That thing about waking before the alarm

According to the latest research being shocked awake by an alarm raises your blood pressure, so waking a few minutes before is probably a good thing!

I always used to wake a couple of minutes before my babies cried for their night feeds. It was a blessing as I was able to "come round" before they did. The same thing happened with grandchildren when they lived with us for a while.

If you need to wake at a certain time you bang your head on the pillow that many times before going to sleep. Actually, if I had a plane to catch I'd set an alarm because this method is not guaranteed.
I'm a lark too and never use an alarm because I'm always awake hours before I need to be.

When I worked I also woke a couple of minutes before the alarm rang and came to believe that something about the sound from the clock changed at this time.

I used to wonder that too janer, but I now always use the alarm feature on my iPhone and it still happens.

I've always done it too - no idea why, but I am a light sleeper. I wondered if the clocks make a different sound when they are coming up to near the time.

Wish that worked for me. Sadly not so I set two alarms for anything important.

I never need the alarm- I just set it as a safeguard if there is something important. I always wake early.

I never set the alarm and can always waken at the time we need if going somwhere, however early. Normally I waken up about 6am anyway, being a lark. My Dad was the same - he never used an alarm clock and could waken at a time of his choosing. Must have inherited the knack from him!

It always annoys me because before I look at the clock I'm hoping I've got time to snuggle down and go to sleep again. Then I see it's only a few minutes so i can't

I think we have an internal body clock?

No, no idea how that works either.

We do have some sort of internal system going on.
Think of monthly cycles. 9 months and maybe a baby. That sort of thing.