How did people in ancient times wake up without an alarm clock?

Question

Before water clocks and all those special little devices where created, and for regions who didn't have livestock to scream in their ears, how would someone wake up? What if they were heavy sleepers?

Answer 1

Well they weren't lazy like we are.

I wake up without any alarm if I have school the next day.

Some humans just know they have work that needs to be done,

so they naturally wake up like that.

Answer 2

In ancient times they used the sun.  Since they didn't have clocks, there was no need to be up before daylight.  Since they didn't have electric lights and candles were difficult to make and firewood had to be gathered, they often went to bed when it got too dark to see.  

If they didn't have any livestock, they were still hunters/gatherers and getting up at dawn was not critical.  It was desired, though, since animals were at the water hole at dawn.  The most successful hunters learned how to wake up that early  (and the most successful hunters had the most wives and the most kids).  They could also hear the birds waking up in the trees before the sun even rose.

Once they got animals, they could rely on them to wake them up.  Dogs are notorious for being up before dawn.  Cows beller because they need to be milked.  Roosters crow.  

A Native American trick for getting up before dawn was to drink a good deal of water before sleeping.  Your bladder got you up.

Answer 3

I was called a rooster.  God's original alarm clock.

Answer 4

People simply got up with the sun and went to bed with the sun.  Millions of animal species manage this (well, nocturnal ones do it the other way round but you get the point), so why should man be any different?

The point about alarm clocks is that we have invented something called society which seeks to over-ride nature.  For instance, you get up at the same time to go to work whether it's summer or winter.  This flies in the face of our natural cycles, which is why we need an external aid.

Answer 5

I agree--people went to bed at night (there was nothing to read) and got up when the sun came (no curtains or covers).  Also, everyone would be bone-tired after working physical labor all day long--very little time for recreational activities.  The few who could not sleep or overslept either had no work, were woken by family members, or got ill and died.  I'm sure there was a lot of snoring!

Answer 6

They used the Sun!

Answer 7

the sun shining on them would wake them up

Answer 8

My dog wake up too at 6:30 every day. What is the point?  

Answer 9

Discipline themselves.  Our gadgets have made us lazy and removed the need to develop our talents and lead a disciplined life.  

Answer 10

They had to go pee.

Answer 11

They just woke up naturally once they had enough sleep. In general people didn't have the tightly scheduled lives we have now. If they slept in by an hour they just continued from there instead of having to rush to get back on track.