If you are not feel rested when your alarm clock goes off, the problem may be the alarm clock itself. Waking up to a sudden loud alarm isn’t exactly a fun way to start your day, and the jarring jolt may not work to tell your body it’s time to get up. I’m kind of a chronic snooze button and I find a sunrise alarm clock useful as the rising light helps tell my body it’s time to wake up – and the bright light is much, much harder to ignore .
After weeks of sleeping with a sunrise alarm clock by my bed, I’ve seen a nice improvement in how alert I feel in the morning. I’m still not a jump-out-of-bed morning person, but I find that I actually stay awake after my alarm in the gentle glow of these sunrise lights instead of just going back to bed for another hour. Plus, as someone who has trouble falling asleep at night, alarms with a sunset routine option have been a blessing in helping me both fall asleep and wake up.
While you’re here, don’t miss our other sleep guides, including the best extreme alarm clocks, the best sheets, the best pillows, the best weighted blankets, the best sound machines, and the best mattresses.
Updated January 2025: We’ve added Casper Glow Light as a new choice. We’ve 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 to wake up naturally with the sunrise and feel sleepy when the sun goes down. The light at both the beginning and the end of the day is a warm, golden tone, in contrast to the bright, slightly blue sunlight that keeps you wide awake. A sunrise alarm clock mimics this transition from morning to bright daylight, helping to signal your body to wake up (or fall asleep if the clock also has a sunset option).
Each alarm below offers a sunrise routine, meaning you pick a time to wake up and then the alarm clock will start showing a deep orange glow and change to a bright light when your alarm is set. Some offer customization so you can choose how long you want the artificial sunrise to last, while others have set timers. Some also allow the reverse option with a sunset routine and can act as sound machines. Most of these plug into the wall like a classic alarm clock and stay put, although sometimes there’s a companion app or recharging capabilities (if it’s not mentioned, assume it isn’t).