Why does a doctor say that a certain alarm sound is harmful?

Sharp, piercing sounds (like the classic bell ring or beep) are actually considered harmful because they jolt you awake abruptly and stress your body out - your heart rate spikes, adrenaline shoots up. It's better to go with alarm clocks that have smooth, gradually building sounds or melodies - they wake you up more gently and put less strain on your nervous system. That's why a lot of doctors recommend exactly those kinds of options, or even light-based alarms that simulate sunrise.

I don't remember the exact scientific details of the research, but the general rule is this: sharp, high-frequency sounds like beeping or alarm clock ringing disrupt peaceful waking and cause blood pressure and heart rate to spike suddenly. Doctors recommend choosing alarms with gradually increasing volume or soft sounds like nature sounds, because that way your brain transitions more gently into an active state and it's less stressful for your body.

There have been a few studies on this topic, but they mostly focus on loud, shrill sounds - like a classic electric bell or high-pitched beeping. This kind of signal really can be more unpleasant for your body than other options. The thing is, a sharp, unexpected sound triggers a stress response: adrenaline spikes, your heart rate goes up, your muscles tense. If your alarm is shrill, your body wakes up in fight-or-flight mode instead of gradually transitioning to wakefulness.

It's better to wake up to a gradually increasing sound or lower-frequency, calming signals - for example, music with a slow start or a pleasant melodic chime. These kinds of alarms help you wake up without extra stress and in a better mood. Even better if your alarm has a gradual volume increase feature: your body gets a chance to adapt to waking up instead of jumping out of bed in a panic.

In reality, it's not critical for your health if we're talking about a one-time exposure. But if you wake up to a shrill sound every single day, that really can be called a stress load. So it makes sense to pick a more pleasant option if you can - it'll at least improve how you feel when you wake up.