{"id":25077,"date":"2023-01-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-23T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.saatva.com\/do-sunrise-alarm-clocks-work\/"},"modified":"2023-05-01T22:29:40","modified_gmt":"2023-05-01T22:29:40","slug":"do-sunrise-alarm-clocks-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/do-sunrise-alarm-clocks-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Can a Sunrise Alarm Clock Make Waking Up Easier?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re like many people, you probably have an alarm clock<\/a> (or five) on your phone to wake you up in the morning. It doesn\u2019t matter how zen the tune is, you still get jolted awake and it doesn\u2019t give you a good start to the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve heard of sunrise alarm clocks, but are they worth it? This type of alarm clock is popular and supporters of them say they can make waking up easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what you need to know about sunrise alarm clocks and if they can help you have a better morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a sunrise alarm clock?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your body uses light to indicate when you should wake and when you should fall asleep, explains Shelby Harris<\/a>, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist and director of sleep health for Sleepopolis. Instead of harnessing the light of the sun (or noise from a traditional alarm clock!), a sunrise alarm clock uses artificial light to mimic a sunrise. It does this by slowly increasing the amount of light to wake you up at a specified time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSunrise alarm clocks are designed to mimic natural sunlight, which is one of the most important factors when it comes to regulating and maintaining your circadian rhythm<\/a>,\u201d says Harris. And actually, research<\/a> has shown that timed, artificial light from a sunrise alarm clock can work to give you better sleep quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do sunrise alarm clocks work? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Light, including sunlight, is powerful when it comes to your circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm is your 24-hour internal clock<\/a> that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. When light hits your eyes in the morning, it sends this information through the optic nerves in your eyes to the hypothalamus. This is the area of your brain that regulates your circadian rhythm, telling you it\u2019s time to wake up.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sunrise alarm clock uses this light when natural sunlight isn\u2019t cutting it, for a variety of reasons. Depending on the model, it may also have soothing sounds or different colors of light you can use.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the benefits of using a sunrise alarm clock?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Harris, if you wake up feeling groggy in the morning<\/a>, have trouble falling asleep, or want to establish a regular sleep schedule, you may want to check out a sunrise alarm clock. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out this video for tips on putting together an energizing morning routine:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n