How people woke up before alarm clocks

Before alarm clocks, people used many ways to wake up on time. In old Britain, factories needed workers to start at exact times. Workers who were late caused big problems. But alarm clocks were too expensive for most people.

So a special job was created: knocker uppers. These people walked through streets early in the morning. They knocked on windows or shot peas at them. They waited until people woke up and answered. This job helped workers get to factories on time.

People also used roosters and church bells to wake up. Some people made special candles with metal pins. When the candle burned down, the pins fell and made noise. These clever ideas helped people wake up before modern alarm clocks existed.