Ditch the loud alarm—wake-up light alarm clocks help you start your day a more peaceful way.
Hate being jolted awake by your alarm clock every morning? There’s a way to bypass that awful adrenaline rush: a wake-up light alarm clock, also known as a sunrise alarm clock. These devices sit on your bedside table like an alarm clock, but instead of rousing you with sound, they rely on light to ease you awake gradually over about 30 minutes.
“It’s a natural, positive thing to wake up with light in the morning and then have it disappear in the evening,” says Chris Winter, MD, a Virginia-based neurologist and sleep expert. “Especially for younger people, a lot of bright light in the morning can help wake you up.”
When shopping for a wake-up light, choose one with a back-up alarm. If you’re a heavy sleeper, this feature will ensure you wake up even if the light doesn’t rouse you. The majority of wake-up lights feature digital clocks and a variety of soothing sounds and lights in a range of styles and price points. Here, we share a few lights that will make your morning wake up a little smoother.
1
Philips Wake-Up Light
This alarm clock light slowly increases in intensity, shifting from soft dawn red to warm orange to bright yellow over a period of 30 minutes. If you’re somehow still sleeping when the room is fully lit, it uses sound as a last resort.
2
Philips Somneo Sleep and Wake-up Light Therapy Lamp
This alarm clock includes a gradually glowing light plus nature sounds so you can start your morning to the tune of crashing ocean waves or chirping birds rather than a blaring alarm.
3
Electrohome Retro Alarm Clock Radio with Motion Activated Night Light
This alarm-clock-meets-wake-up-light has every feature you could possibly want, all tied into one retro design. This model features a wake-up light, a backup alarm, an LED display, and even a motion-sensing night light for the occasional mid-sleep bathroom break. At only $20, this little guy is worth a try, even if you’re a wake-up light skeptic.
4
Lumie Bodyclock Active 250 Wake-Up Light
If you love sleeping in a pitch-black room, this device is the perfect fit. It allows you to turn off the digital clock’s analog light, so you’re consumed in nothing but darkness until the morning when the wake-up light starts to glow.
5
AMIR Wake-Up Light Beside Lamp Alarm Clock
Because this clock stimulates the sunrise with an adjustable wake-up light 30 minutes before your alarm is meant to go off, you’ll feel relaxed and rested rather than agitated and looking to hit the snooze button. Bonus: it has three brightness modes, which makes it a nifty bedside lamp for reading, too.
6
MOSCHE Sunrise Alarm Clock
Far from an eyesore, this brown wood grain clock (or white wood) looks chic beside any bed. Not only does it have a wake-up light (choose from seven colors) to gently wake you, but it also has a “sunset” function that will guide you peacefully to sleep. Also good: Choose an alarm from an array of nature sounds or tunes from your favorite FM radio station.
7
iHome Zenergy Aroma Bluetooth Therapy Speaker with Lighting
A bluetooth speaker with all the bells and whistles, literally. The iHome Zenergy combines aromatherapy (just insert one of the included essential oils), sound therapy, and light therapy to create the ideal soothing environment so that you can fall asleep or wake up stress-free. Perfect for naps, it has a sleep timer you can set for 30-90 minutes to get in the perfect snooze.
8
Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock
Another amazing find, this Philips option is an affordable alarm clock that will get the job done. It’s clinically proven to improve your sleep, energy, and ability to function in the mornings, so you’ll be less likely to hit the snooze button.