Glad I am not the only one whose alarm clock occasionally doesn't go off, even when set correctly. I am mystified as to why that happens. Needless to say, my bosses weren't too thrilled when that happened, since I'd easily sleep an hour or so after I was supposed to be up.
When it's absolutely vital that I get up right away and I can't risk my alarm clock not going off, I set my cell phone alarm clock as well, for about five minutes after my normal wake-up time. That's saved me a couple times.
I have my alarm clock radio volume really, really loud as well. But I too have been known to hit snooze in my sleep. And sometimes the alarm goes off and I just incorporate whatever's going on on the radio in my dream! (Sometimes what I hear on the radio will be on a TV in my dreams, the other night I dreamed I was listening to the station on a Walkman while in Las Vegas and was amazed I could pick it up so clearly out there, since it is a Chicago station!
)
My dog has figured out how to turn my clock radio on and off. These days of unemployment, I set my alarm to coincide with the start of one of my favorite radio shows and usually lie there and listen til the first commercial break. As soon as the alarm goes off, Barney walks from wherever he is on the bed (or jumps on the bed if he wasn't there already) onto my pillow, crowds my head off and starts licking my face. If he really wants out right away, he'll stand up with his back paws on the bed and front paws on the nightstand, and hit the off button on the radio...then continue licking my face til I get up to let him out. (There is no snooze button on Barney!
) A couple times he's needed out earlier than my alarm's gone off, and when licking my face hasn't worked, he'll do the same thing and hit the ON button. You should see how pleased with himself he is when he does these things.