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'My partner's alarm clock is too loud - it wakes me up but he won't change it'

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The alarm noise is driving the woman insane (stock photo) (Image: Shared Content Unit)
The alarm noise is driving the woman insane (stock photo) (Image: Shared Content Unit)

There's not many of us who like getting up early in the morning, and for most people, it's all we can do to drag ourselves out of bed at the sound of our alarms - especially if we need to be up at the crack of dawn to go to work.

While setting multiple alarms or turning up the volume might help you wake up with less effort, you also need to think about the people you might live with and how your morning noise might impact them.

That's exactly the issue one new mum is having, as she claims her partner's alarm clock is so loud and goes off so often that it wakes her up every morning at around 4am, and prevents her from going back to sleep.

'My partner's alarm clock is too loud - it wakes me up but he won't change it' qhiukiuiqkzprwThe alarm wakes her up and she can't get back to sleep (stock photo) (Getty Images)

The woman said her partner has set his alarm on his phone to go off every five minutes and has it at the loudest possible volume - but that's still not enough to get him out of bed, so the noise often goes on for an hour before he finally switches it off and gets up.

Despite it driving his partner insane, the man won't compromise by turning the volume down or leaving bigger gaps between each alarm, and instead thinks the woman is just "looking for an argument".

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In a post on Mumsnet, the woman said: "Just wanted to get your thoughts on something that's been driving me insane for nearly 3 years now.

"My partner gets up early for work, which could be anytime between 4am and 6am. My problem is his alarm clock. He sets it on the highest possible volume to go off every 5 minutes and this can sometimes go on for an hour each morning, sometimes longer. Every time it goes off, it doesn't wake him so I have to shake him to switch it off.

"During this hour, I cannot fall back to sleep. I am a very light sleeper and it takes me a while to fall asleep as it is. To make things worse, we have a newborn with us and so I am getting even less sleep at the moment.

"I've brought up the subject of changing his alarm many times. I've just asked if it could not be as loud and also go off fewer times. He refuses point blank to change this. I do feel upset as I feel that he is being slightly selfish and he could compromise, lord knows the sacrifices I have made for him.

"He says he has to have it this loud and that many times as he doesn't wake up, but he doesn't wake up whatever the situation, I have to wake him every time and ask him to switch it off.

"It sounds silly but it's got to the point where it's driving me crazy and I get so angry about his lack of empathy towards me. And then I can't go back to sleep as I'm so wound up by it all. He's told me that I'm just looking for an argument. All I want is a bit of uninterrupted sleep and for him to compromise.

"I appreciate he has an early start but at the moment I'm up at all hours with the baby and could just do with a bit of understanding and sympathy to keep me sane."

Commenters on the post were firmly on the mum's side, as many of them said they faced similar problems in their relationships and suggested sleeping in different rooms so that she can get a decent night's sleep without the noise of his alarm.

One person said: "Separate rooms are the only way."

While another added: "I would be turning the alarm off after the second time it went off. He's a selfish person to let it continue for ages. Fair enough if he needs an alarm but that's ridiculous.

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"What about something like an Apple Watch? That's my alarm in the mornings as it only vibrates on my wrist so doesn't disturb anyone else."

And a third wrote: "Just had exactly the same argument, I honestly wake up with such a start as it's SO loud. I'm currently seething upstairs but will tell him later he can sleep in the spare room if he wants to carry on having it top volume."

Returning to the post, the mum said she would put the idea of separate rooms to her partner, although she admitted she wasn't fond of the idea.

She said: "I hate the thought of separate rooms but might be the only way forward, which is a shame."

Zahna Eklund

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