Mainly, an alarm clock is used for waking up easily in time in everyday life. It also helps users by reminding them of their specific job, awakening from heavy sleep, or short naps. The outlook of the alarm clock has been changed day to day keeping its function unchanged. The user can be assisted by its sound, light, vibration, or sensor. It has been reshaping from time to time following the previous with the various indicators and fruitful utility. Using sensors has been a way by which it is measured the necessary sleeping hours of the users. The history of alarm clock is amusing. Let’s take a look at the variant past of the alarm clock.
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Flashback of the Alarm clock:
The rising sun has helped people wake since the beginning of time. The morning crow of the rooster has helped people to wake for centuries. That has definitely been the most annoying alarm clock…if he didn’t stop. People used to drink more water at night to go to the bathroom early in the morning.
Sundial:
Around 1500 BC, one kind of clock was used, namely ‘Sundial’ is an ancient clock. It had a simple design that was based on the shadows the sun cast as it moved through the day. The popularity of it never decreased even with the invention of mechanical clocks.
Water Clock:
The Water Clock helped the earliest civilization to tell the time of the day after the sundial. Plato used It for the purpose of alarming his morning class.
First mechanical clock:
Cetesibius the man of Alexandria developed the water clock and invented it which worked mechanically. The whistle-like sound marked a specified time.
Advocacy of Roman:
Cassiodorus, the late Roman statesman, felt the utility of the water clock and advocated in his rule book. A rhetorician, Procopius described a complex public striking clock that featured an hourly gong moving mechanically.
Invention of Chinese:
Yi Xing (683-727), a Buddhist monk invented a striking clock. Later on two Engineers Zhang Sixun and Su Song from china assimilated striking clock and astronomical clock 10 to 11 centuries.
Contribution of Syrian Writer:
A Syrian writer named Ridwan Ibn Al Sa’ati composed a book regarding ‘The Construction of Clocks and their use’ in 1203. In Syria, there was a fascinating water-powered clock that struck once every hour close to The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
Alarm Clock in Iraq:
A monumental water-powered alarm clock was set in the entrance hall of the Muntansiriya Madrasha in Baghdad in 1235.
Prominent Alarm Clock in Venice:
Gian Carlo Rainieri assembled the first prominent striking clock tower which bears the similarity of St Mark’s tower in Venice in 1493.
User settable Alarm Clock in Europe:
In the 15th century, a user-settable mechanical clock had been used in Europe which had a ring in the dial clock placing a pin in the hole.
Past Alarm clock in the USA:
Levi Hutchins, a man from Concord, New Hampshire was the first American inventor of an alarm clock who invented it for his job purpose which rang only at 4 am. Later on French inventor Antoine Regier in 1847 patented an adjustable mechanical clock.
The United States started its production for the purpose of war field in 1942 and later on in 1944 they resumed for daily usage. In the meantime shortcoming of the alarm clock had been developed minimizing previous shortage. Workers were not able to maintain their schedule accordingly amidst the war effort so in a pooling arrangement the office of the price administration allowed to produce new clocks for some companies and some follow the previous pattern and in this way the first postwar consumer goods to be made.
Classic Bell Alarm Clock:
In a mechanical alarm clock, we get one or two bells that ring by means of a mainspring that gear to move a hammer back and forth. Electromagnetic circuits and armature are set to ring in the alarm clock.
Free from Health hazard:
Traditional alarm clocks are safe from the harm of blue light that affects the brain and body, and EMF radiation that causes cancer according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Digital Alarm Clock:
Now 99% of digital alarm clocks are made using a microcontroller that is more hand-able than the traditional alarm clock. By using it users can easily set or reset their specific time for their everyday lives.
The assistance of electronic drives:
Digital clocks are small in size and not expensive. That’s why it is easy to use with various electronic devices like cars, radios, televisions, microwave ovens, standard ovens, computers, and cell phones.
Radio alarm clock:
James F. Reynolds explored a type of alarm clock to put melodious tunes and news in lieu of irritating sound. Then it had only AM radio stations only. Basically, a radio alarm clock is an integrated device in which an alarm clock and radio are placed together. The clock can play on the radio at the desired time to make the user awake with a beep alarm. Several types of alarm clocks play a double role to wake the incumbent. Typically clock radios are kept beside the stand. A large button is set on the top to make it silent or to resume sounding later.
Clock Radio is more useful for those listeners who prefer to fall asleep while listening to the radio because some clocks have a sleep timer which makes the radio on for a specific amount of time. Nowadays such types of radio clocks are enriched with other music sources such as iPod, iPhone, and audio CD. For ringtone, exoteric songs or radio stations can be set with the true sound of nature like spring, waterfall, rain, etc.
The radio clock is powered by AC power that is why the power supply must be ensured to continue its function. Lack of power supply sometimes miscarries its setting that’s why now some modes have battery service to avoid such problems.
The snooze function in the alarm clock brought a new dimension to this arena that was in 1956. A new dimension came with the invention of the online alarm clock in 2006.
The necessity of an alarm clock in human life:
Now the alarm clock has become the best buddy for assisting anyone in his everyday life. So it can be the most useful for toddlers, deaf and hearing loss, for teenagers, for heavy sleepers, etc.
Alarm Clock for Toddler:
It is the best way to make our kids stay in bed for a specific time using a kind of alarm clock having no other signals. Here just two moods are set as waking up and sleeping. There are some images like the sun that indicate that it is time for leaving the bed. On the contrary, the picture of the moon makes them understand how to stay in bed. So it is very conducive for guardians to monitor their issues. Colors are used for naps, reds indicate staying in bed and green signifies leaving the bed for daily activities.
Vibrating Alarm Clock for Deaf and Hearing loss:
Deaf and hearing-impaired people have the best opportunity to wake up using a vibrating alarm clock. It is kept under the bedpost and having no noise they can be alarmed for their expected time without the help of others. Including an alarm, it has a flashlight that is also helpful for them.
Alarm Clock for teenager:
Sleeping is so essential for a healthy life but it may become unhealthy sometimes when someone sleeps more than needed. Especially teenager sleeps more when they get a chance so it is the best way for them to use an alarm clock for rising from bed in time otherwise it may become somewhat worse for them.
Alarm Clock for Heavy Sleeper:
Conclusion:
In this article, I have tried to explain the history of alarm clock with the importance of using it. There is no denying that we realize the best use of an alarm clock in everyday life is to perform the desired or planned activities in time. Time is golden like pearls but often we fail to remember a fascinating life. Once time passes away it can’t return so the alarm clock contributes a lot thinking about time management that is somewhat monumental for human life.