Dawn Simulator Alarm Clock – The Top 3 Light Therapy Alarm Clocks (In 2013)
Dawn simulator alarm clocks are probably one of the brightest ideas of this century. Instead of an early morning heart attack caused by the annoying alarm clock, a light therapy alarm clock works with your body’s natural rhythms to wake you up with gradually brightening light, naturally re-setting your sleep/wake cycle to help you feel refreshed, alert and energized all day.
Biobrite Sunrise Clock
Some of the dawn simulators, like the Philips Wake up light, will also simulate dusk to help you fall asleep. A necessary feature for shift workers having trouble falling asleep.
How Dawn Simulators Work
Even when you are asleep, the eyes register and recognize the increase in light and signal the body that “the sun” is coming up. The pineal gland is signaled by the increase in light to produce serotonin – The “feel good” hormone and cortisol – That wakes you up.
Plus, it reduces the production of sleep hormones (melatonin) as well. This is the best way to prevent morning crabbiness and irritability – You gradually awaken just as you would if you were sleeping in front of a window that lit the room with the rising sun. This means more productivity, energy and lifted mood for the rest of the day.
How to Choose a Dawn Simulator?
There are many light therapy alarm clocks our there, with different features, elements and of course – Prices. These are the 3 most popular ones and I will explain why:
#1 – Philips Wake Up Light (HF3471)
Philips Wakeup Light
This is the most popular one of all. The main reason is the affordable price tag, accompanied with great quality. This is probably why this one is an Official Light Therapy Product of the National Sleep Foundation.
The Philips wake up light is a dawn and dusk simulator, making it perfect for re-setting troubled circadian rhythms and treating sleep disorders as well.
It’s UV free, safe to use and it has 2 choices of natural wake up sounds (birds chirping is my favorite), or fm radio.
The light gradually increases for 30 minutes before your scheduled wake up time, and when you turn off the alarm, the lamp stays on to allow you to get out of bed without switching on another lamp. But you can adjust the “sunrise” time just the way you want it yourself.
- · Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 6.5 x 10 inches; 3.5 pounds
- · Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
If you want to know more, you can see a big bunch of user reviews for it on Amazon, or read my personal and detailed review – Right now.
#2 – BioBrite Sunrise Clock
Biobrite Sunrise Clock
This one is also a dawn plus dusk simulator, offering gradual sunrise that wakes you up gently and naturally plus gradual sunset that gives your body the signal to wind down, helping you to fall asleep.
The BioBrite has another great feature, you can use is also as a dimmable bedside lamp for reading or soft lighting.
The light stays on 15 minutes after your wake up time and turns off automatically.
The light bulb is replaceable.
By the way, if you like the sound of white noise to help you (or your child) sleep tighter, this model has white noise feature in it, which I find to be great.
Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7 x 7 inches; 3.5 pounds
Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds
To get more details about the BioBrite simulator, head over to Amazon Right Now – There are more than a hundred user reviews to help you decide (plus they have the best price for it now).
#3 – Verilux Rise and Shine
The Verilux also offers dawn and dusk simulators, and you can select from no less than 20 levels of light intensity. It has 4 different built-in nature soundscapes to fall asleep or wake up to: Songbird Serenade, Pond Life Harmony, Ocean Rhythms, or Streamside Melodies. It’s also a reading lamp with 20 brightness levels.
- · Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.8 x 12 inches; 2.6 pounds
- Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
Get more details and see the best price – Right Here.
How to Use Your Dawn Simulator
These units are set so that they reach peak intensity at a particular time you can set on the clock. Set it so that the light wakes you up at the time your alarm clock usually would. This takes several nights to figure out. You want to keep adjusting the “on” time until the light is waking you up just when you would like to wake up — neither earlier nor later.
If you want to see if it really works as a mood lifter for you, don’t expect to be a changed person with one use of your dawn simulator. Some notice an affect after a few days, but give it at least 2 weeks of regular use (weekends too).
To your health and good mornings,
Meital
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Filed in: bright light therapy • Led Light Therapy • Light therapy and Sleep Disorders • wake up light
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