How did people wake up in time before the alarm clock? - Historum

**jeroenrottgering** · November 22nd, 2012, 05:30 AM

I know this may be a kind of weird question to ask, but this has always been on my mind for years and I need an answer xD. How did people get up in time before the invention of the alarm clock? I would imagine people coming late for work a lot of times, cause their was nothing to wake them up? Or was their? I know it's a bit silly, but this question has been on my mind for years

. Who knows you can help me.

jehosafats · November 22nd, 2012, 05:33 AM

I dunno, circadian rhythms?

**Von Ranke** · November 22nd, 2012, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeroenrottgering

I know this may be a kind of weird question to ask, but this has always been on my mind for years and I need an answer xD. How did people get up in time before the invention of the alarm clock? I would imagine people coming late for work a lot of times, cause their was nothing to wake them up? Or was their? I know it's a bit silly, but this question has been on my mind for years

. Who knows you can help me.

The Cockerel my friend, the Cockerel.

**Naomasa298** · November 22nd, 2012, 05:35 AM

They didn't. They just carried on sleeping until they eventually died.

**DreamWeaver** · November 22nd, 2012, 05:43 AM

I dont wake up even with an alarm clock

**Kevinmeath** · November 22nd, 2012, 05:45 AM

Clocks are new, we woke up when it was light and went to sleep (for most not all) when it went dark.

Gudenrath · November 22nd, 2012, 05:46 AM

Sleep rhythm can do wonders. You can literally set yourself to awake at the same time through habit.

Also, for most people there was no such thing as accurate time, it was morning, noon, afternoon, evening, so on. And most people didn't have appointments set at a precise time, that, as well as office hours, is a thing that was instituted after clocks became more widespread.

And of course people that really really needed to have accurate time (a select few amongst the elite) had found a way long ago:

Water_clock

(complete with alarm clock functions).

**Louise C** · November 22nd, 2012, 06:08 AM

The cock crow would wake them if they weren't already awake.

**Ancientgeezer** · November 22nd, 2012, 06:22 AM

Beyond the Cock Crow and dawn chorus and before timepieces were within the reach of common folk, there was the church clock or if you were near a harbour, ship's bells and then there was the Night Watchman calling the hours.
Without all of the noise of modern life, traffic, power hums, drunks, etc. It is surprisingly quiet at night and the sound of bells travels a long way. We all know about cockneys being born within the sound of Bow Bells--it is reputed that the 16th Century sound would carry across an oval of six miles by five miles--well beyond the outskirts of London at the time.

Tulun · November 22nd, 2012, 06:27 AM

i guess church bells in christian countries, or adhan in islamic countries.