Living in an area with a really unstable power grid means having a really unreliable alarm clock. So I don't own one. I only ever use my cell phone, because I know that it will always work. Even if the battery is mostly dead, it saves enough power to wake me in the morning.

My only issue? The snooze feature! I'm actually thinking of moving the phone from arm's reach, and into the washroom so that I'm forced to get out of bed. And while I"m in the washroom turning off the alarm....may as well jump in the shower and fully wake up! =)

I've been using my cell as an alarm clock since I went to college. I do agree with with moving it out of arms reach though. I find if I have to get out of bed to hit the snooze button then I'm much more likely to stay up.

Also, I use my phone to read books with before bed (I love the Kindle app), listen to music, and occassional as relaxation/sleep aid.

I'm not a millennial (b. 1968) but I've been using my iPhone as my sole alarm clock for over 2 years. I wonder what my generation's % is...

Yes, my iPhone is my only phone, and I use it as an alarm clock and sometimes as a white noise machine.

Speakaboo, I'm thinking of moving my phone away from my bed, too. It's amazing how I'm able to hit that tiny onscreen button even when I'm sleeping.

"I'm not a millennial (b. 1968) but I've been using my iPhone as my sole alarm clock for over 2 years. I wonder what my generation's % is..."

Ditto this. (Same birth year even!) I also don't have a land line, so keeping my phone on the bedside table means that if I need to call the police or fire department or receive an emergency call, I can. It's no different from my parents who had a regular phone in their bedroom. No one said *they* were "too connected" when the powder blue princess phone was on the bedside table.

I'm also not a millennial (one year older than the other commenters) and I use my phone at night for all of the reasons in the article, plus I often read in bed at night. Reading on my phone means I don't have to worry about waking my partner, leaving a light on all night, or losing my place because I fell asleep with the book in my hands.

I guess I'm part of the 17%, I even often forget to charge my cellphone for several days in a row. I use an actual alarm clock and there is no phone in my bedroom.

B. 1973 here, and I've been using my cell phone as an alarm for a few years now.

I don't think it's a case of the "younger generation" not being able to be out of touch. I know plenty of people older than me who have phones all over the house, including the bathroom. To my mind, *that* is going too far.

I only have my phone beside my bad sometimes when I sleep. Most of the time it's because my boyfriend puts it there for me. The only reason I would keep it beside my bad is the emergency calls.

Count me too. Born in '71, and always have a cellphone by my bed. It's my alarm clock.

I am 46 years old and I sleep with my cellphone next to my pillow. While I work, I have it hanging, on his case, on my belt. And when I am watching tv or reading, it is next to me on the couch. I can't be or exist without my Iphone!

Not only the people from the years you mentioned live with their mobile phones next to them but also some generation X ones! The cellphone is part of me; wherever I am, it is, always, next to me; even in the toillet, I have it with me checking my e mails o my Twitter account!

Yeah, why would anyone think we sleep with a cell phone close to us because of a need for *communication*?! What are we doing, mumbling in our sleep to update Facebook statuses? Same here as the article suggests - as my alarm clock, my only phone, and night-time flash-light.

I don't understand how this is a new development...the only thing that has changed is we've gone from landlines next to the bed to cell phones.

My grandparents, both 1919 babies, always had a phone in the bedroom...this has been going on for DECADES, we've just switched from landlines to cell lines.

No different from the fairly common switch in the 80s and 90s from corded to cordless phones.

Gen X here and still using a regular alarm clock. It was given to me when I was 7 and is probably older than a lot of the millennials using their cell phones to get up. ;) I prefer to wake up to the radio than to a beeping alarm.

I'm on the GenX/"millennial" cusp (1978) and the only time I sleep with my phone is when I travel, to use it as an alarm. Otherwise, it'd either drive me nuts with late night alerts or I'd have to spend a lot of time fussing with alert settings for day v. night. My phone lives in a cabinet in another room at night, near the TV, computer and other distracting blinkenlights.

I would love to do this with an iPad or something similar but I'd never do it with a cell phone because of the health risks, proven or not, it sounds like a pretty obvious thing that you would want to avoid, especially having it right next to you and your head at night, all night long and every night too. This is why I have always avoided doing this.

Born in '84. Until recently, my only phone was my cell phone, so yes, it was always within reach. Now I've ditched my cell phone (for a much less expensive land line), but I always had an alarm clock.

Like many here I am pre 1980 (1960 to be exact) and I have been using my cell phone as an alarm clock, emergency phone, etc for home and travel ever since they started added an alarm function to phones. It is and was part of my plan to streamline possessions and save valuable space in my home.

I am not a millenial (I think I'm Gen X) I have had my cell beside my bed for the last 4 years as well. it has a very flexible alarm feature which allows me to set one alarm for M-F and another for weekends and it allows me to set more than 1 at a time (I can set for 6am for me to get up and 7:30am as a "better be out of the house" reminder to get the kids to school) and because its not on the grid I don't have to worry about missing an alarm. And being a single mom, I want an emergency phone available to me if something happens... rather than trying to find it in the middle of the night. Of course I dont' get FaceBook or Email updates on my phone after 10pm either :)

There's no phone in the first picture above! The phone-like device on the nightstand is actually a remote control for the Sonos digital music system — you can see one of the Sonos players directly behind the remote.

