Many people struggle to wake up early in the morning. You are not alone if you find it difficult to get out of bed or if you have trouble waking up when your loud alarm clock rings.
One solution that many people are turning to is a sunrise alarm clock.
These devices increase light intensity to simulate early light of day and gradually wake you up by triggering melatonin production in your body.
This article will review some of the best sunrise alarm clocks for light therapy and sunset simulation for you.
Want to get right to the reviews? Check these out:
All You Need to Know About Sunrise Alarm Clocks
What is a Sunrise Alarm Clock?
Sunrise alarm clocks work by simulating the natural lighting of daybreak with artificial light. As you sleep, it slowly begins to brighten up your room in line with a schedule programmed by you; this helps ease your body into waking up naturally instead of being abruptly woken up by a regular alarm.
The best sunrise alarm clock for bedrooms will simulate the natural process of waking up during the early hours, which is when your body’s melatonin levels are at their lowest.
This helps to increase alertness and energy without causing you to wake up suddenly, which introduces brain fog and lethargy.
With up to seven natural sounds to choose from, you can wake up with nature sounds such as the ocean or even with birds chirping in your bedroom!
Sunrise alarm clocks are not only alarm clocks; they can also be used as a light therapy lamp or even a night light.
Some sunrise alarm clocks even offer beginner-friendly guided meditations to help you fall asleep if you have difficulty falling asleep.
How does a Sunrise Alarm Clock work?
A sunrise alarm clock simulates a sunrise in your bedroom. With light in the room, our body starts suppressing melatonin production, disrupting our sleep cycle and waking us up.
Compared to usual alarm clocks that jolt you awake through loud sound; these act as a wake-up light alarm that gradually wakes you.
Who benefits from using a Sunrise Alarm Clock?
Anyone can benefit from using a smart sunrise alarm clock. The natural wake-up sounds and natural sunlight simulation change your wake-up experience completely and provide optimal sleep traditional alarm clocks cannot provide.
Young children or college students who sleep at odd hours and wake up early will benefit from the sunrise function and help adopt a better sleep schedule while providing a gentler wake-up experience.
A sunrise alarm clock can be especially useful for people who can’t wake up with a regular alarm clock, no matter how loud the alarm sounds.
If you can’t help but hit snooze when you wake up, the simulated light will help wake your body up before your eyes are open. This allows you to feel more awake when you wake up, and you can easily resist hitting the snooze button.
Waking up gradually and naturally is important to make sure your REM sleep is not interrupted mid-way, leading to grogginess.
People with late night-shift work schedules can benefit from a sunrise alarm clock because it will allow them to wake up naturally when sleeping at odd times.
Shift workers should opt for blackout curtains to block out any light during sleep to make it an effective combo.
Sunrise alarms are also great to use when waking up in the winter because of Daylight Saving Time (DST) and the sun is out for a limited amount of time.
Other uses of Sunrise Alarm Clocks
Aside from being an alarm clock, these sunrise simulation machines are great for all the built-in features.
You can also use them as a reading light to replace your bedside lamp, a standalone sound alarm if you turn off the light settings, and you can even use it as a charger for your phone while sleeping.
They are also used for light therapy for people with insomnia.
With such a big benefit to your sleep quality, we highly recommend trying a sunrise clock to see how you feel waking up as the sun rises in your room!
Let’s explore the best sunrise alarm clocks in the market today.
Important features of good sunrise alarm clocks
Before buying a sunrise alarm clock, these are the features to look out for the best sunrise alarm clock: light colors, adjustable brightness, and the favorite snooze function.
Color of light
Sunrise alarm clocks have different light colors that will best suit your room. The best is to mimic the color of an actual sunrise, which is yellow or orange.
There are also other lights available if you want to use them as a bedlight before you sleep.
Adjustable brightness
The brightness settings should be adjustable and allow you to set the duration from the lowest brightness to the brightest.
Generally, the sunrise mode is set at a gradual increment between 10-30 minutes. Other sunrise alarm clocks can even provide both sunrise and sunset settings.
Snooze function
What is an alarm clock without a snooze button? For people who are having a hard time waking up, having a snooze feature for the alarm clock will make sure you do not oversleep if you decide to snoozes!
Best Sunrise Alarm Clock With Phone App To Track Sleep
1. Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light
You can wake up to the sound of birds chirping and the feeling of the sun rising in your room. With 5 different colors to choose from, this Philips clock will fit into any décor.
Furthermore, the device has 25 brightness settings that allow you to adjust the intensity of the light, so it feels exactly right for you. You can also choose from FM radio or different natural sounds (birdsong, ocean waves, etc.)
Ever wake up and realize your phone is about to die? That would not be a problem anymore as this alarm clock has a USB port that allows you to charge your electronics while you sleep.
With an 8 hours backup battery included in this sleek design, there’s no more worrying about oversleeping due to electricity outages or natural disasters happening overnight.
When put at its lowest setting, the dimmed light is very dim and does not affect light-sensitive people.
