If you don’t Feeling rested when your alarm goes off, the problem may be the alarm clock itself. Waking up to a suddenly loud alarm is never a fun way to start your day, and the distracting shaking may not do much to tell your body it’s time to get up. I’m a constant snooze button kind of girl, and I find that a sunrise alarm clock helps, because the rising light helps tell my body it’s time to wake up—and that bright light much harder to ignore.
After weeks of sleeping with a sunrise alarm clock next to my bed, I’ve seen a great improvement in how alert I feel in the morning. I’m still not a morning person, but I find myself waking up after my alarm in the gentle glow of these sunrise lights instead of just going back to bed in an hour. Also, as someone who has trouble falling asleep at night, alarms with a sunset routine option have been a boon to help me fall asleep and wake up.
While you’re here, don’t forget our other sleep guides, including Best Extreme Alarm Clock, Best Sheets, Best Pillows, Best Weighted Blankets, Best Sound Machinesand Best Mattresses.
Updated January 2025: We added Casper Glow Light as a new pick. We also added that Hatch has replaced Hatch Restore 2 with the new Hatch Restore 3, which we plan to test soon.
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Your body is built on waking up naturally at sunrise and feel sleepy at sunset. The light at the beginning and end of the day is a warm, golden tone, unlike the midday, slightly blue sunlight that keeps you awake. The sunrise alarm clock mimics this transition from morning to bright sunlight, helping to signal your body to wake up (or sleep, if the clock also has a sunset option).
Each alarm below offers a sunrise routine, meaning you choose a time to wake up and then the alarm clock starts showing a deep orange light and switches to a bright light on time. to set your alarm. Some offer customization, allowing you to choose how long you want the artificial sunrise to last, while others set timers. Some also allow the reverse option with a sunset routine and can double sound machines. Most of this wall plug is like a classic alarm clock and remain, although sometimes with an accompanying app or recharging capabilities (if it’s not mentioned, however, assume it’s not).