Alarm clocks for people with a learning disability
Short answer: The best alarm clock is one you can set on your own. Big buttons help. Simple steps help. It matters more that you can use the clock than that it has lots of features. You should choose the clock yourself. Other people can help you choose. They should not choose for you.
This page uses short sentences and plain words. In the UK we say "learning disability". In some other countries people say "intellectual disability". This page means the same thing by both.
What makes a clock easy to use
Some clocks are much easier than others. Here is what to look for.
Big buttons. Small buttons are hard to press. Big buttons are easier.
Buttons that are far apart. If the buttons are close together, you can press the wrong one.
Each button does one job. Some clocks make one button do three jobs. That is confusing.
No holding two buttons at once. Many clocks make you hold one button down and press another at the same time. This is hard for a lot of people. Try to find a clock that does not do this.
Big numbers. You need to read the time in the dark. Big bright numbers help.
One big off button. In the morning you want to stop the alarm fast. A big button on the top of the clock is best.
Clocks that talk. Some clocks say the time out loud. Some also talk you through setting the alarm. They say each step. This helps many people. Shops that sell equipment for blind people often sell these clocks.
If your hands shake, or your hands are stiff or sore, there is more about which buttons and straps are easier to use. It is a longer page, but the list of things to check is the same.
Sound, shaking or light
There are three main types of alarm.
Sound alarms make a noise. Most clocks are this type.
Shaking alarms use vibration instead of noise. There are two kinds. One is a small round box. You put it under your pillow. It shakes the bed. The other is a band you wear on your wrist. It shakes your arm. You can read more in bed shaker or wrist band.
Light alarms get slowly brighter, like the sun coming up.
A shaking alarm may suit you if:
- You are deaf or hard of hearing.
- You share a room and do not want to wake the other person.
- Loud noise upsets you.
That last one is a real reason. Some people find a loud alarm painful or frightening. That is not being fussy. It is how your body responds to sound. Alarms and sensory sensitivity explains more.
One honest point. A shaking alarm is not stronger than a sound alarm. It is different. Some people wake up to shaking. Some people sleep through it. You cannot know until you try. Sound alarms and vibration alarms compared is a fair look at both.
Try the clock before you decide
This is the most useful thing on this page.
Set the alarm for two minutes from now. Do it in the daytime. See if you can set it on your own. See if you can turn it off.
Then try it again another day. And try it on a day when you feel tired. A clock can feel easy in the afternoon and hard at seven in the morning.
Before you buy, ask one question. Can I send it back if I cannot use it? A good shop will say yes. If they will not, buy from somewhere else.
It is your choice
It is your clock. You should pick it.
Sometimes people need help to make a choice. That is fine. Help means someone gives you the information in a way you understand. It can be easy read words. It can be pictures. It can be showing you two clocks and letting you hold them both. It also means giving you enough time to think.
That is called supported decision making. Help means helping you decide. It does not mean deciding for you.
In England and Wales there is a law called the Mental Capacity Act 2005. It says people are assumed to be able to make their own decisions. It says people must be given help to make a decision before anyone says they cannot make it. It also says you are allowed to make a choice that other people think is a bad idea. Other parts of the UK and other countries have similar rules.
If someone is making choices for you and you do not want them to, you can get help. Mencap gives advice. Your local advocacy service can speak up with you. An advocate is a person whose job is to help you say what you want.
What a support worker can do
If you support someone, this part is for you.
Do these things:
- Ask the person what they want. Ask first, not last.
- Offer two or three clocks. Not twenty. Too many choices makes it harder.
- Use pictures or easy read information.
- Let the person hold the clock and press the buttons in the shop or at home.
- Show them how to set it once. Then let them try it themselves.
- Write the steps down. Use pictures if that helps. Put the steps next to the clock.
- Check back in a few weeks. Ask if it is still working for them.
Do not do these things:
- Do not set the alarm for them every night if they could learn to do it.
- Do not buy the clock and hand it over.
- Do not take over when they are being slow. Slow is fine.
- Do not change or move the clock without telling them.
Doing a task for someone is faster today. It also means they do not learn it. That trade is worth thinking about every time.
A routine helps more than a clock
Which clock you buy matters less than what you do around it.
