How about an alarm clock that requires you to solve a complex cognitive task in order to stop the alarm? The task may require adding a series of two-digit numbers together, or solving a small puzzle, the sort of questions you get on IQ tests - whatever is challenging enough to get your brain active.

This could be assimilated with many of the other alarm clock ideas that have been posted, such as putting the alarm clock over the other side of the room. That way, when it goes off in the morning, not only do you have to get up and walk to the other side of the room, when you get there you also have to think in order to turn it off.

To make it even more effective, make the alarm sound really annoying, like a Barry Manilow song.
-- BenII, Apr 26 2002

Jigsaw puzzle clock http://www.bimbamba...=visProd&prod_id=21
Someone baked your idea, in the form of a small jigsaw puzzle. [krelnik, Feb 06 2005, last modified Mar 02 2006]

Intelligence test clock http://www.yankodes.../morning-brain-gym/
[jutta, Nov 08 2011]

Fishbone for dissin' Barry.
-- waugsqueke, Apr 26 2002


While I would hate the alarm clock when I first was awoken by it, I probably would like it later, when I arrived to the first meeting of the day on time.

Oh and the croissant is for dissin' Barry.
-- bristolz, Apr 26 2002


Barry Manilow is to piano what Kenny whats-his-name is to clarinet. Since you pressed all the keys in the correct sequence in the last 8 words of the final paragraph, you would have earned an additional extra-rich and satisfying croissant. However, given that it would be torture to listen to Barry, I'll have to fishbone the idea.
-- thumbwax, Apr 26 2002


I find that my best math of the day comes between the initial alarm and the snooze button relief time.

Once I wake up I need a supercomputer to solve differentials. But in that snooze time when you're fighting for every second more of sleep, throw anything you want at me if it means a few more minutes of sleep. I'll calculate the Xenon fuel propellant needed for a round trip to Pluto in my head before the first snooze buzzer goes off.

And no matter how smart you make the alarm, you better build in some armor. When they can't shut it off, it's going flying across the room.

As far as Barry, that's not going to wake me up, more like put me back to sleep. Try something along the lines of metal or rap if you want to become attentive.
-- dag, Apr 26 2002


Oh, you naysaying lot. Barry r00ls, man. (Or is that "rewls" ...? I just can't keep up with kids these days.)

How about an alarm clock that only plays "Lovin' You" by Minnie Ripperton?

I very much like the concept of "best math of the day."
-- waugsqueke, Apr 26 2002


Everett, thumbwax?
-- sappho, Apr 26 2002


I think I'd prefer an alarm clock that projects random episodes of the Simpsons on the ceiling.
-- pottedstu, Apr 26 2002


I'd never get out of bed.
-- mcscotland, Apr 26 2002


getting me out of bed on time = croissant
maths based = croissant
bazza bashing = croissant
best maths of the day = croissant
armour plating = fishbone. i'd quickly ruin the walls in my bedroom, how about a plush version ?
& having a medley of songs, which start ok, transition to annoying & finally upto mind destroying awefulness ?
-- mymus, Apr 26 2002


Well how about if the sound of the alarm is simply the task/question being repeated over and over in a really annoying voice.
-- stupop, Apr 26 2002


how about make it play some german songs. I know that would wake me up.

"Daff guber na fo dwir niig"

lol. i don't speak german, can you tell?
-- allanbutton, Oct 17 2002


I had a similar idea to this, but make it an iPhone app (freee please) and make the games kind of fun and playful to put you in a good mood when you wake up.
-- gomer, Jul 25 2008



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