There are several Apple Watch apps and such that rather than use a timer, use various biometrics and movement sensing to try and identify when you’re out of REM and start a vibration alarm that increases over time across a 30-minute window. Depending on what smartwatch you use, there might be something.

Edit: on Apple Watch I have an app that does this called AutoWake (it has a companion sleep tracking app called AutoSleep) but I don’t wear the watch to bed anymore.

The option to sleep an extra half hour when you don’t want to get up is key. I recommend it for anyone. It’s so worth it.

I vote this. The 90 minute REM cycle is no joke.

My personal sleep therapy approach:

1. Deduct 30 minutes from when you need to wake up. Set one alarm for this time, one alarm for your normal time. If you do nothing else, do this. It’s awesome, trust me.
2. Deduct another 30 minutes then figure out how many 90-minute periods fit between now and that time. Go to bed at the beginning of one of those periods.
3. If you need to go to sleep 30 or 60 minutes earlier for some reason, add another “snooze” or two at the end.

What this does:

• Prevents getting up in the middle of REM, which is what causes you to feel like death even though you got enough sleep
• Gives you a 30-minute window to fall asleep first
• Wakes you up 30 minutes early in case something messed with your cycle and you feel like crap. Hitting snooze on your alarm clock gives you a bewildering 9-minute, 11-minute, or other arbitrary bit of extra sleep, but giving you a consistent 30-minute snooze period starts your morning with a reliable power nap instead of just gambling on your timing. You always wake up feeling good from a power nap.

Example: it’s 9 pm, I have to be up at 6. I set alarms for 5:30 and 6:00, then go to bed at 9:30 so I have 30 minutes to fall asleep, followed by 7.5 hours of sleep, which is 5 cycles. I wake up at 5:30, immediately kill the alarm, then wake up again at 6 and start my day.

Note: In general, I wouldn’t have three 30-minute snoozes. I’d just go to bed later. I try to avoid stacking two or more power naps at the end, but sometimes I will if I’m not going to be getting much sleep otherwise, like if I go to sleep NOW, I might get 3 hours.

I’m basically Pavlov-conditioned to upvote the word “Miez” now. They could just post a text post with only the words “Miez cat good” and I’d upvote it instantly.

He just needs to stick to Knives Out and stay away from other franchises.

Be that guy! Part of being part of a storied franchise is staying in your lane. TLJ deliberately went out of its way to set itself apart, which is NOT how you’re supposed to do it.

Agreed on both points. Poe was done dirty, the Holdo Maneuver is OP af, and the entire movie was designed to show off and put the director’s personal stamp on the franchise more than it was attempting to respect the lore and its audience.

I have so many complaints about that movie but THIS is number one. The entire thing is a complete waste of time, all set about because Poe got turned into an insubordinate, hotheaded moron. Doesn’t help that Holdo has a perfectly functional plan she won’t share with anyone instead preferring to let them believe they’re all going to die, but frankly the movie is just a series of stupid, terrible decisions in a row from every character and above all, the director.

Can you tell I hate this movie?

The only reason I never bought into Boox is their flagrant violation of GPL.

As another owner of the Kobo Libra Colour, I can recommend it for its excellent ergonomics and UI. Plus as a bonus, it has pen support!

Ugh. This is why we can’t have nice things.

Alternative perspective: Buy the most intrusive, ad-subsidized set you can find and disconnect/block it so you get all of the benefit and none of the privacy invasion?

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. If you could distill pure insufferable smugness into a liquid, this was him squirting it into your mouth while you’re not paying attention and laughing at you while you sputter and gag.

This is an interesting suggestion. I LOVE this movie (even the 3-hour Director’s Cut, which I highly recommend if you haven’t seen it), but it does kinda require having seen The Shining (quite scary and moderately graphic but might be passable since it’s 70’s-scale scary) and it’s pretty dark at times. But it’s a fantastic creepy journey that isn’t actually all that terrifying in itself. It feels more like a novel than most adaptations, and I love that about it.

As long as you don’t mind blood and guts in a lighter context, Cabin in the Woods and Tucker and Dale vs Evil are both incredibly fun comedy horror. Neither is really scary (though CitW has a stretch where it emulates classic slasher tropes), but both are quotably hilarious. Considering Shaun of the Dead is on your list and it includes a full evisceration, you’re probably fine.

If you’ve seen Bubba Ho-Tep but not at least Evil Dead 2 if not also Army of Darkness, then you’re woefully deprived.

Zombieland and its sequel are both delightful popcorn fun and very funny.

Happy Death Day is a slasher, but it’s also Groundhog Day and a likable, fun, PG-13 romp without too much meanness or darkness. The sequel is… fine.

Slither is a brilliant horror comedy but it’s a bit of a gross-out type, so it’s iffy if you don’t like seeing people swell to bursting with alien slugs and stuff like that. But the tone is always light and it’s just so much fun. Nathan Fillion in his peak Firefly days is the immensely likable hero.

There’s also a movie from the 80’s called Night of the Creeps that’s a cheesy, schlocky, gooey slugfest that is the spiritual predecessor to Slither.

Speaking of the 80’s, Return of the Living Dead is a super fun and funny 80’s zombie movie that actually has the honor of originating the “zombies eat brains” trope as far as I know.

If the 90’s are in play, Idle Hands is a fun, slightly gross, thoroughly silly stoner horror comedy that’s especially fun if you’re a fan of The Offspring (IYKYK).

I would also add Coraline and Nightmare Before Christmas as spooky atmospheric fun that aren’t obnoxiously kid-focused.

And segueing into Christmas horror, Krampus is a really fun movie that is both very funny and, but also works as a solid proper horror movie AND a family Christmas movie (for freaks like me).

Haunting of Hill House. I may watch this every year in October until I die.

It’s a great horror show that can be rewatched multiple times, but it also has some amazingly written and performed drama and characterization. There’s literally a scene later in the show that portrays an outsider’s emotional breakdown better than I’ve ever seen in any medium.

I prefer my space vampires Mathilda May-shaped.

You found Pete Best?

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. Only book I’ve ever thrown across the room and used as a craft cutting board.

Sorry for sucking!