That guy up there? My 3 of 8?
He's pretty awesome.
Very awesome.
He's the big brother in the OctaSet, the guy who mows the lawn and wrestles the little kids. He can make a fantastic pot of coffee.
And he sometimes runs with me.
Yep.
I like him.
But he has an alarming problem. Literally. And I want your input.
3 of 8 heads to bed at a reasonable time. He pulls the black-out shades, folds his lanky frame into the bottom bunk, settles in for the night.
And he sets his alarm. And he sets another alarm on his phone.
And he heads to sleep.
Fast forward nine hours.
The cacophony emanating from his bedroom sounds like the command center of some super secret protection agency that has just discovered there are nuclear subs three miles off the eastern seaboard. Alarms are sounding everywhere, clanging, wailing, sounding over and over and over again, a siren scream against the ear drums of anyone in a four block radius.
Yet...
And yet...
Sleeping 3 of 8 sleeps on.
Even with a series of alarm clocks going off at Defcon 5. Not hitting the snooze or anything. Just alarms sounding constantly.
Granted, every night when he takes to his bed, he seems to emerge the next day another half inch taller. He's still stretching and growing, taller than me, taller than his daddy. His days are busy. He has good reason to sleep deeply.
But seriously.
We only have one kid in hearing aids...and it ain't him.
So how can he not hear those alarms? And when we run a little experiment, letting those alarms sound and sound and sound, thinking that surely he will eventually hear them and awaken, he, uh, doesn't. We've even let the experiment run for over an hour. No response from Sleeping Beauty. Crazy.
So sound off. Are you a ridiculously deep sleeper who can block out some of the most annoying sounds on earth, the personal clock radio alarm? Or have you experienced life with one of these nocturnal non-hearers? What did you do about it? How did you unclog the sleeping ears?
'Cuz as much as we like that 3 of 8 guy, his morning non-routine is getting a little noisy....
turn off his alarms...he may be used to them. he will jerk awake wondering why he missed his alarm.
ReplyDeleteActually tried this~~particularly his older sister, who DETESTS his ongoing alarm dealio...let's just say, he sleeps on, alarm or no....
DeleteI was that same way. I had to be shaken awake by my parents...and then my annoyed roommate. She didn't like my 6 AM job. ;)
ReplyDeleteEveryone told me once I had a baby, I'd wake up to the sound of its cry. Nope. Six babies and I never heard one of them. If it weren't for my sweet husband placing them next to my bosom so they could latch on, those babies would have starved!
I am a little better now, and can wake up to an alarm in the morning. But if the smoke detectors went off in the night, I'm not sure it would wake me.
Sorry, I'm not much help, but I have survived.
Good to know he's not alone! Guess it's one of the things we'll have to look for in a wife for him...a girl who can hear the alarm! ;o)
DeleteI can hear alarms juuuuust fine ;)
Deletehahaha
YOU KNOW my eldest...your 3 of 8 is my 1 of 4's best friend. Those two are so alike that it scares me. We've personally witnessed the hysterical chaos that ensues when they are together (pu bar at your house...cartoonish car splat on Sunday--how many more have we NOT had the privilege of witnessing)!!.
ReplyDeleteAPPARENTLY, they also have this alike. Everything your described??? We've done...and THEN some.
BUT THERE IS HOPE!! Its called the Sonic Boom alarm clock (Amazon). There is SOMETHING about that particular noise (and it is NOISE) justthere seems to work. BUT WAIT... its more than just the noise. You see, this alarm clock comes with a big vibrator that you place under the mattress our pillow. This isn't any old vibrating thing..its a "wake-the-dead" type thing. I couldn't believe how well it worked!!
In fact, it worked SO WELL...the cord had conveniently disappeared and our 1 of 4 has resumed his snoozing. But, a new cord its on its
way...MWA HA HA HA HA!!!
Want to borrow it??
3 of 8 finds it particularly hilarious that the cord to the Sonic Boom has gone mysteriously missing...I wonder if he has a theory about that...And, YES, we'd love to borrow it! Had a couple of buddies on Facebook who actually suggested the Sonic Boom~~that's three out of three stars as far as I'm concerned! ;o)
DeleteI was like that for a period of time in high school. I had to get an alarm that would vibrate along with ring...and set it right next to my pillow so I would hear and feel it. I grew out of it.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely hoping this is a 'grow out of it' thing...sheesh! Glad you moved on! ;o)
DeleteI love this! We have 17 year old and a 15 year old boys who faithfully set a phone and two alarms for 5:45 AM each morning. They get up at 7:00 AM to the back-up alarm they have also set.
ReplyDeleteGlad we're not alone.
Girl...we're all in this together! ;o)
DeleteI have a lady friend with the same issues. She does NOT hear loud sounds to wake her up in the morning. She's been this way since her childhood. What wakes her up is a soft voice or sound.
ReplyDeleteOne of her issue is that she has two circadian rhythms. The major one has her deepest sleep cycle begin at the time when most people get up. He may have an issue that way. A sleep study can determine if that is the case, but be sure you mention that possibility.
desertrose5173 at gmail dot com
Oh~~interesting! I myself sleep the hardest as the night turns to dawn. Would sure make sense for 3 of 8. It would be fascinating to see what a sleep study would say about his sleep cycles~thanks so much!
DeleteA lack of sensitivity to one stimulus usually means an increase in sensitivity to others. I'd be curious to see how the pillow shaker works, you might also try a light-emitting alarm clock to see if gradual or sudden light changes work.
ReplyDeleteIf it does, just put a big stage light over his bed.
A lack of sensitivity to one stimulus usually means an increase in sensitivity to others. I'd be curious to see how the pillow shaker works, you might also try a light-emitting alarm clock to see if gradual or sudden light changes work.
ReplyDeleteIf it does, just put a big stage light over his bed.
I'll have to post an update once we try the Sonic Boom clock/shake the bed dealio.
DeleteBut I must say...
A ginormous stage light set to a timer has some serious attraction for me...;o)
I have the iLuv Vibro Bedshaker. Its the only thing that will wake me. That or my husband turning off the bedroom fan or AC. I am very temperature sensative.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there's a device that would actually just flip him out of his mattress....
DeleteBlessings!