Alarm Clock?

[EJTampa]

As my wife's alrm clock went off at 6 AM this morning, I was left wondering.  Does anyone dealing with SSD have trouble waking to an alarm?  We may have to switch sides, since if I'm on my back, my deaf side is to my alarm.  But what if I'm not on my back?  What would I hear if I were on laying on my good ear, anything?
 
Just another one of those strange questions that came to my mind this morning, so I figure I'll see how you all deal with it and get some ideas!
 
Ernie

[lori67]

Ernie,

They make alarm clocks for the Deaf - some either flash the lights on and off or have a shaker you put under your pillow to shake you awake.  There are also incredibly loud ones that could probably wake the dead.  If you do a search on the internet, you'll find a lot of options.

I was worried about it at first, but now I can hear the alarm go off, even with my good ear to the pillow - I think my good ear has just adjusted and is picking up the slack in the hearing department.  I don't work at the moment, so it's not a big deal, but if I had to be up at a certain time, I might invest in the bed shaker alarm - just to be on the safe side.

Another very effective way of getting up at the same time every morning, even if you don't want to, is to get a dog.  Nothing like a cold, wet nose in your face to wake you up quickly.     Kids are good too, minus the cold, wet noses...

Lori

[cindyj]

Hey, Ernie - I have the alarm clock on my side of the bed (always have) and I have not had any trouble hearing it.  It is probably a bit louder than I used to have it set and my huband probably doesn't really appreciate it so loud, but it does the trick!  I also have my cell phone sitting there in case my wandering teen calls in the middle of the night.  Have had no problem hearing it either.

Have heard of a clock that shakes the bed or some such thing , but I'm ok w/ my regular alarm.

Sure others will have thoughts and ideas if you need them,

Cindy

[CHD63]

Hi Ernie .....

I worried about this a great deal in the first weeks post-surgery, when I slept through our alarm several times.  (My husband always depended upon my hearing it! )  We changed routines and I have the radio come on quite loudly on my side of the bed and my husband sets another regular alarm on his side.  Between the two things, usually one of us hears something!  On the occasions when we simply do not dare miss it, we set a third louder alarm a few minutes later.

Sometimes when I just want to take a short nap, I set my cellphone alarm, which includes a vibration and put it right next to my head .... that way I am aware of it immediately.  Might get lost in the bed overnight.   

Clarice

[Kaybo]

Ernie~
Dave mans the alarm clock for us but it was awful when he went out of town for work b/c I wouldn't ever sleep good b/c I was afraid I wouldn't hear the alarm and not get the kids up for school.  This is course, really made it HORRIBLE when he went out of town b/c then I would be extra tired and not as good at taking care of everybody!  My friend got me a TRAVEL Shake-Awake (smaller and cheaper, I think) and it works GREAT.  You just put it under your pillow.  I use it on the mornings when I go to the gym early and don't want Dave to have to wake up!  I'd check into that!  

K

[MAlegant]

Hey,
I had to switch sides with my husband but not because of the alarm clock.  After 25 years I felt more wedded to my side of the bed than to my husband.  Anyway, it's working out ok (still can't sleep on tumor side).  I've always ignored alarm clocks  so I have to put mine on the other side of the room so I have to get up to turn if off.   
Marci

[EJTampa]

Great stuff and great stories so far! .  A shaker under the pillow, huh?  Hmmm....I'll have to look into that one!
 
Ernie

[texsooner]

Ernie, I actually lay on my good ear a lot while sleeping to block out noise(including my wife's snoring....hope she doesn't read this!) I usually wake up before my alarm goes off, but the few times I haven't, I still heard the alarm thru the pillow...I'd just suggest turning it up loud if you are a heavy sleeper.

Patrick

[krbonner]

I use a Sonic Boom alarm clock, bought off the Harris Communications web site (they deal in products for the hearing impaired).  It has an attachment that goes under your pillow and vibrates to wake you up.  Also has a regular buzzer alarm option.  It works great!  And doesn't wake DH on the other side of the bed either.  They also make a travel version. 

Now whether or not I'll hear the baby crying next to the bed when it's here in a few weeks is another question...   

Katie

[lori67]

Don't worry Katie, I think babies come with their own built-in version of the sonic boom alarm clock!  Just don't hit the snooze button too hard!   

Lori

[allegro17]

Hi Ernie!

everyone has great ideas.  I personally would vote for the puppy option!

I use my cell phone as an alarm, and keep it on vibrate under the pillow or in my hand.  I am generally ok to hear it, but if I am laying on my good side with the deaf ear up, it just takes me a little while longer to notice it, maybe 10 seconds more or so.

A triathlete friend of mine has a setup with a timer attached to a bedside lamp.  He sets the timer to turn on the lamp for whever he wants to get up.  It helps him for early morning workouts, but I think it would probably work well as a hearing-impaired "alarm clock" too!  In fact it's something I would like to try for myself - I bet it would make getting out of bed easier to have  the simulation of sunlight.

Laura

[cin605]

Hey, Ernie - I have the alarm clock on my side of the bed (always have) and I have not had any trouble hearing it.  It is probably a bit louder than I used to have it set and my huband probably doesn't really appreciate it so loud, but it does the trick!  I also have my cell phone sitting there in case my wandering teen calls in the middle of the night.  Have had no problem hearing it either.

Have heard of a clock that shakes the bed or some such thing , but I'm ok w/ my regular alarm.

Sure others will have thoughts and ideas if you need them,

Cindy

I have one of those wondering teens also & keep my cell phone close its also good if hes down stairs & i am up instead of screaming or be bopping down stairs.

[Jim Scott]

Ernie:

Nothing clever to offer here, I'm afraid.  I've found that even though I usually sleep on my 'good' ear (the one that can hear) I can still hear the clock-radio alarm go off.  Because we use a radio instead of a buzzer - and keep it relatively loud, but not 'blasting' (we live in a condo) - even if I don't hear it immediately, when I (inevitably) turn over, I do...and wake up.  We each have a clock radio on the nightstand on our respective side of the bed.  On those rare occasions when my wife and I have to be up at different times, she sets the alarm on her side of our (king-sized) bed and because she's light sleeper (I'm the opposite) she wakes up quickly and shuts it off.  No problem.

I've read that even when your (working) ear is covered, you can still hear close to 65% of whatever sound is present (at anything near a normal level).  If this is so, lying on your 'good' ear in bed won't entirely block out all sound.  So, I think the fear of being SSD and not hearing anything just because you lie on your hearing ear may be a tad overstated, although not to the point that the concern isn't valid.   

Jim

[tenai98]

I posted this in another thread....I didnt hear 2 smoke alarms go off and nor do I hear the alarm go off...and I havent even had my translab surgery yet...Not hearing the alarm shook me up quite a bit...Now I'll have to look into other alarms with th strobe light. And I'll have to invest in a new louder alarm clock...
JO

[Rick Everingham]

I never hear my alarm clock go off if I am sleeping on my good ear, but my wife is "gracious" enough to "gently" tap me on the shoulder and "lovingly" remind me that my alarm is ringing.