Natural Sunrise Alarm Clock

Product Description

Some people believe that a blaring alarm shattering the silence of our slumber and tearing our eyes open in the still-blackness of a winter morning isn't so good for the body. Philips, makers of the Wake-Up Light and... [Read more]

Features

• Gradual light prepares your body to wake up
• Clinically proven to make waking up more pleasant
• Choice of fm radio or 2 natural and pleasant wake-up sounds
• Results in as little as 15-45 minutes a day
• Safe to use and uv-free

Top Reviews

Watch out for EXTREME overheating/melting!
by Skip Winters (1 out of 5 stars)
January 27, 2016

We loved our wake-up light so much when we bought it in late 2011 that we bought a second for our son's room. Collectively, we found that using the light to wake-up wasn't the best thing ever, so these units were then used only very occasionally as lights and mostly as simple clocks. We haven't really used ours very much -- they still have the original bulbs, for instance.

Flash forward to last weekend. The one in our room heated - dramatically - and melted. Not sure why it did this, it has always been fairly warm when on, but nothing like this. [And no, there are no other heat sources anywhere near the unit. We have forced air - not electric heat or anything. This heat was purely from the unit.]

Luckily, we noticed before it caused any damage (or burst into flames or anything.) Obviously, we are removing the second unit from our son's room. Also, obviously, we are beyond the two year warranty period, so this one and the second will be heading to the garbage.
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I love living here
by S. E. S. (5 out of 5 stars)
May 26, 2016

I have to wake up early to go to work, and I live in the Pacific Northwest. I love living here, except during the winter, the days are short, and since I work for a living I have to get up when it is still pitch black for a good portion of the year. So instead of an ordinary clock radio, I got this fancy one-with a light. You can adjust how much light ends up turning on, as well as the volume on the radio. I recommend adjusting the light because in a dark room, the full intensity of the light can be quite bright. Several minutes before the time you set to wake up, the light gradually comes on, kind of like the sun rising. At the time you set to wake up, the light is at the full intensity you adjusted it to, and the sound you select comes on (either your chosen radio station or birds chirping). Sometimes I actually wake up first because of the light rather than the sound. It's not quite like daylight, but it does an excellent job of waking me up without the mini-heart attack occurring with most alarm clocks, and it is also more pleasant than a clock radio alone or the beeping alarm.
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Without this thing, I might well be unemployed.
by DataDame (5 out of 5 stars)
March 26, 2014

To say I'm not a morning person is an understatement of epic proportions. Yet, for the past many years I've had a job that has required me to get there in the mornings, which currently means arriving at/before 7AM. This means I have to get up before the sunrise which is, in my book, completely barbaric. Every morning, through the haze of anger and resentment, I am nonetheless grateful to have this clock that wakes up SO much more gently than any noise-makers ever could... for that matter, that wakes me up, full stop.

I've had two from BioBrite which worked quite well, so I knew the concept was what I needed. When it came time to buy a new one, I found this one on Amazon. My experience has been that generally speaking Philips products are reliable and good quality and I've that to be the case with this one as well.

PROs:
...Works exactly as it should, beginning with an almost impercible glow and gradually brightening to "daylight" over about half an hour. I keep it on my bedside table at an angle that has it shining almost directly on my face. If that's too much for you, try putting it behind your head or somewhere else that might let you just wake up because the room itself is getting brighter (which it does).
...Smaller footprints than the BioBrites, due to its largely vertical design.
...Comes with a variety of sounds to accompany the light, but you can simply opt to not use them. My preference is the birdsongs. I was pleasantly surprised that, while I'm sure it's just a recorded loop, it's not obvious at all. You can turn off just the sounds when you're waking up on any given morning if you want, and the light will stay on.
...Comes with an FM radio (although I haven't ever tried it, it's a nice touch).
...The display's brightness can be adjusted.

