I’ve always hated alarm clocks - especially during the darker months, the jarring sound always led me to have a fight-or-flight reaction, complete with rapid heartbeat and a slight sense of disorientation. Basically a very unpleasant way to start the morning! To this day the iPhone standard alarm sound sends me into a mild panic. But I've finally found the best solution I've come across so far: A
If you’re not familiar with sunrise clocks, they’re basically a light-up alarm clock with a built-in “sun”, so when it’s time for your alarm, it gradually makes your bedroom brighter, simulating a natural sunrise. Exposed to the light gradually, as opposed to the shock of a loud sound in a dark room, your body then wakes up naturally and gently, with a greater sense of calm.
In the past I'd tried anything and everything to make my wake-ups a bit more gentle, from old fashioned analog alarm clocks to testing out every alarm sound variation on my smartphone and even waking up to music. Yes, I now know Spotify’s Morning Motivation playlist almost by heart.
Someone suggested a sunrise alarm clock and I was intrigued. Gently waking up without being jarred from your sleep? Sounds too good to be true, I thought, but I decided to give it a try.
© Karen SilasI was encouraged by the fact that experts say this type of alarm clock can really help when it comes to getting your mornings started on a more productive note.
For example, motivational speaker Mel Robbins is a firm believer that "how you set your day up is how your day ends up" and that we all need to be "laser focused" on our morning routines.
And in one of Mel's social videos she reveals that she wakes up every day at 6.15am to an alarm clock that simulates the sunrise.
The one the podcast star uses is by Philips (you can shop a Philips sunrise alarm for £179.99 / $219 on Amazon) but I've been using the much cheaper Lumie sunrise alarm for over a year and it has changed my mornings completely.
The Lumie Sunrise Alarm Clock - my opinion
I’m not a morning person – I definitely don’t wake up early unless I have to! – and to be able to put groggy mornings during autumn and winter, or even just on overcast or rainy days, behind me seemed like a dream.
So, in November 2022, not wanting to invest too much money, I headed straight to Amazon to check out the best rated sunrise alarm clocks.
I settled on the cheapest Lumie Sunrise Wake-up Alarm - it had solid ratings, looked simple enough, and also included an enticing sounding “Sunset sleep feature” and mood lighting, too. Plus, it was on sale and I felt pretty desperate for a solution, so I figured I had nothing to lose.
To be honest the clock wasn't anything like what I expected - I think I imagined the light drenching my room in a golden-red glow like it was coming from a film projector. But that’s not at all what the clock does, it’s much more subtle. But, I have to say, very effective.
In summary, the Lumie sunrise clock features include:
- Sunrise alarm: Thirty minutes before the actual alarm time, the fake ‘sunrise’ begins, gradually lighting up your room. When the actual alarm goes off, the light is at its highest brightness.
- Sounds: There are natural sounds, from a cat purring to birds chirping or crickets - and also a standard alarm ‘beep’ that you can snooze for five minutes. Productivity guru Mel Robbins has pointed out that hitting 'snooze' is the worst thing you can do when you're waking up, but with this clock you still do have the option.
- Sunset: A half-hour long dimming ‘sunset’ effect which starts with a full bright light, gradually dimming over 30 minutes before turning off to help you drift off to sleep peacefully.
- Mood lights: There’s the bright white light, which can be set to low, as well as more colours to suit your mood: green, red, blue, pink, orange and light blue.
The best surprise of the Lumie alarm is that I’m getting as much out of the other functions as I am the alarm clock itself. Specifically, the sunset setting, which I use at bedtime, for a relaxing wind-down. And, secondly, the coloured light with six hues to choose from. I am a fan of the red light, which helps me chill in the evenings when I need a mental break.
Overall, I have to give the Lumie a thumbs up – and the concept of a sunset alarm clock is absolutely genius. The phrase “life-changing” is overused, but in this case it fits! I would definitely purchase all over again.
