Imagine the convenience of a hotel concierge, but with a recording that you can customize. That’s the draw of an at-home wake-up call service—which is far more affordable than booking a hotel room just to get access to a concierge. In any case, for less than the cost of a continental breakfast, you can schedule regular wake-up calls to make sure you never show up late to the office or miss a morning meeting.
If it sounds too good to be true, that’s because sometimes it is. In this case, it’s very easy to encounter a so-called service that doesn’t work—or worse, one that puts your phone number on a ton of spam calling lists.
That said, there are still several legitimate options out there, and they’re worth giving a try if you need help getting up in the morning.
Our Recommended Wake Up Call Service
WakeUpLand is our top choice for a simple, customizable, and affordable wake-up service. It has everything you need to get started right away, plus a few fun add-ons like different voice options and unique daily greetings.
Of course, waking up in the morning isn’t the only reason to use the service, as you can also use WakeUpLand to set custom text or phone call reminders for all of your important events. This can be anything from work deadlines to your mother’s birthday—or even the day of a solar eclipse.
Both features are available with any of WakeUpLand’s paid plans, which go for $3.99, $4.99, and $6.99 per month, good for 20, 60, and 200 respective credits—with each credit being good for one call or reminder text. Alternatively, you can also choose between prepaid plans for flat rates of $3.99 and $6.99 for 30 and 60 credits in total. Lastly, you also get 10 free credits upon signup so that you can test it out.
When you’re ready to schedule a test call, your first move is to sign up for a free account, after which you’ll be taken to a dashboard where you can edit your personal details and verify your phone number. You can then add several more numbers if you want to schedule calls or send reminders to different lines.
After your account is ready, scheduling your first call is as easy as setting up a calendar meeting. The platform provides you with a familiar interface where you can enter a name for your call and choose the date, time, and phone number. You can even add snoozes if you like.
Next, choose your greeting type. Do you want to start your day by listening to a joke or wake up with something inspirational? You can also choose the voice type with a standard call or select between male and female voices for the other call types. Keep in mind that some options, like adding on more snoozes, require more credits.
Once your call is configured, you can then choose to repeat the same schedule or set new alarms for different days and times. Lastly, don’t forget to tick off the holidays when you don’t want to be disturbed—just in case you forget to cancel your repeating calls manually.
Once your free trial is up, you can continue using the WakeUpLand service that has been serving customers for 10 years.
Who Should Use a Wake Up Call Service
You might think investing in a wake-up service or paying for an alarm app is a bit over the top—but these things exist for a reason. Some of us are just heavy sleepers, and there’s no shame in needing a little help to get out of bed.
That’s why there are so many apps and services that offer sleep trackers, wake-up challenges, confirmation calls, and other creative means to ensure you don’t accidentally fall back asleep.
When it comes to calling services, the idea is that answering the phone requires a bit more alertness than pressing a snooze button on an alarm while you’re still half asleep. Meanwhile, going through the motions of setting up an alarm on your phone might not be as memorable or deliberate as setting up a wake-up call with a bonafide service.
Thus, anyone who is especially groggy in the mornings or especially forgetful at night can reap the benefits of a wake-up call service.
Other Wake Up Options for Heavy Sleepers
If WakeUpLand isn’t for you, there are other automated wake-up call services, personal wakers, and natural, feel-good options.
More online options
Snoozester and Better Wake-Up Call are two other popular online wake-up call services. Both options can place calls to any number in the U.S. or Canada, and they both allow you to set personal reminders as well—so you don’t miss an important birthday or doctor’s appointment.
If you’re feeling really adventurous, you can have Snoozester wake you up with the voice of an enthusiastic Leprechaun or a swarthy pirate. Meanwhile, Better Wake-Up Call has more standard greetings, but you can choose to add a wake-up challenge or hit snooze and receive a callback a few minutes later.
Both services have positive reviews and cost around $5 per month.
Smartphone Apps
If you’re looking to solve math questions or do a squat challenge to prove you’re really awake in the morning, an app like Alarmy is for you. It has dozens of features to control the exact layout of your morning routine, and it’s available for both Android and iPhone.
Of course, if you just want a simple alarm that doesn’t require any wild challenges, Alarmy (and plenty of other apps) can help you with that as well.
Sunrise alarm clocks
If you also need some morning light to blast you in the face and wake you up, you might want to try a sunrise alarm clock. These clocks mimic a natural sunrise, gradually increasing in brightness while also playing your chosen alarm sound.
While this may seem like a gentler option, having a light on can help even the deepest sleepers feel like it’s time to get up.
Your family or friends
So far, we’ve only looked at automated means to wake yourself up. But from gentle shakes to pouring a glass of cold water on someone else, we’ve seen some pretty creative wake-up tactics on social media. Ideally, you’d want to start your day pleasantly, so you should only rely on family and friends to wake you up if they’re reliable. At the very least, they could be a good backup if your alarm fails.
Hire someone to call you
During our research, we found that one Reddit user hired someone on Fiverr as their personal alarm clock. This isn’t a bad idea if you trust their reliability and want a personalized touch to your calls. Your wake-up person can give you any message of your choice, like a positive or motivational message, or even sing you a song.
Play a recording or listen to the news
Another creative approach is to record something and have your phone play it. Or, you can always set up a voice assistant to read you the news at a set time every morning.
Train your internal clock
The most effective wake-up method isn’t always the most dramatic. Over time, consistent habits and routines can hack your internal clock, making getting up early feel as natural as sunrise. That said, if you experiment with various wake-up methods until you find one that works for you, you may gradually create a natural morning rhythm over time.