- Wake up at the same time each day. The same time at weekends helps too. Why a steady wake time helps explains why.
- Do the same things in the same order each morning.
- Get things ready the night before. Put your clothes out. Pack your bag.
- Put a list on the wall. Words or pictures. Follow the list.
A list on the wall costs nothing. It often helps more than a new clock.
Where to get help and equipment
An occupational therapist is a good person to ask. Their job is to look at tasks you find hard and help you do them. They can suggest equipment. Sometimes they can get it for you. Ask your GP or your social worker for a referral.
Your local council may have equipment you can have or borrow. Ask adult social care.
Your annual health check. In England, adults with a learning disability can have a free health check at their GP once a year. If you are always tired, or you cannot sleep, this is a good place to say so.
VAT relief. In the UK, equipment made for disabled people is often sold without VAT. You fill in a short form. Ask the shop.
Mencap gives advice and information. Learning Disability England and your local advocacy group can also help.
What an alarm cannot do
An alarm tells you the time. That is all it does. It is honest to say what it cannot do.
An alarm cannot make you feel awake. Everyone feels foggy for a while after waking up. That is normal.
An alarm cannot get you out of bed. You still have to do that part.
If you are tired every day, a louder alarm is the wrong answer. Tell your doctor instead. There can be a health reason. Sleep problems, pain, some medicines and low mood can all make you tired. A doctor can check.
If you need a person to help you in the morning, a clock does not replace that person. That is about how many support hours you have. Talk to your social worker or care manager.
And if staff wake you up every day and you would rather wake yourself up, you are allowed to ask for that to change. Waking yourself up is a normal thing to want. There is more about how to ask for that in supported living.
About Silent Wake
We sell a wrist band called Silent Wake. Here is the honest information.
It goes on your wrist. It shakes. It does not make any sound. It has three shaking strengths. You can set two alarms. You set them on the band itself. There is no app and no phone needed. It lasts up to 14 days before you charge it. The charging part slides out and plugs into a USB port.
Now the honest part. You set the alarms using buttons on the band itself, and it has a strap that fastens round your wrist. We do not publish how big those buttons are, how hard they are to press, or how the strap does up. So we cannot tell you whether you would find it easy to use. We are not going to guess. Everything on this page says try the clock before you decide, and that has to apply to our own product too.
If you want to try it, you have 100 days from when it arrives to send it back. Use that time. Try setting it yourself. Try it on a morning when you feel tired, not just in the afternoon. If you cannot use it, send it back and get your money back. You can email support@eivoi.com if you have questions before you buy.
Common questions
What alarm clock is easiest for a person with a learning disability?
One with big buttons that are far apart, where each button does one job. Avoid clocks that make you hold one button and press another at the same time. A big off button on the top is best for the morning. Some clocks talk and say each step out loud while you set them, which helps a lot of people. Try the clock yourself before you buy it.
Can I choose my own alarm clock?
Yes. It is your clock and your money. If you need help understanding the choices, someone can give you the information in easy read or with pictures, and give you time to think. That is help with deciding. It is not the same as someone deciding for you. If someone keeps making choices for you when you do not want them to, ask Mencap or a local advocacy service for support.
Should a support worker set my alarm for me?
Only if you want them to, or if you have tried and it is too hard. It is quicker for staff to do it, but then you do not learn how. A better approach is for them to show you once, let you try, and write the steps down with pictures next to the clock. If you already set your own alarm, nobody should take that over. Ask for it back if they have.
Is a vibrating alarm better than a normal alarm clock?
No. It is different, not better. A shaking alarm is useful if you are deaf or hard of hearing, if you share a room, or if loud noise upsets you. Some people wake up well to vibration and some sleep straight through it. You cannot tell which you are without trying it. Buy from somewhere that lets you send it back, and test it in the daytime first.
I am always tired in the morning. Will a louder alarm help?
Probably not. If you are tired every single day, something else is usually going on, and a louder alarm does not fix it. Tell your doctor. Sleep problems, pain, medication, low mood and some health conditions can all make you tired. In England you can raise it at your annual health check. Going to bed at the same time each night also helps more than most people expect.
Related reading
This page gives general information. It is not medical advice. If you are tired every day, or you cannot sleep, please tell your doctor.