The way we wake up has an effect on the rest of the day. So why do most Americans wake up with an ALARM—literally the sound of emergency, the sound to which the body should and does react with stress?

Certainly to get us out of bed, and that often works. Some people are so sleep-deprived that they must resort to bushwhacking themselves every morning just to get up. But that's not a good way to optimize well-being. What can we do instead?

Three Alarm Alternatives

• In thirty seconds: Most smart phones* have a variety of "alarm" sounds, some of which are pleasant and some of which aren't. There is a great blues riff on the iPhone that'll have you waking up singing. Of course pleasant will depend on the ear of the waker. 
• In two minutes: Download an app. There are many free ones, and many expensive but highly functional ones like EasyWakeUp (It reads your body patterns to awaken you at the best time in your sleep cycle, within 30 minutes before the set time).
• In five minutes: Download or make a ringtone that will wake you with a smile (Apple users can make ringtones in GarageBand out of any song they own). We know that music increases happiness, so it's a great way to get started.

There are many simple things we do every day that we never think about. Can any more of these be shifted to increase happiness? Let us know—you can comment here, or even submit an article!

*There are potential dangers with keeping your transmitting phone next to your bed. We recommend keeping your phone at least six feet from your head and/or in airplane (non-transmitting) mode—most alarms will still work. For more, read this article by Dr. Mercola.

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