The SmartSleep app senses your sleep environment and provides an analysis of what temperature is ideal for you, as well as how many hours of light are needed to wake up feeling energized. You can use this to analyze how long it takes your body to fall asleep and more!
If you want the reliability of Philips products but don’t want to pay for the hefty price tag, you can opt for the same sunrise clock without the phone app feature.
- Wake up to nature sounds and gentle wake up light
- USB port on the back to charge your phone
- SmartApp shows important sleep environment factors
- Lowest brightness settings are very dim for the light-sensitive
- Phone app is not the best designed
2. Hatch Restore Sunrise Alarm Clock
Although this sunrise clock can be controlled through the phone app, it also comes with touch control that allows you to control most of your alarm clock’s functions.
The LED display touch controls are easy to use but might be difficult for older people who are not used to touch gesture devices.
Meditation can be a useful tool to help you relax before going to bed; that’s why the app can be downloaded and used to provide you with a premium guided meditation session that is easy for beginners to follow.
The Hatch Restore comes with a very sleek design that is perfect for any decor, as it does not look like an alarm clock at all. It also has a great set of built-in Bluetooth speakers so you can play your favorite tune while you drift to slumber.
- Guided meditation feature to relax before sleep
- Natural sounds while you wake
- Touch controls to easily snooze sunrise clock
- Phone app to control your light remotely
- Great speaker quality
- Dimmest setting may be too bright for people
Best Sunrise Alarm Clock – Budget Pick
Investing in a quality sunrise alarm clock should not break the bank. Many alternatives in the market can provide you the basic functionality without all the fluff. Have a look at our budget picks that comes with an affordable price tag and great value-for-money!
3. Jall Wake Up Light Sunrise Alarm Clock
It comes with an FM radio, and you can choose the color of the light (7 colors), and if you can’t decide, you can cycle through all 7 of them!
The sunrise effect makes waking up easier on your body because it mimics the sun’s natural rays, which help regulate our internal body clocks. It also doubles as a bedside lamp or a mood light.
This alarm clock also has a dual alarm clock feature allowing two separate wake times for weekdays and weekends.
With its built-in battery, you can take this sunrise alarm clock anywhere! Since it’s lightweight and compact, carrying this around should not be an issue.
Available in standard white or wood color, this sunrise alarm clock will look great in your bedroom!
- Dual alarm clock feature to set two alarms
- Strong light intensity in max settings
- Customizable brightness, volume, alarm duration
- Optional wood color looks unique
- Poor set up instruction
4. hOmeLabs Sunrise Alarm Clock
The hOmeLabs Sunrise Alarm Clock also comes equipped with a Digital LED Display, FM Radio, and multiple color options. It is a touch-activated alarm clock that has a bright display so you can easily see the LED lights in the dark.
The LED lights can be turned off completely if you prefer to use them as a more traditional alarm clock.
One of the best things about this sunrise alarm clock is that it comes with a USB port and backup battery for portable electronics.
This means that you won’t have to worry about your alarm clock stopping working because it will still be running soundly even with a power outage.
The hOmeLabs Sunrise Alarm Clock provides a very soothing alarm sound. It even comes with a selection of sounds to choose from!
You can make your morning routine as peaceful or energizing as you want it to be, which makes the hOmeLabs Sunrise Alarm Clock customizable for everyone.
- Vibrant color options suitable for children
- USB charger and backup battery
- LED light can be completely turned off
- Bright light great for waking heavy sleeper
- Poor speaker sound quality
Final Thoughts
Sunrise alarm clocks are great for waking up gently with relaxing sounds and wake-up lights.
Remember that it is important to set up your sleep environment to be as dark as possible to utilize this alarm clock.
Using blackout curtains can help block out any sunlight while you sleep, allowing you to sleep restfully throughout night and day until you decide to wake up.
Our pick would be the Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light, as it is the most customizable and reliable alarm clock among all the ones reviewed.
The phone app is very useful in gathering insights about your sleeping patterns and providing the benefit of helping you get better sleep.
We hope that you have found our reviews on sunrise alarm clocks useful. If these alarms still do not wake you up, using a vibrating alarm clock can be a good addition if you are a heavy sleeper.
Here’s to a night of better sleep and starting each day on the right foot!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is the FM radio on my sunrise clock not working?
The FM radio uses the radio frequency that is being broadcasted by the radio tower and radio stations. This is why the FM radio can stop working if you have poor reception.
For example, if you live in an area with poor reception, or if you live in the basement, it might be hard for your alarm clock to receive the signal.
2. Can I customize the alarm sounds?
Yes. The more premium sunrise alarms can connect to your phone and provides you the ability to customize your favorite alarm sound.
The cheaper ones may not have this function, so be sure to check the product description before buying.
3. Will the maximum light intensity setting on sunrise clocks damage my eyes?
Although it is called a sunrise simulation, they are not actually as bright as the sun!
The light quality varies across different products, but they can’t be bright enough to damage your eyes.
These smart sunrise alarm clocks provide soothing gentle light that is suitable for light therapy, among other things. So, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
Besides, staring at strong light for extended periods of time is not recommended for eye health!
