If you’re not a morning person, waking up in the morning can be a challenge to a lot of people. The hard of hearing have their own set of challenges of trying to wake up in the morning.
If you’re wondering how deaf people wake up, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I will cover some key information on how deaf people wake up.
Keep reading to find out more.
How Do Deaf People Wake Up?
Since deaf people can’t rely on the sense of hearing, they must instead rely on other means in order to wake up.
There are any number of ways that someone who is deaf and needs to get up at a certain time can wake up. These various methods are great for light and heavy sleepers alike, and some of them can even be used in conjunction with one another to guarantee that you wake up on time. These options include:
Natural light
One of the most natural ways for anyone to wake up is from natural sunlight. To let yourself wake up naturally with the sun, you should simply leave your curtains wide open to shine through your windows to brighten up the room.
You don’t need to be able to hear to sense when daylight is shining through your window, and deaf people can easily sense the lighting in their sleep the same as anyone else.
If you find that your room is too cold with the curtains open, then you can always opt for curtains that are made out of a more transparent material. This will enable the sun to shine through and you’re still able to wake up naturally without having to sacrifice the warmth that curtains provide against draughts.
The only downside to waking up with natural daylight is that it’s tricky to wake up for specific times, especially during the winter once the seasons change. So, if you need to be up for an appointment or work, you might require a more reliable option.
A Strong Vibrating Alarm Clock
A good option to wake You can purchase a strong vibrating accessory that connects to an alarm clock and vibrates when the alarm goes off.
When the alarm clock goes off, the device shakes the bed in order to alert and wake up the hard of hearing.
Manufacturers also make products known as pillow vibrators. Instead of shaking the bed, a pillow vibrator is designed to shake the pillow when the alarm clock rings and wakes the person up this way
A Strobe Light Alarm Clock
Another excellent option is a strobe light alarm clock. When the alarm sounds on these types of alarm clocks, strong strobe lights will flash in the direction of the bed and notify the person sleeping that they need to wake up.
To be extra cautious if you know that you’re a heavy sleeper, you can use this alarm clock in conjunction with a vibrating accessory. By combining the vibrating accessory with the strobe light, you are much more likely to wake up on time.
Smartphones
Modern technology is a wonderful thing, and the majority of people have smartphones these days. If you don’t want to purchase a specific vibrating alarm clock, people who are deaf or hard of hearing are also able to use their smartphones as alarm clocks.
Some people opt to leave their smartphones on top of their shoulder, stomach, or chest when they sleep. However, this is a personal preference and depends on the individual and where they would like to feel the vibration from their alarm clock.
Trained Hearing Dog
If you live alone, another option you can consider as a deaf person is getting a trained hearing dog. Not only are trained hearing dogs excellent companions, but they are also great at performing the duty of wake-up call if you’d prefer to be woken up this way.
Hearing dogs are trained to assist deaf or hard of hearing people by physically alerting their partner to common sounds someone would use to wake up normally, such as an alarm clock.
When the alarm sounds, the hearing dog will nudge their body until they wake up and shut off the alarm.
Tips for Waking Up If You’re Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Establish A Routine and stick to it
You’d be surprised how easy it is to wake up on time when you’re in a rhythm. The best way to establish a routine is to program your body to wake up at the same time every day. This is important, so even on the days that you don’t need to get up for work, you still need to set your alarm for the same time everyday.
Once you’ve decided how many hours of sleep you need every night and what works for your routine, stick to it. You have to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
Once you have established this routine, your body will get used to it, and over time you will begin to naturally wake up at the same time everyday.
Use Your Senses
Since the loss of your hearing makes the rest of your senses stronger, use them to your advantage for waking up in the morning.
If you drink coffee, set the coffee machine’s timer to begin making coffee a few minutes prior to you waking up. The strong smell of coffee will wake you up.
If you’re using natural light to help you wake up, you can make sure that you have the appropriate curtains that allow the natural sunlight to hit your face in the morning. This will alert you that you need to be awake.
In Summary
There are a variety of different ways for a deaf person to wake up.
Deaf people use alarm clocks just as people who can hear do. However, instead of relying on sound, they rely on their sense of sight and touch.