Definitely not a silly question. I sleep through my regular clock radio alarm too. The only alarm I hear is the one on my cell phone, so I have to set that one every night. What's nice about that is that it goes off for a little bit and then stops and then in a minute or so, it goes off again, but louder. It keeps getting progressively louder each time. That does the trick for me. Also, having 2 dogs that will stick their wet noses in my face once they hear the alarm go off helps. I can send you one if you want!
They do make alarm clocks that have a bed shaker. It's just a little thing you put under your pillow and when the alarm goes off, it will vibrate and wake you up. There are also some that will flash the lights on and off in the room. I don't know where you're located, but if there's a League for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing near you, their website probably has links to places that sell those type of things. Otherwise, just try an internet search for bed shaker alarm clocks, or alarm clocks for the Deaf.
I am almost 4 years post-op and I can only sleep on my AN side for short periods of time without it getting uncomfortable. I have a really soft and poofy down pillow that seems to help. It will probably require a little trial and error on your part to figure out what works for you.
Good luck and sweet dreams!
Lori
