An alarm clock is a clock that is esigned to make an alert sound at a specific date and/or time. The primary use of these clocks is to awaken people from their sleep in order to start their days in the mornings, but they are sometimes used for other reminders as well. To stop the sound, a button or handle on the clock needs to be pressed, and some stop automatically after a few minutes if left unattended. A classical analog alarm clock has an extra "hand" that is used to specify the time at which to activate the alarm.