Morning awakenings can be, well, alarming. If you’re tired of being woken up by obnoxious alarms on your phone or smart speaker, then switching to another option may help. A sunrise alarm clock is designed specifically to give people more peaceful mornings and waking routines. my mornings have never tasted so good since I got rid of my usual alarm clock and started using a sunrise. They work by emitting light rather than anxiety-inducing sound, creating the illusion that you wake up to the sun peeking through your window. They can also help your mental health in the winter, when sun exposure is limited and seasonal affective disorder seizes.
Jamie Goldwellness design consultant and authortold CNET that she came across these types of noise-optional alarm clocks while researching noise pollution.
“Our lives and homes are filled with noise, which creates the potential for insomnia, anxiety, and stress,” Gold says. “I love the idea of these silent alarm clocks to tune into our natural circadian rhythms and help start our days on a calmer note. Some heavy sleepers may need a more powerful alarm clock, but if you you’re not one of them, it’s definitely something to consider.”
Creating or redoing bedrooms in a way that reduces noise pollution and improves sleep is a crucial part of wellness design, the practice of designing a space to promote physical and emotional health, she added. .
Personally, I feel like I’ve had a better night’s sleep since using an alarm clock. I’m also happier when I wake up and feel like my days have been more productive. Exposure to artificial light in the morning can improve cognitive performance throughout the day, according to a small study published in the journal Behavioral brain researchso my reaction may not just be a placebo effect.
These few picks are our favorites and would make a great gift for anyone who needs less noise and more light in their life. Take a close look at the features offered by each of these clocks – a sleep timer, snooze function; some can even be used as a reading lamp. Once you beat your perfect sunrise simulator clock, you’ll enjoy deep sleep and better mornings. This list is updated periodically.
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Phillips
Phillips offers a range of helpful sleep products, anti snoring aids complete Sleep Apnea treatment to sunrise simulation alarm clocks. Not one, but two experts recommended the Philips SmartSleep Wake Up Light to me: Maggie BerghofFunctional Nurse Practitioner, recommends this product to her patients who need help waking up before sunrise each day.
“It will artificially stimulate the sunrise in your bedroom, to help properly regulate your circadian rhythm, your body’s biological clock, despite needing to wake you up when it’s still dark outside,” says Berghoff. “It’s very important for maintaining morning and daytime energy, nighttime sleep quality, and metabolic health.”
It’s also useful if you don’t want to rely on loud alarm sounds to wake you up, says Berghoff, and want a very gentle, natural wake-up call in the morning.
Dr. Erica Matlucka naturopathic doctor, tells CNET that she likes the SmartSleep Wake Up Light because it offers multiple settings, including sunrise and sunset brightness settings, a light therapy lamp, and natural sounds for sleeping and waking up. “In my practice, I recommend these types of alarm clocks for a variety of reasons, and often people’s needs and preferences change over time,” she says. “Having a variety of parameters allows the product to remain relevant to the patient even as their needs change.”
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Light
It’s the sunrise simulation alarm clock that changed my mornings for the better (much, much better). It’s a relatively high-end choice, but worth it. With the Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300, I can adjust the colorful sunrise simulation setting from 15 to 90 minutes and choose from 15 high-quality wake-up sounds at the designated alarm time – I’m a fan of the wave sounds and blackbirds.
You can adjust the brightness settings on the sunrise simulator so that the final intensity is perfect for you: not so dim that you won’t wake up, but not so bright that you squint. You can also set daily or weekly recurring alarms, and it has a tap control snooze button (although I haven’t had to use it yet, although I used to tap on my phone’s snooze every morning).
Along with all these sunrise features, you can also use the Lumie to fall asleep. It doubles as a white noise machine, and the clock also lets you set a sunset simulation – first set the light to the intensity you want, then hit the sunset button and relax – you as the light slowly fades. I use the sunset simulation whenever I feel like I’m going to have trouble falling asleep. So far it seems to have helped every time.
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Jack
If you’re not quite ready to shell out $100 or more for a sunrise alarm clock, this budget-friendly sunrise simulation clock from Jall should do the trick. It has all the basics and allows for a rather customizable sunrise: Choose from seven colors and 20 brightness levels to complete your sunrise, plus seven natural sounds to accompany the light. You can also choose to wake up to FM radio.
The Jall Wake Up Light Sunrise Alarm Clock also functions as a night light and a bedside lamp, and you can adjust the brightness level for both. It doesn’t have a sunset feature like some others on this list, nor does it double as a white noise machine – but if you only want the sunrise feature, this doesn’t have of importance.
The majority of reviews on Amazon I love this clock: it has 4.8 stars and almost 100% of the reviews are favorable. It seems most people who bought this clock were looking for a less abrupt way to wake up, and the Jall Wake Up Light did the trick for them. Buyers also like that it’s easy to set up and simple enough for kids to operate on their own.
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Light
The Lumie Bodyclock Rise 100 is a simpler version of the Lumie Shine 300. This is a high-quality sunrise simulator alarm clock for people looking for just the basics: the Lumie Rise 100 has a sunrise 30 minutes of sunshine with the option to adjust the final light intensity. You can also schedule a sunset to help you fall asleep.
The Lumie Rise 100 has no natural or ambient sounds to add to your sunrise and sunset, although you can program the optional audible alarm to start when your sunrise reaches maximum light intensity. . Like the Lumie Shine 300, the Lumie Rise 100 has a tap control snooze function and an auto-dimming screen.
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LIFX
If you already have a bedside lamp, you can make a DIY alarm clock by replacing regular light bulbs with Lifx smart bulbs. These Wi-Fi-enabled bulbs connect to Alexa, Google Assistant, Cortana, and Apple HomeKit, and you can schedule them to dim and brighten like a sunrise and sunset when you fall asleep and wake up , respectively.
You won’t get any sound, obviously, but if you’re a relatively light sleeper and wake up to changing light, these programmable bulbs will still wake you up in the morning. You can also combine with Lifx light panels and bands in fun colors for the coolest fake sunrise ever.
And if you want a wider selection (not just sunrise clocks), check out our separate list of best alarm clocks for 2022. And if you need a good night’s sleep, check out the best mattresses you can buy online and the best pillows too.
The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical or health advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have about a medical condition or health goals.