Waking Up Is Hard to Do...When You Have Adult ADD

Waking up can be tough for a night owl with adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD). I am the master of Web surfing, magazine flipping, and chatting on the phone past midnight. So I was skeptical when I heard about My Wake Up Call -- a motivational clock that uses inspirational messages as an alarm. Prior to My Wake Up Call I had tried a variety of ways to transform myself into an early, or at least on-time, riser -- from pairing up with a fellow night owl and tag teaming wake up calls to setting two alarms and my cell phone -- only to find that I was still snooze-button happy. I had become blacklisted by my early bird friends, who had unsuccessfully tried the “BTBS (Be There Be Square)” method to get me to show up on time. No such luck.

But just as I was about to give up, My Wake Up Calls surfaced. Here’s how it works: The messages, which run about eight minutes each, come in CD format, or can be downloaded from the company’s website to an iPod, which you dock on the clock. Within a few days, the messages seemed to do the trick. The “good morning and get out of bed” portion is followed by a mini-workout of inhaling, exhaling, and stretching, then by music, which is fun to listen to as I get dressed and prepare to head out the door.

My Wake Up Call is exactly what I needed, not only to wake up, but to start my day with positive thoughts. I found myself tuning in to the messages directly on my iPod during my morning commute.

Want a shot at winning your own My Wake Up Call alarm iPod clock (with one month of free messages) or three months of messages for iPods, iPhones, and smart phones? Leave a comment describing your worst experience with being late getting out of bed and the consequences that resulted.

Contest Rules: To enter, leave a comment by October 31, 2010 at 5 p.m. EDT. One winner will be selected at random and notified via e-mail. The winner will be given the choice between receiving a My Wake Up Call alarm iPod clock (with one month of free messages) or three months of free messages (can be used on iPods, iPhones, and smart phones). Note: To be considered, please log in to leave a comment using a valid e-mail address. Those who do not will not be including in the drawing. All ADDitude winners may use the coupon code ADDitude15 to get a 15 percent discount when shopping on the site (expires October 31, 2010).