Honestly, I don't really know why this article is focused on the alarm clock instead of in getting the necessary sleep. I need an alarm clock because if I don't have it, I enter a loop of "sleep until late - go to sleep late because I'm not tired - sleep until later", all without sleeping less than eight hours. In extended holidays without alarm clocks my waking hour would shift to three hours gradually, but consistently. (and before anyone says it, exercise just makes me sleep more so it doesn't solve the issue). So yeah, I need an alarm clock or something that wakes me up.
I'd focus more on actually getting the necessary sleep, and also in not using caffeine regularly. In a new job where coffee was free, I started noticing that I was very drowsy on the evenings after lunch, and also happened in the weekend mornings. Turns out I was drinking a minimum of two coffees in the morning and my body had become used to having that caffeine, and without it I didn't work properly. I fully removed coffee from my diet and after a few weeks I returned to normal. If you are one of those people that "can't function without coffee", try removing it completely and see what happens.
I'd focus more on actually getting the necessary sleep, and also in not using caffeine regularly. In a new job where coffee was free, I started noticing that I was very drowsy on the evenings after lunch, and also happened in the weekend mornings. Turns out I was drinking a minimum of two coffees in the morning and my body had become used to having that caffeine, and without it I didn't work properly. I fully removed coffee from my diet and after a few weeks I returned to normal. If you are one of those people that "can't function without coffee", try removing it completely and see what happens.