Chapter 1: The Agony of Noise

In moments when I'm on the verge of a migraine, my sensitivity to sound escalates dramatically. Any noise louder than a whisper can feel overwhelmingly intrusive. For instance, the clattering of dishes from the kitchen, located at the far end of the house, resembles a herd of elephants in the midst of a demolition derby. Yet, even when I'm feeling well, there remains one particular noise that I find intolerable.

The Alarm Clock Dilemma

It's not that my husband's phone alarm is inherently unpleasant; on the contrary, its cheerful “Beep beep beep. Beep beep beep. Beep beep beep” is quite peppy. If the phone were close to him, I might not even register it.

The issue arises from how he utilizes the alarm function. He tends to set reminders for everything from running errands to switching laundry loads. If you’re practical, you can probably see the flaw in using alarms as a to-do list. Most tasks are not time-critical.

Even tasks that seem urgent, like transferring laundry, can typically wait. The actual instruction is more like, “After at least one hour, move the laundry.” Whether I do it in an hour, three hours, or the next day hardly alters the outcome.

However, with an alarm, there's an expectation to jump into action as soon as it sounds. If you’re not prepared, you either need to get up immediately or hit snooze until you are ready.

Inevitably, my husband’s alarms tend to go off when he’s either sleeping, meditating, or otherwise occupied, leaving him with earplugs, headphones, or simply unable to respond.

This situation falls to me. I’m usually engrossed in writing, reading, or playing an intricate strategy game. The relentless beeping disrupts my concentration, leaving me baffled and annoyed until I can pinpoint the source.

After waiting a minute or so to see if he will respond, I often have to leave my workspace and search the house for the offending alarm. Upon finding it, I check the reminder.

If it’s for a conference call or another genuinely time-sensitive task, I need to locate my husband to inform him that he has an event coming up in fifteen or thirty minutes. But if it’s not urgent...

That's when I seek him out, thrust the phone into his hands, and exclaim, “For heaven's sake, can you please TURN THIS OFF?!”

Most times, he responds with a blank stare, asking, “Did the alarm go off?”

Yes, it did. Ten minutes ago. I don’t usually resort to confronting my spouse with his phone unless both the device and my patience have reached their limits.

Chapter 2: Finding Solutions

In this video, learn how to disable Google Assistant on Android devices, which may help reduce unwanted interruptions from alarms and reminders.

This video outlines nine essential Android settings that you should consider turning off now to enhance your overall device experience and minimize distractions.