How to use the online alarm clock
Waking at 8:17 pm gives you a moment to get your bearings before the evening BBC News bulletin. The alarm marks the time clearly, so there is no need to keep checking the clock while you come round. With 9:00 pm still ahead, there is time to sit up, switch on a light and settle somewhere comfortable before the programme begins.
Because this alarm is meant to catch you after an evening sleep, its ability to keep running matters as much as the sound selected. Set it for 8:17 pm, leave the browser available, and keep the volume high enough to hear from where you are resting. If the browser has been closed or the phone has entered sleep mode, the alarm cannot wake you for the BBC News bulletin. A plugged-in device with sleep disabled is therefore the safer arrangement for this particular reminder.
Coming round in the evening can make the remaining night feel shorter than it is, especially when a programme provides a firm dividing point. After the bulletin, keeping lights fairly low and avoiding an unplanned second nap can preserve the sleep intended for later. Any drink, snack or household task is easier to fit before 9:00 pm than to leave until the programme ends and risk pushing bedtime further back.
Common questions
Do I need an account or an app?
Neither. Choose a time and a sound, press Start, and it runs in this browser tab. Nothing is downloaded, nothing is registered, and closing the page leaves nothing behind on the device.
Can I change the sound?
Yes, there is a short list of tones to pick from before you press Start. Softer sounds are easy to sleep through, so a firmer bell tends to be the safer choice for anything early in the morning.
Will it still be right when the clocks change?
Yes. It reads your device's local clock, so the move between GMT and BST at the end of March and October is picked up automatically, as long as the computer's date, time and time zone are set correctly.
Can I use this on a phone?
It works in a mobile browser, but phones lock the screen and suspend background tabs far more readily than a laptop does, which can stop the alarm sounding. For anything important, a desktop or a plugged-in laptop is the steadier option.
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