I'm 35, mother of 2, and I'm glad I had my cell phone (my only phone) within reach at 2AM a few weeks ago when someone threw a rock through my window

If that cohort's beginning to become a "sandwich generation," one caring both for its aging parents and for its own offspring, then that may be a factor. People pressed from both directions by responsibility to loved ones may try to be constantly accessible.

my bed doesn't have a plug next to it! so my iPhone (and alarm) lives across the room on my desk. i get up, snooze it, and return to bed for some half-awake snuggle. then get up when the snooze alarm goes off.

I sleep with my iPhone on my nightstand as an alarm clock. Not so much to stay in communication, although that's handy.

seriously, who buys alarm clocks these days? Unless you find an amazingly cute one somewhere...

I have a number of friends who have no concept of socially appropriate times to call/text. My phone lives in the other room at night. I have an alarm clock. An analog one complete with a bell-hammer alarm.

Ditto EddFear -

And I'm even older than s/he.
(Circa 1965)

Pre millennial joining the choir,

My smartphone is they alarm clock, time piece, bedtime reader, nightlight, sleep aid, emergency contact, ipod, music/dvr remote, etc.

Part of simplifying life is getting rid (or never having bought) multiple items to do what one single item can do, and do it better.

Yup: alarm clock and only phone for me. Actually I put it right out of reach so I can't hit snooze from under the covers!

I am a millennial (1984) and I am also a part of the small percentage of us who do not sleep with their phones within reach. Just like Catherine_g above, I also forget to charge my phone, sometimes for days. I don't rely on it for much and I have an alarm clock with battery backup. My fiance on the other hand, it's like his skin has fused with his iphone. They've seriously become a single entity.

I used to double-check that a cellphone had an alarm clock AND snooze before getting it (before "there's an app for that"). I actually bought a stand-alone alarm clock for the bedroom, but it's there at the foot of the bed so that I can see the time by just lifting my head, no button presses.

However, one friend had her smartphone alarm disengaged when her WebOS automatically updated in the middle of the night (over the air, I guess), so keep that in mind, folks!

I was born in '84, just moved in with a sig other... and decided on a no cell phones in the bedroom rule. So I have an alarm clock. SO much better.

I'm just barely a millennial (born in 1980-and today is my 30th birthday!) and I keep my phone nearby for all the reasons mentioned...for the same reason my parents keep a phone by their bed.

As someone who lived with roommates all through college, my cell phone on vibrate underneath my pillow was the only way to wake up early and avoid disturbing everyone. Too bad the jerk nursing student I lived with used her loud-as-all-get-out alarm clock at 5 am for clinicals...

I also use a light alarm clock to help my body stay on track during the winter. It's lovely.

Don't know if I'm millennial enough at 31, but I'm one of the 83%. It's the alarm clock now. It's also the white noise machine to go to bed with. It's the only phone I use. We used to not have a phone in the bedroom at all - but the cell just became so useful that we haven't even plugged in the clock radio in the 2 months we've lived in our new space.

born in '82 ~ how else are we supposed to stay on top of anything that's changed on AT in the last 15 mins? Duh... I'm obsessed with this site. My cell lives connected to AT. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Sounds great, but like T.V.s and computers in the bedroom, all that tech and radio waves, etc, might not be the best thing for our health. The latest on CFL's also brings up these issues. I'm not a millennial, but I like my bedroom quiet and emission free.

I am 27, my s.o. 26 and we have 1 alarm clock... it's purposefulness, we set it when we have be up at an unusual time than our normal schedule. Our cell phone alarm is set to our normal schedule. We know when we hear that alarm clock go off that we can't hit snooze.

didn't realize i was the only commenting on how I use both an alarm clock and cell phone alarm on a weekly basis... what % of people are like me?

My cell phone is my alarm clock (though I own an alarm clock - not sure why) and in this household cell phones are our only phones. When I had a landline, there was a phone in the bedroom also.

verily - You don't have to get up with a beep with a cell phone - download a song as a ringtone and use it.

I'm way older than most of you (3 months shy of 50) and both hubby and I sleep with cell phones next to the bed. We gave up land lines years ago for cost savings (and to get rid of telemarketer/political calls).

I've used my cell as my alarm clock for at least 5 years and like many other people who have commented I am not a millenial.

The main reasons I sleep with my cell phone is reasons 1 & 2. I tried to find an alarm clock I liked but never found one with a serene wake up noise (no radio in the morning please). I've also use my ipod when my cell phone has been misplaced or has no coverage.

Yes I am a millenial and I sleep with my phone in my bed with me.
This is my ONLY phone and I live on my own, far away from my family and a lot of my friends.

However, I also have a long distance boyfriend and I go to sleep a lot earlier than he does. So I usually keep my phone with me so I can hear if he texts me and don't wake up to obnoxious beeping.

I do however use my 1980s clock radio as my alarm. I hate those beeps cell phone alarms make.

