This Alarm Clock Will Make Waking Up A Whole Lot Easier
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If you're a night owl, maybe you're envious of morning people. You probably know someone who has a crazy morning routine. Maybe they go for a jog, shower, meditate, journal, and eat breakfast all before you even get out of bed, and you're wondering how they do it.
If this is the case, you may want to do some research on circadian rhythms. According to the Sleep Foundation, everyone's circadian rhythm is a 24-hour cycle that's mostly determined by when they wake up and fall asleep. This cycle can be affected by a number of things, including sound, light, and caffeine.
Maybe you've wanted to test out an early morning routine but don't think you'll be able to get yourself out of your cozy bed. Or, perhaps you love being a night owl but you have to get up early for work or school. Either way, you may benefit from a special alarm clock, which could alter your circadian rhythm by emitting light. You'll find more information about it below.
The sunrise alarm clock
If you struggle to wake up in the morning, we can probably guess what you use as an alarm clock: your phone. While commonly used, cell phone alarms can be loud and jarring. Because of this, they may cause you to start your mornings feeling more annoyed than content.
This may be part of the reason why you struggle to wake up. To fix this, you could replace your phone with a sunrise alarm clock. According to The Washington Post, these alarms use artificial light that gradually gets brighter during a 10- to 30-minute period. Then, once it's at its brightest, some also emit a soothing noise like birds chirping or the sound of ocean waves. This could help you wake up earlier by peacefully resetting your circadian rhythm with the help of light.
There are a number of sunrise alarm clocks to choose from, as displayed by Amazon's selection. When deciding which one's right for you, pay attention to both the brightness and color settings, per NBC News. Those that have a higher lux number will have a more intense light. Additionally, while some only have one shade, others have the option of changing between warm and cool tones.
Who would benefit the most
As stated, if you want to be a morning person but are struggling to get out of bed, this could help you feel like you're waking with the rising sun. This may be especially beneficial for those who don't have much natural sunlight in their bedroom or those who use blackout curtains. Additionally, those who feel tired and groggy immediately after waking may enjoy a sunrise alarm, per The Washington Post.
Further, you may feel tired in the morning because of your phone usage at night, as the light from our screens can disrupt our circadian rhythms. If so, KDVR's BestReviews notes that when using a sunrise alarm, you could keep your phone in another room, which may improve your quality of sleep.
However, if you're a really heavy sleeper, you may not wake up to the soft light. On the other hand, if you're a really light sleeper, you may wake right when the light begins to emit, which is 10 to 30 minutes before you're supposed to get up. This could cause you to get less sleep than you need, explains Right As Rain.