How Do Deaf People Wake Up in the Morning?

As a deaf individual, a question has been brought up frequently by my hearing counterparts:

How do you wake up in the morning?

Instead of relying on noises to wake us up from our slumber, we utilize 3 methods to wake up. Sometimes we use a combination of all three, or just one. Those alarm clocks are relatively same as the ones hearing people use, including the all-important feature, the snooze button.

Vibrating Alarm Clock

What's a vibrating alarm clock you ask? We buy a specialized alarm clock designed with two plugs - one for the AC adapter and a unique one to plug in our vibrating device. The words "vibrating device" may sound kinky to those who have never seen it in person. Sorry to disappoint those of you with your mind in the gutter but the device is usually round (about 4 inches in diameter) and two inches thick. The device is inserted under our pillow or mattress, or simply placed on the bed. Once our alarm goes off, it vibrates, and wakes us up to begin our day.

However, the downside with the vibrating alarm clock in my experience is it can disturb the people living a floor below you so be mindful of those who are occupying the same building you reside in.

Flashing Lights

Very similar to the vibrating alarm clock but instead of vibrating, a designated light will flash in the direction of our bed and wake us up. Most of the time the light feature is included with an alarm that vibrates as those products are targeted towards the deaf.

Unfortunately, this method doesn't work well with the heavy sleepers and the majority of the deaf are heavy sleepers (should that come as a surprise?).

A Friendly Face

Whether it's our mom or roommate or spouse, sometimes we rely on others to wake us up in the mornings. We appoint a designated person to wake us up at when necessary or when the person pleases. This method is mostly useful if we have a flexible time schedule, can get up easily, and like starting the day off with a friendly face. However, this method may prove unreliable if the person oversleeps, causing the deaf person to inadvertently oversleep as well.