If you are not If you feel rested when your alarm goes off, the problem could be with the alarm itself. Waking up to a sudden, loud alarm isn’t exactly a fun way to start your day, and the disruptive jolt might not be enough to signal your body that it’s time to get up. I’m a chronic snooze button kind of girl, and I find waking up at sunrise to be helpful, because the growing light helps tell my body that it’s time to wake up — and that bright light is a lot , much harder to ignore.
After weeks of sleeping with a sunrise alarm clock at my bedside, I noticed a marked improvement in my alertness in the morning. I’m still not one to get out of bed in the morning, but I find myself staying awake after waking up in the soft glow of those lamps at sunrise rather than going back to bed for another hour. Plus, as someone who has trouble falling asleep at night, alarms with a sunset routine option have become a godsend 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, best sheets, best pillows, best weighted blankets, best sound machines, and best mattresses.
Updated January 2025: We’ve added Casper Glow Light as a new choice. 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 to wake up naturally with the sunrise and I’m sleepy at sunset. The light at the beginning and end of the day is a warm, golden tone, unlike the slightly blue midday sunlight that keeps you wide awake. A sunrise alarm clock mimics this transition from morning light to bright daylight, helping signal your body to wake up (or go to sleep, if the clock also has a sunset option). sun).
Each alarm below features a sunrise routine, meaning you choose a time to wake up, then the alarm clock will start displaying a dark orange glow and change to a bright light at the time your alarm is set. Some offer customization, allowing you to choose how long you want this artificial sunrise to last, while others have set timers. Some also allow the opposite option with a sunset routine and can serve as sound machines. Most of them plug into the wall like a regular alarm clock and stay put, although sometimes there is a companion app or charging capabilities (if it’s not mentioned, assume it’s not the case).