I kept my phone in my purse until my husband deployed. When he went to Iraq I never knew when he would call so I kept it on me at all times including, work, sleep, bathroom, etc.

1978 here. For almost a decade now I've used my mobile as an alarm. Once in a while I get so used to the sound of the current alarm that I have to change it to another one; the mobile comes very handy here. Also, it's one less thing to have floating around; very green behaviour as the mobile is constantly on anyway (don't have a land line, another green as well as economic act imo). Finally, I use glasses and can't see a thing unless the clock is right underneath my nose, so it's more convenient to hoist the mobile instead of a real clock.

My husband and I are Gen Xers (he at the lower end, me at the top end) and we both use our cell phones as alarm clocks, our only phones, and
mine plays music for 1/2 an hour while I drift off. Most of our friends do as well.

Mine is my alarm clock (and way more reliable than any other alarm). Not to mention when my husband was in Afghanistan it was my lifeline to him. Those once monthly 5 minute calls were the most important thing in the world to me. My phone NEVER left my side.

I don't have a cell phone. If I did, I'd never be able to figure out how to set the alarm.

I'm a baby boomer (yes, some of us are still alive) and not only do I sleep with my cell phone/alarm clock on my bedside table, I also keep up with my friends on facebook. Some of these friends are also boomers who can't stay away from the internet, and other friends were born in the next 2-4 generations.

it's my Dad's generation who still relies on the land lines

b. 1969 here - and I sleep w/ my phone because 1. It is my alarm clock
2. I read in bed (on my Kindle app)

Born in 1975, I sleep with my Blackberry next to my bed. I don't have a land line & am convinced the ONE night I leave it in my purse or go to bed with it wedged in the sofa curtains will end up being the ONE night some ax-murderer/rapist/escaped lunatic/bogeyman decides to break into my house. You can't exactly say, "WAIT! Let me find my phone so I can dial 911. It's gotta be around here *somewhere*..."

I also use it as an alarm clock, in conjunction with a BioBrite alarm clock that gradually illuminates the room, mimicking the sun rise. My Blackberry turned into "the most expensive alarm clock in the world", though, the morning I knocked over a full glass of water on it while hitting "snooze", though. D'oh! Thank God for insurance...

i'm a baby boomer. since living on my own, 40yrs, i've always had a phone next to my bed: for safety reasons, so i don't stumble if someone calls while i'm asleep, if i am expecting an urgent call,... lots of reasons. at least i don't need a separate alarm clock now. and it's nice to be able to take the phone with me if i have to go to another room while talking. not a new phenomena.

We got a 3 a.m. call after our daughter was in a serious accident. The hospital used her cellphone and found her ICE (In Case of Emergency) button which calls my husband's cell.

People have had phones next to their beds for ages.

I used to have an alarm clock but when I moved a few months ago I didn't unpack my clock right away and used my cell. Now my cell is my only alarm clock and my old one went in my sons room. I also have yet to get a landline here...not sure if we will.

I use both.
I'm nocturnal, but hey, I have a day job, and I have trouble getting up in the morning. I've tried the "sleep cycle" apps, and I just can't find a good spot to put the phone on my bed for it (under the pillow gets too hot, next to me and it gets pushed off the bed). I keep my phone charging on my bedside table, with 2 alarms on vibe/sound, and my alarm clock on my mid-century bookshelf headboard set to MPR.

Having a couple different sources of sound seems to work. That, and having an insistent cat.

I sleep with it next to my head and when my alarms go off for text messages or emails I wake up and respond, so yeah... always in touch with everyone about everything.

I use an alarm clock simply because snooze on my phone is a hassle and the ring tones/alarm tones are soul crushing.

I am a doula, so I HAVE to sleep next to my cel phone :)

Gen X here (born in 1979). For the last 12 years i use my cell phone as an alarm clock, but after my first iPhone in 2008, i also read before i fall asleep and after the alarm sounds, music brings the smile in my face.

Cool iPhone alarm app: iLuvAppClock

I keep my phone within reach, but not right next to my brain. I can't believe some people here keep their phone on their pillow! Talk about insane radiation exposure!

wingfeathers - You do realize that has not been proven to be harmful and it is a very very low level. And unless you actually sleep with the phone on (as in mid call), there is no problem unless of course you are sleeping with the cell phone taped to your head and if that's the case you have bigger problems.

I never knew I was part of the "millennial" generation - go figure! I would never use the phone as a sleep aid for many reasons, much of which involves the screen light's effect on my circadian rhythm. I really don't know anyone that uses it for that.

I do however use it for the two other reasons. My fiance works second shift - I can't imagine not having a phone right within reach for security of mind. The plus side over a land-line that I don't think anyone mentioned? No 8 am sales calls!

It is my primary alarm clock because I can have as many alarms as I want on organize them more easily. Changing the tone I wake up to also makes waking up easier. I do have an old-school alarm clock as my "emergency" oversleep alarm for snooze and cell button mess-ups. I have found lately that checking my e-mail in bed gives me something interesting to keep my attention and wake up a little. I don't really consider this any different that turning on a radio, and is definitely much nicer to my second shift bed-mate!