Sounds such as the Beach Boys' 'Good Vibrations' or The Cure's 'Close To Me' work better than the beeping of an alarm clock.

The finding could lead to personalised apps that Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, say scientists.

Catchy tunes help people rise and shine with a spring in their step instead of 'singing the blues' on their way to their office, factory or college, a team from RMIT University, Melbourne found after analysing the waking habits of 50 people in the delightfully named study, ''Alarm tones, music and their elements: Analysis of reported waking sounds to counteract sleep inertia". Those who used the sound of music to open their eyes were mentally sharper for the next few hours. Harsh alarm tones were linked to daytime drowsiness. A specially-designed online survey enabled volunteers to remotely take part in the study from the comfort of their own home. Each individual logged what type of sound stirred them out of bed. They then rated levels of grogginess and alertness against standardised sleep inertia criteria. Morning grogginess - or sleep inertia - is a serious problem in our 24-hour world, warned the researchers. The surprising discovery may have important implications for those who need to quickly be at their best, such as shift workers or emergency first responders.

So if you want to wake up to catchy tunes and start your day off with a spring in your step join John Entwistle for Breakfast every weekday between 7am and 9am and Andy Haslman for Weekend Breakfast every Saturday and Sunday between 7am and 10am.