Why Doesn’t My Alarm Wake Me Up Anymore?

Alarm clocks are an important part of our everyday lives. While we may find them annoying when they wake us from our slumber, it’s even more annoying when they don’t.

If you’re wondering “Why can’t I hear my alarm anymore?” or “Why do I ignore my alarm every morning”, you’re not alone! Many people have experienced the annoyance of sleeping through their alarm at one point in their life.

Thankfully, numerous sleep studies have uncovered the reasons why you could be sleeping through your alarm. Through research, we can understand more about why you feel like nothing wakes you up anymore and what you can do about it.

In this article, we’ll explain some common reasons why you could be sleeping through your alarm and how you can go about fixing the problem.

Top Reasons Why Your Alarm Doesn’t Wake You Up Anymore

If you can’t hear your alarm clock anymore, here are some of the most common reasons why.

You Have Become a Heavy Sleeper

Heavy sleepers are people that don’t wake up easily – even if there is a lot of noise or commotion nearby. You can become a heavy sleeper when you never used to be if your lifestyle or overall health has changed.

Some studies have found that deep sleepers can block out noise entirely during non-rapid eye movement sleep, which can happen 3-4 times a night.

If you’ve become a heavy sleeper and your alarm sounds during one of these cycles, this could be the reason why you don’t hear it anymore.

You Haven’t Been Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep deprivation can have a serious impact on your ability to wake up in the morning. The more sleep-deprived you are, the more likely it is that you will sleep through your alarm.

If you haven’t been getting as much sleep as you used to, or if your sleep has been of poor quality recently, this could be why you are ignoring your alarm in the morning.

You Have a Mental or Physical Health Issue

Numerous health issues can make it harder to wake up in the morning. Some can even cause you to not hear your alarm entirely.

If you have stress, depression, or anxiety, this could be impacting the quality of your sleep and make it harder to wake up when your alarm goes off.

Other health issues can also make it harder to hear your alarm in the morning. Night terrors, sleepwalking, sleep apnea, or a cardiac rhythm sleep disorder can cause you to block out the sound of your alarm in the mornings.

Your Alarm Clock Isn’t Right for You Anymore

While many people use the standard alarm clock on their phones, these aren’t right for everyone.

If you are a heavy sleeper, have a sleep disorder, or don’t get enough sleep every night, you may be ignoring your alarm because it’s not the right alarm clock for you.

Some alarm clocks are specially designed to help people wake up when they are of a certain age, have specific sleep rhythms, or have an underlying health issue.

How to Stop Sleeping Through Your Alarm

If you’ve been sleeping through your alarm, here are some tips on how to stop.

Avoid Snoozing

Snoozing your alarm to give you an extra 10 minutes of shut-eye may seem like a good idea, but it can be the reason you keep ignoring your alarm.

Studies show that we enter the restorative stage of sleep in the first 90 minutes of falling asleep (also known as the REM or rapid eye movement cycle). If you wake up during this cycle, it can leave you feeling groggy or disorientated.

When you hit ‘Snooze’ and fall back asleep after your first alarm, you could slip back into REM – making it easier to sleep through or ignore your snoozed alarm.

Go to Bed Earlier

If nothing wakes you up anymore, you may not be getting enough sleep. Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night.

If you don’t get the recommended hours, try going to bed earlier several nights in a row and see if it makes a difference.

Advice from the Sleep Foundation recommends avoiding caffeine late in the day, creating a soothing bedroom environment, and reducing your blue light exposure before bed to help you fall asleep earlier.

Work on Your Overall Health

According to Healthline eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and making sure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day can help you get a better night’s sleep.

If you think you have a sleep disorder or mental health issue that’s impacting your ability to hear your alarm, try keeping a sleep diary and speaking to a professional about your concerns.

Use a Different Alarm Clock

If you ignore your alarm every morning, your alarm clock could be the problem instead of you. An alarm clock that’s too quiet or weak could be the reason nothing wakes you up anymore.

Try using an online alarm clock instead.