Several individuals enjoy setting multiple alarms in the morning – each with a gap of 5-10-15 minutes. This creates the perception that just a bit more – 5 minutes, and I will obtain adequate rest. Some even set these alarms in advance to avoid being late. However, letting go of this practice is challenging. Psychologists indicate there is an entire 
phenomenon referred to as “multiple alarms.” Aif.ru discussed whether it represents a peril and what it endangers with, with psychological sciences candidate, associate professor, psychoanalyst, clinical psychologist of the highest qualification category, cognitive-behavioral therapist, somnologist Alexey Melekhin.
This phenomenon is also recognized as the occurrence of compulsive clock adjustments, as well as the alarm clock marathon. It acts as an indicator of several things. In the first place, it signifies procrastination, where an individual desires to put off the start of the day continually, as he/she struggles to deal with it, deeming it too challenging and exhausting. Fundamentally, it indicates clinical procrastination.
Secondly, it represents an aspect of professional and emotional burnout. Thirdly, it denotes the prodrome of such conditions as, for instance, depression. Fourthly, it can evidence the existence of obsession in the structure of obsessive-compulsive disorders, where an individual endeavors and even establishes an entire ritual to obtain adequate rest. It is considered a reflection of an individual’s mental well-being.
However, concurrently, it can be seen as a component that supports our nervous system. The phenomenon of multiple alarms becomes a defensive mechanism: as a person sets multiple alarms, he/she illustrates that perhaps there is an unwillingness to burden themselves with specific demands and obligations. This is a crucial defensive mechanism signifying that something is transpiring, demanding attention. It might comprise high selectiveness and stringent self-standards. It can reflect the fear of being judged in a certain manner: lateness being disgraceful. This might also indicate that an individual believes they must constantly be correct, consequently necessitating constant organization.
This can additionally be perceived as an intensification of personal unease, where the more alarms are set, the greater the likelihood of oversleeping. Subsequently, the nervous system demonstrates that perhaps there is an unwillingness to rise and commence the day, possibly due to self-imposed pressure, which frequently renders the phenomenon of multiple alarms hazardous for mental health.
What is it indicating?
Primarily, the aftermath is fragmented sleep – individuals often oversleep, and this marathon itself heightens the risks of various morning manifestations such as cardioneurosis, panic attacks, weariness, intracranial pressure, headaches, irritability. The phenomenon of multiple alarms often coincides with an increase in the risks of road traffic accidents – the individual is unsettled, generating excessive stress hormones, which exert an extremely adverse impact on cognitive processes: attention and performance.
Thus, on one hand, this phenomenon is endorsed by society, however, regrettably, excessive control and self-assurance frequently lead to the nervous system signaling issues and signaling the necessity for a change in direction.