CONs:
...Not as intuitive as it should be to set up. Make sure you keep the little pamphlet with instructions so you can remember how to, if/whenever you need to.
...Tried opening it as per the instructions to get to the bulb compartment, and wasn't able to do so. That may be a problem down the road. On the other hand, my experience is that bulbs in these clocks generally last a long long time (not standard bulbs) so I'm not fretting over that at this point.

Perhaps one of the best endorsements is that one of my cats can't wait for me to get up in the morning so she can lie in the "sunshine" on the bed. The lamp doesn't put out any warmth, at least not more than maybe an inch or so from it, but she's crazy about the light itself.

If you're a night person slogging along on a day job that requires you to wake up while it's still dark, do yourself a favor and get one of these lights. It works and it really makes a difference. I don't leap out of bed singing - it's not a MAGIC lamp, after all - but I do wake up and much more gently and completely than with any other kind of alarm I've ever used in my life.
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I have been using this for years
by Eric (5 out of 5 stars)
April 10, 2019

I have been waking up to this clock for years now. The light usually wakes me up but if I roll over and ignore it, the birds start chirping about 15 mins later and that tells me it is time to get out of bed.

It is broke, I would by another one immediately. Some people like to use their phones as an alarm clock but you can't beat the gently prodding of a steady glow of light like the sun coming up. I'll take that over a beeping alarm clock.
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Need dual alarms, otherwise perfect
by echogirl (4 out of 5 stars)
December 14, 2014

I do like this light. The purpose of this lighted alarm clock is to awaken naturally from light (as if the sun were coming up) as opposed to waking from a loud obnoxious sound. You are supposed to feel better when your body wakes up to light and I have to say, I definitely do! I am actually surprised how much better I feel waking up to the light rather than sound.

This alarm clock does also have a few audible alarms to choose from that will go off if you have not awakened to the light after a certain period of time. You have to play with the light for a few nights to get the settings just right for you. Once you select the time you want to be up by, you set the light to a certain level of brightness and 30 minutes before the time you have set your alarm for, the light will start to light up. It starts out very dim and increases very slowly in intensity until it reaches the level you programmed in, which it reaches at the time you have the alarm set for.

The first few tries I had the light set way too bright so I was waking up earlier than I wanted to. Once I got it set to right where I wanted it, I was waking up just a few minutes before the audible alarm was set to go off and I wake up feeling much better rested!

I do sometimes still sleep in until the audible alarm goes off if I happen to be sleeping on my side facing away from the light. Perhaps I could try suspending it over my bed (kidding).

The one thing that really irks me about this light is that it does not have dual alarms that can be set. With my work schedule, my work hours start at either 6:30 or 7:00 am and it is not consistent whatsoever - changes back and forth from day to day or perhaps every couple days depending on our patient load and logistics at the hospital. It would be really great if I could set one alarm for my 6:30 start time and a separate alarm for my 7:00 start time rather than having to change the alarm every bloody night. Yes, 3rd world problems.

As a side note, this light is made by Philips and I work with Philips Ultrasound machines as my profession and with some of the amazing technology we have on those ultrasound machines, it boggles my mind that they did not put a second alarm on this clock light. Come on Philips, my Sony alarm clock from 20 years ago has that feature!
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Works well, for a while
by Josi Kim (3 out of 5 stars)
October 29, 2013

So being that I live in a bedroom with no windows and very little natural light, as well as living in Chicago, it gets very difficult for me to wake up during winter. I thought buying one of these would help me out greatly. For the first couple months it was actually a nice change compared to the typical alarms. I was able to wake up less groggy, but at the same time, it takes a long time for it to work.

If you really want to make it effective, you'd have to let it run for about 30 minutes to an hour before you want to wake up. For example, if you want to get up at 6, set the thing to at least 5:30. Also set it away from your table, cause hitting that off button is easy and I've found myself sleeping in more than a few times.

the brightness is great. It lights up my whole room and it does almost emulate a morning sun.

After using it for a couple years, my body has grown accustomed to it and I still wake up less groggy, but I also learned to sleep through the brightness as well. I guess there is no perfect solution other than kicking yourself out of bed.

