February 5, 2020 - 13:31 AMT
Waking up to certain alarm clock sound "can give you more energy"

A recent Australian study found that certain alarm noises can decrease morning grogginess, so you wake up faster and feeling more alert, CNBC reports.

Study participants who woke up to a melodic song had lower levels of morning grogginess than those who chose a beeping sound, according to the study findings.

Songs with melodies seem to have an energizing effect, “increasing arousal, cognition and attention,” which helps you feel less groggy as you wake up, researchers from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology wrote.

The reason? Researchers hypothesize that the combination of tones that rise and fall in a song’s melody “promote arousal within our system, which in turn may lead to increased alertness,” Stuart McFarlane, lead study author, says. “Imagine a scenario where an athlete will perform better when they warm up,” he says. “Melody may ‘warm our brains up’ more effectively for the day’s activity rather than being shocked into action.”

On the other hand, a startling alarm that beeps seems to “confuse our brain activity when waking,” Adrian Dyer, co-author, said.

Beyond curating your alarm clock noise, there are a few habits that have been shown to help reduce sleep inertia. For example, drinking caffeine, being exposed to light before waking up and having a morning routine can all help.