Wake Up Refreshed (and Festive) With The New Hatchstreet Boys Holiday EP

Summary 

If you wake up feeling half-asleep, you may be experiencing sleep inertia — and it may be time to try a different alarm sound. Research has found that while non-melodic alarms can intensify sleep inertia, melodic alarm tones, like the brand-new Hatchstreet Boys Holiday EP, boy band-inspired alarms available on Hatch Restore, can provide the energy boost you need to ring in the morning and the season. 

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Struggling to wake up feeling rested this winter? As the holiday season gets busier and daylight dwindles, you may find it’s harder than ever to get yourself out of bed. While factors like your morning light exposure and nightly sleep routine can play a role in your AM grogginess, there’s one unexpected factor that may be contributing to that fuzzy, half-asleep feeling: your alarm sound.

To help you feel merry, bright, and ready to tackle the day, Hatch Restore just launched the brand-new Hatchstreet Boys Holiday EP, boy-band inspired alarm tracks that help you say bye, bye, bye to morning grogginess.  Read on to learn more about how your alarm could be throwing off your mornings, and how Hatch Restore (and our friends, the Hatchstreet Boys) can help you sleigh your wake-ups so every morning feels like a chart-topper.

Table of contents

1. What Is Sleep Inertia?
2. The Science Behind Melodic Alarms
3. Wake Up Merry with the Hatchstreet Boys Holiday EP
4. Key Takeaways
5. FAQs
6. References 

What Is Sleep Inertia?

Sleep inertia, the feeling of grogginess upon waking, can leave you feeling like you’re still half asleep, even though you’re physically getting out of bed. It’s not just annoying: Research shows sleep inertia can negatively impact cognitive performance, especially for the first few hours of the day.

This can happen for a lot of reasons, including waking up suddenly from deep sleep, using harsh or jarring alarm tones, or not getting enough restorative rest the night before. Environmental factors, like darkness in the morning or inconsistent sleep schedules, can also make it harder for your brain to transition smoothly from sleep to wakefulness.

The Science Behind Melodic Alarms 

If you’re waking up foggy, research suggests your alarm may be to blame. In a 2020 online survey study, participants who used alarms they considered “melodic” reported lower levels of sleep inertia, suggesting that melody and rhythm may ease the transition out of sleep more smoothly (and, in turn, boost energy, cognitive function, and morning productivity). 

While the exact mechanisms aren’t fully understood, researchers propose that the rhythmic and melodic qualities of sound may activate attention and sensory pathways more gracefully than abrupt beeps, offering a gentler wake-up experience. In other words, that jarring alarm sound wakes you up a bit too suddenly from a deep sleep, which can leave you feeling foggy. Gentle cues, including melodies, mimic the body’s natural rise cycle, helping you ease into the morning. In other words: The gentler the wake up, the more energized your mornings will be.

Wake Up Merry with the Hatchstreet Boys Holiday EP

No more Scrooge alarms stealing your morning cheer! Hatch Restore audio, including a full library of melodic sounds, can help you wake up feeling actually rested and optimize your whole day — and now, you can infuse the experience with holiday cheer. Available now, the new Hatchstreet Boys Holiday EP comes with three brand-new alarm sounds that’ll make you feel Larger Than Life:

• Auld Lang Shine: Bid farewell to 2025 (and all the memes that came with it) with the Hatchstreet Boys' re-imagining of this classic New Year's tune.
• Jingle Bellz: The holiday classic “Jingle Bells” reimagined by your favorite parody boy band who definitely rehearsed their harmonies more than their gift shopping.
• Winter Fantasy: Your boyband crush just dropped an original holiday bop to melt the frost off your window. Wake up with cozy nostalgia and a melody that feels like a snow globe come to life. 
  

Paired with a Hatch Restore Sunrise Alarm that mimics natural sunlight — our brand new green-and-red Mistletoe Morning light — the Hatchstreet Boys Holiday EP alarm sounds can make dark winter mornings both gentler and more joyful, one melodic pop bop at a time. 

So go ahead and swap your bah-humbug buzzers for nostalgic holiday harmonies. With the Hatchstreet Boys, every morning can hit just the right note.

Key Takeaways

• Sleep inertia can leave you feeling groggy instead of energized first thing in the morning, even if you got enough sleep — and your jarring alarm tone could be to blame. 
• Research has found melodic alarms can improve morning alertness and cognitive function by reducing sleep inertia. 
• The new Hatchstreet Boys Holiday EP, available now on Hatch Restore, can make mornings merrier this holiday season with festive, melodic alarm sounds. 

You deserve to wake up feeling your very best in every season. Learn how Hatch Restore can help you get deeper sleep and energized mornings. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes an alarm “melodic”?

A melodic alarm includes a simple tune or rhythmic pattern rather than a single repeating beep. The variation in pitch and rhythm engages your brain’s attention centers, helping you transition out of deep sleep more smoothly. It’s why melodies feel gentler and more effective than harsh tones.

How is sleep inertia different from just feeling tired?

Sleep inertia is short-term grogginess caused by waking from deep sleep, while tiredness builds up from poor rest or inconsistent sleep over time. You can’t avoid sleep inertia completely, but gentle wake-up cues, like gradual light and melodic alarms, can make it pass faster and feel less intense.

How can I tell if my alarm is contributing to sleep inertia?

If you regularly wake up groggy or disoriented, your alarm may be too abrupt. Harsh or high-pitched sounds can trigger a stress response, making mornings feel stressful and groggy rather than rested. Try switching to a melodic tone, or a device like Hatch Restore, which combines gradual light and gentle sound, to see if your wake-ups feel calmer and more natural.

References

1. Hilditch, C. J., & McHill, A. W. (2019). Sleep inertia: current insights. Nature and science of sleep, 11, 155–165. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S188911
2. McFarlane, S. J., Garcia, J. E., Verhagen, D. S., & Dyer, A. G. (2020). Alarm tones, music and their elements: Analysis of reported waking sounds to counteract sleep inertia. PloS one, 15(1), e0215788. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0215788