As the clocks “fall back” for the end of daylight saving time, it’s likely your sleep schedule is all out of whack. If the shorter daylight hours or seasonal affective disorder (SAD) get to you, or you’re simply not a morning person, we found an alarm clock that could really make a big difference. Folks say Dreamegg’s sunrise alarm clock is a “game changer” for waking up, all thanks to its morning sunlight-mimicking bright light, and it’s on sale for 40% off.
Since the days are darker until next spring, having a sunrise alarm clock simulate the real thing could be a good idea to feel awake much faster. According to sleep experts, sunlight plays a significant role in our sleep schedules. As Julie Kolzet, a licensed psychologist in New York City and a behavioral sleep medicine specialist, previously told HuffPost, “exposure to morning light has an alerting effect,” which can help make us feel more awake.
Sunrise aside, this Dreamegg alarm clock has morning sounds, ambient sounds and much more — perfect for helping improve your wake-up experience as the light increases gradually.
The gadget also serves as a white noise machine, helping set the tone for your morning wake-up calls and nights. It has 29 pre-loaded sounds, including meditation, lullaby and nature noises. You can program it to wake you up with birds chirping, for example, or you can simply set it on a timer before bed and be lulled into sleep with gentle fan whirring or ambient static.
And for those who don’t like looking at screens before bed or first thing in the morning: it doesn’t require an app. Just set it on a schedule, program the clock, its alarms and more, all with a few manual button taps. This is also a must-have noise machine for winding down before bed, especially if you struggle to fall asleep.
Daylight saving time ended but you can get your sunlight back with minimal effort — and it’s customizable.
If you miss those mornings of waking up to natural sunlight, this alarm clock is the perfect way to replicate that during fall and winter. You can choose from one of nine colors to wake you up, from one that’s similar to a basic gentle sunrise, or something a little moodier like lavender or a bright red. Of course, this thing doubles as a nightlight, plus it has a dimmer switch for a bedtime wind-down without harsh light.
You can choose to have the clock’s light gradually rise, similar to an actual sunrise. For example, make it start rising an hour before your alarm noise actually goes off, letting you slowly wake up in bed instead of suddenly being startled with noise.
Reviewers really love using this alarm clock over waking up with their smartphones. “Way better than a phone alarm clock,” says one. No longer being dramatically jolted awake. Better way to start off your day.”
“I find that I tend to wake up before the alarm goes off because of how bright it is, which is fantastic since I no longer jolt awake,” explains another reviewer. “The snooze button will turn the light back on as well as the sound, which is fantastic. The price is absolutely worth it for what you get even though it can seem hard since you can get cheapo clocks for $15, but your sleep and mental health is worth it, I promise.”
And yes, experts definitely back up its usefulness.
According to some sleep experts who previously spoke to HuffPost, sunlight is extremely powerful in setting the body’s circadian rhythm. Shelby Harris, a licensed psychologist in New York state who specializes in behavioral sleep medicine, note that “keeping a consistent sleep and wake time that pairs with the right light upon awakening helps with falling asleep faster and waking up quicker in the morning.”
Sunrise alarm clocks are particularly useful during winter when people often get up while it’s still dark outside, as Julie Kolzet, a licensed psychologist in New York City and a behavioral sleep medicine specialist, once told us.
Nab the invaluable sunrise alarm clock for yourself or to check a 🎁 gift off your holiday shopping list early if you know someone it’s perfect for. Also, peek below for some promising reviews from happy, healthy sleepers.
“Bought this for my teen daughter who has trouble waking up to the phone alarm. This has been such a game changer. She loves all the settings and how she can control how she wakes up – and it actually wakes her up! She loves it and I no longer have to be the bad guy coming into her room several times in the morning to wake her up! Bonus – it is about $100 cheaper than a similar one she liked after seeing it on social media – all the same features but much more reasonably priced. Highly recommend!” — Amazon Customer
“love love love this alarm clock. I literally wake up smiling. The slow gradual increase in light helps me slowly wake up and it feels so good to wake up to a lot room. I also love the bird song. It’s delightful and my partner can’t hear it so I don’t wake him up.
I’ve been waiting for a sunrise alarm clock that’s user friendly and under $100 and have been so satisfied with this. I travel with it and it travels well.
I also love the other features like the sound machine I use sometimes on travels or the night timer. I also enjoy how you can dim the clock screen to almost not visible – I can only see it in the very dark room. I’m really sensitive to light so I appreciate this function.
Well designed and executed. A delightful start to my day.” — Amazon Customer“I was skeptical at first but for my mental health I need to keep my phone out of the bedroom which meant I needed an alarm clock but I haven’t had one in at least 10 years. I did a lot of research and was very intrigued by a fancy alarm clock that shall not be named but I couldn’t justify $170 and a subscription just to use it. I chose this one over the others because the fabric covering the digital time screen helps eliminate the blue light effects that others have and I liked that it is dimmable. I also found this one to be very cute as some of the other sunrise clocks I think are really ugly. This clock is easy to use, I love all the settings, it’s loud but gentle. I find that I tend to wake up before the alarm goes off because of how bright it is, which is fantastic since I no longer jolt awake. The snooze button will turn the light back on as well as the sound which is fantastic. The price is absolutely worth it for what you get even though it can seem hard since you can get cheapo clocks for $15, but your sleep and mental health is worth it, I promise.” — Megan
“This is a game changer for waking up early. The birds chirping and the bright light help to simmulate mornings even when its still dark outside. I do wish there was a way to mute the alarm without turning the light back off. No extra app you have to pay for with other versions. Definitely recommend!” — Karee
The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)
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