There are a lot of hidden dangers that can be found in the bedroom. There is the remote control that you land on when you crawl into bed in the dark. There is the flatulent spouse sleeping next to you. There is also something that could be considered a real killer, your alarm clock.

Is waking up with an alarm clock a good thing? Well compared to not waking up and being unemployed yes, it's a great thing. But physiologically it's not the best way to bring your body out of slumber.

My day starts at 12:50AM. As you're coming home from the bars I am  heading in to work. So I know quite a bit about sleeping and quite a bit about waking up. I do know that an alarm clock is one of the worst ways to start your day.

One of the reasons waking up to the sound of an abrupt bell or loud noise can be detrimental to your health is that sleep is not just laying down with your eyes closed. Sleep is a complicated cycle of bodily functions. These cycles all serve a purpose in helping the body rejuvenate and repair itself. A typical sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes and this nugget of information can help you wake up feeling refreshed and wonderful without an alarm clock and with less time sleeping.

Can an alarm clock be bad for your heart? The short answer is yes, it can. Think about that sudden jolt when you first hear the alarm. Then there is the pounding in your chest and then you hit the snooze button and do the whole process over a couple of times. You really don't need to wake up this way.

The better way to wake up is actually a two fold process. Here is the first step, set your normal alarm for the absolute latest time you can wake up and still start your day on time. This would be the loud bell or buzzer alarm. Now set another alarm 20 minutes before that alarm is set to go off. This alarm should be set to music set on a low volume. The music should be loud enough to hear but not so loud it startles you.

This way if you are in deep sleep pattern you will gently be eased out of that pattern into consciousness. If you are in a light sleep pattern the gentle sounds will softly wake you up naturally. There will be no pounding in your chest, no rush of adrenaline and your day can get underway in a more relaxed and refreshing way.

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