The experts I’ve spoken to and the research I’ve done don’t give me a definitive sense for whether an alarm is ideal or not. Some advise it, others not so much. However, waking up around the same time every day, combined with going to bed around the same time every night, is definitely helpful in supporting a solid sleep routine that fosters good, restorative sleep. If setting an alarm offers a useful assist and/or reduces worry over missing something, then by all means. If you’re hitting the snooze button or throwing the alarm clock across the room, then either a) it’s set too early or b) alarms might not be for you. I always come back to this simple gauge: How do you feel during the day? That can help answer the broader question of whether your sleep strategy and tactics are working, or not.