Alarmy App Review: Is It the Best Alarm for Sleep?

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December 9, 2022

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The Alarmy app was designed with sleepy snoozers in mind. If you need an extra push in the morning—or if traditional alarms aren’t your thing—this iOS and Android-friendly app can help you get up and stay up. It’s also a great option for folks who stick to a polyphasic sleep schedule.

Here’s how the Alarmy sleep app works, plus a rundown of other helpful sleep apps.

What is the Alarmy App?

Alarmy stands out from other alarm apps. Sure, it’ll wake you up with loud sounds. But it also has a trick up its sleeve to keep you awake. Alarmy boasts a series of challenges you need to do before the alarm goes off.

This includes:

Shake it. Shake and wake! Sounds fun, right? For this challenge, you have to shake your phone until the alarm stops. By the way, you get to choose the number of times you have to shake the phone and with how intense you shake it.
QR code. This option makes you get up and scan a QR code.
Take a picture. The app will ask you to take a photo of something in your house (e.g. the bathroom sink or a pot of coffee).
Math problems. The app will give you a series of math problems to solve. Psst, don’t worry. The app lets you pick how difficult the math problems are.

Do these tasks sound annoying? Yes! But will they help you stay awake? Maybe! Lots of Alarmy users say this app helps them kick start their morning. However, the app can’t force you to get up and at ‘em.

Another possible perk is that using an alarm can help you maintain a consistent sleep schedule. This can help your body maintain a regulated internal clock which can make falling asleep easier over time.

How Does an Alarm App Help with Alternative Sleep Schedules?

Some people have an alternative sleep schedule, like polyphasic sleep, which is when you divide your total sleeping time into more than two segments per day. The three main types of polyphasic sleep are:

Dymaxion schedule. With the Dymaxion sleep model, you’re allowed four 30-minutes naps a day. That means you only get two hours of shut-eye in a 24 hour period.
Uberman schedule. The Uberman model is almost as hardcore as the Dymaxion schedule. You get six 30-minute naps a day which adds up to three total hours of sleep a day.
Everyman schedule. The Everyman schedule is tough to acclimate to, but it’s a lot less intense than the other two methods. You have a core sleep period of three hours—usually from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m.—plus three 20 minute naps spread across the day. That means you get four total hours of sleep each day.

Some folks prefer polyphasic sleep cycles because they think it can increase productivity and reduce stress. However, there’s no hard evidence that shows polyphasic sleep patterns boast any actual benefits.

If polyphasic sleep or another alternative sleep schedule is your jam, the Alarmy app can help you get into a good groove. You can set the alarm for various times throughout the day to accommodate your sleep schedule.

Other Helpful Sleep Apps

Here are five other good sleep apps to help you maintain a healthy sleep routine.

1. Best alarm to get you out of bed: Walk Me Up

This app won’t stop buzzing until you start walking. It’s a good way to get you up and (hopefully) keep you awake. It comes with unlimited alarms, voice assistance, and sensitivity settings. Bonus: It’s free on iOS.

2. Best challenges alarm app: Challenges Alarm Clock

Like Alarmy, Challenges Alarm Clock offers games, puzzles, and photo challenges to help you get out of bed. You can also customize multiple alarms, unique ringers, and snooze settings. It even has a soft wake feature to help ease you into wokeness.

3. Best for snooze lovers: I Can’t Wake Up

Like the name suggests, I Can’t Wake Up is great if you’re a heavy sleeper. It comes with eight wake-up challenges, various alarm styles, and customizable features. You can set multiple alarms throughout the day, making it a good fit for folks who follow a polyphasic sleep schedule.

4. Best loud alarm app: Loud Alarm Clock

The Loud Alarm Clock app is, well, loud! It uses an audio booster that puts other alarms to shame. You can set snooze controls and multiple alarms. Just keep in mind that volume might be upsetting to some, especially roommates, neighbors, or your pet.

5. Best alarm app for sleep tracking: Sleep Cycle Works

This one-size-fits-most app that has a lot to offer. In addition to an alarm, Sleep Cycle also gives you a rundown of your heart rate (bpm), sleep quality, snoring, and overall time in bed per day of the week.

Takeaway

Alarmy stands out from the alarm app crowd thanks to its challenges. In order to turn the alarm off, you need to complete a task. This can be a shake it feature, math problem, QR code scan, or photo prompt.

Alarmy isn’t the only challenge app out there, but it’s definitely one of the best. It’s available for free on iOS and Android. You can also pay a small upgrade charge to enable premium features.