The iPhone alarm app is an oddly circuitous process as well. I just don’t ever trust that I’ve set it correctly. Just let me type the time and move on. It’s also unclear if silent mode will override the alarm having sound.
(Not saying that makes your comment wrong, just pointing out the precise way you need to "Think Different" to make your iPhone work for you.)
If I used timers I would have to carefully subtract the desired wake up time from the current time. It's not the same at all.