejay interrupting your slumber with the traffic report. How dare he!

Whether you immediately hit the snooze button (and then again after nine more minutes of rest) or you leisurely get out of bed (your clock is set ahead of time, after all), chances are your morning M.O. reveals something more about your personality.

It can also be an important clue to your overall health, as a healthy sleep routinecan boost your energy, improve your memory and learning, help you lose weight, and even lower your risk for a heart attack or diabetes. If you find your alarm clock attitude has recently changed — your early-bird routine has become more like a snooze-aholic’s, say, or anxiety or stress have you popping up 20 minutes before the buzzer goes off — it may mean your sleep quality or quantity is suffering.

Here, some of the most popular “alarm clock personalities” — and what they may really mean.
If You Program Your Smartphone to Wake You at an Ideal Time…

You're a: Health Hacker

Jolting out of a dream and back into your bedroom may not be the calmest way to start the day, and luckily, app makers have recognized this. Several smartphone apps now promise to wake you when your brain is in the lightest sleep and most willing to transition into alertness. Since you move differently in different cycles of sleep, the phone senses those motions and opts to wake you when it predicts sleep is the lightest. Before hitting the hay, you tell the app what time you need to be up, so you're guaranteed to be on time.

If you're already using one of these apps, you probably have a dozen other tricks for better health, from calorie counters to pedometers. Just remember to turn your other alerts for messaging and such to silent so that your night isn't interrupted by texts or emails.

If you aren't using an app yet, we'd recommend trying Sleep Cycle.
If You Hit the Snooze Button Repeatedly…

You’re an: Avoider

The dawn of the day could hold off a bit, if you had your way. So to push reality into the future, you hit the snooze button — and again after 10 more minutes of rest — as a result. Repeatedly hitting that button could also mean you’re a crisis-maker. “You wait until crunch time to get going, leaving yourself only two minutes to get dressed, out the door, and on your way,” explains Linda Sapadin, PhD, clinical psychologist in Valley Stream, N.Y., who specializes in time management.

If you find yourself suddenly pressing snooze more than you used to, it could be a clear clue that you’re having sleep problems. Insomnia is an obvious culprit, but even if you think you’re getting enough sleep, your sleep quality could be lacking from a condition like sleep apnea, in which frequent, temporary disruptions in breathing make for a poor night’s rest.

Pressing snooze because you just can’t bear the thought of getting out of bed could indicate emotional health issues like anxiety and depression.
If You Set the Time on the Clock Ahead…

You’re a: Crisis-Maker

Even though you know the clock time is 15 minutes fast (after all, you set it), it is possible to trick yourself for just a moment in the morning. In fact, that momentary flash of panic when you see 6:30 a.m. instead of 6:15 may be just what you need to get going in the morning. “If you need to get that adrenaline rush, it’s better that you wake up at a fake time rather than actually waiting until the real last moment to get up and rush to get ready,” says Sapadin.
If You Get Up Earlier Than You Really Need To…

You’re a: Perfectionist

A stereotypical “morning person,” you’re up and at ‘em before you really need to be, perhaps much to the annoyance of your partner, who’s still sleeping… and sleeping. “You want to make sure that you’re absolutely ready when you need to be so you set your alarm extra-early so you’ll never be late,” Sapadin explains. Whether you use this extra time to read the paper or catch up on household chores, it can be a productive, stress-free way to begin your day.

Another sign of perfectionism is a highly orchestrated snooze button routine, in which you first set your clock, say, for 5:45 a.m. so you can snooze for an hour before you really need to get up at 6:45. You know your body needs that wake-up period, and you carefully plan out how many times you can hit snooze before you need to get up and get going.
If You'd Rather Wake to a Beep Than Music…

You’re: Puritanical

If waking up to a jarring Beep! Beep! Beep! is music to your sleepy ears, then you may have more of a rigid personality than someone who prefers to rise and shine to more mellow music. “You’re more of a traditionalist and prefer the harsher option to jolt you awake,” says Sapadin.

You could also be classified as pragmatic, especially if you know that you tend to sleep through the alarm when it’s set to music.
If You Use More Than One Alarm Clock…

You’re a: Worrier

Do you have one alarm clock on your nightstand and another across the room? Here, you don’t trust yourself to wake up to the first cries of your alarm clock (perhaps you’re a deep sleeper), so you set up another one to reduce any anxiety about getting up in the morning. “You need a back-up plan in order to feel safe,” says Sapadin.
If You Rely on a Person as Your Alarm Clock…

You’re: Dependent

If given the choice, most would probably opt for a gentle shake to an abrupt alarm to wake them in the morning. But this behavior indicates that you may have adependency tendency, even if it’s a finely-tuned system where you’re partner wakes you as he’s heading out the door. “You’re dependent upon someone else to take the responsibility of waking you up,” explains Sapadin.
If You Don't Have an Alarm Clock at all…

You’re: Trusting

If you’ve shunned your alarm clock in favor of a more natural wake-up call — your own internal body clock — then hats off to you. “You trust your body to get up on its own,” says Sapadin, who adds this luxury is usually enjoyed by people (retired, unemployed, and the like) who don’t have to rush in the morning. Consistently rising sans alarm could also signal that you’re well-rested and are getting just the right amount of Zzzs each night.