One of the best things I learned is that after the light wakes me up, I grab my smart phone and i start rummaging through facebook or something that causes my mind to wake up.

In the end, do whatever works for you. This lamp is a great start if you don't have a flood of natural light on a regular basis.
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Best Alarm I've Ever Had
by K Muir (5 out of 5 stars)
August 9, 2014

For most of my adult life I have struggled to get out of bed in the morning. This alarm clock is the first that really helps. I still don't spring out of bed, but the slow-illuminating light eases me into consciousness. In the Winter (up here in the north) I have found that waking up to this light (in 7am darkness) allows me to wake up in a better mood.

I used the bird alarm for a while and eventually found that to be annoying. The beep is too abrasive for my sleep-deprived brain. I wake up to the radio - NPR - and, again, I'm waking up with greater ease than I ever have before.

The light itself is incredibly handy; I can crank the light to its highest setting when I need to find my glasses that I've knocked to the floor, and I can lower it read in bed while my husband sleeps. I selected this light alarm over others because it has 20 light settings, and I'm grateful for them all.

The display glows amber, and you can adjust the brightness (4 settings of brightness). The display does not bother me and I do not think it is too bright (I keep it on the brightest setting), but I wish it were blue or green - you know, sleepytime colors.

I have not found heat from the light to be an issue.

I keep this on my nightstand, which is fairly small - 12 inches long and wide. The alarm takes up approximately one quadrant of my nightstand, leaving me space for sleeping pill bottles, my glasses, my phone, and a glass of water. No complaints about the size of the alarm's footprint.

Overall, I have been using this alarm for over a year and have had no issues with functionality. If you have difficulty waking up, give this alarm a try. And best of luck to you.
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2 Year UPDATE: What a Gentle way to become awake!
by Martin (5 out of 5 stars)
December 26, 2011

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

First of all, if you like to wake up in the most gentle way possible, this is worth the price! I've seen reviews complaining about the price, and it is steep, but considering the results, it is worth it.

OLD WAY OF WAKING UP: Alarm goes off. Dogs bark. I sit bolt upright in bed and am jarred into sudden awareness. My nerves jangle with urgency. I am groggy. I am irritable.

NEW WAY OF WAKING UP: I find myself awake. I wonder at how calm and gentle this feeling is. Dogs don't even realize I am awake. About a minute later, a bird chirps lightly in my ear. I decide to get up. I have become awake. I am calm.

This is like the difference between being shaken awake and being gently caressed into awareness. This is a priceless experience! For the improvement in my mental health, the cost is about that of a single therapy session, but you get to re-experience it every morning.

UPDATE: November 9, 2013: After two years of waking up to this Wake-up Light, I have to say that buying this was one of the greatest health decisions I've ever made. The peaceful experience of waking up to this clock is priceless, whether at 5:30 AM after 6 hours of sleep, or at 8:15 AM after a full night's rest! My schedule varies so I have to reset the wake-up time nightly, but that is very simple to do. And it is rare that I wake to the tweeting birds as my body is now trained to wake up about two minutes prior to that, and waking is as gentle and friendly as ever. My dog also understands that we don't actually get up till the brightness intensity is at its highest level.

I would give this item an extra star if that were possible or even made sense, that is how satisfied I am with it!
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Life-changing, reliable, JUST BUY IT, it's the best purchase I've ever made.
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
October 29, 2015

I bought this almost two years ago, and have used them almost everyday since. It really does simulate the natural sunrise, and on most mornings, I wake up as if I'm naturally waking up. Instead of 10AM when I naturally wake up, it ends up being 5AM, but I feel the same, well-rested, ready to go. The brightness ranges up to 20, and the clock begins to light up 30 minutes before your alarm time. I usually set my brightness between 12-16, and I always wake up "naturally" about 5-10 minutes before the back-up sound alarm goes off. Setting the brightness at 20, I always end up waking up ~20 minutes before the alarm time. The back-up sounds include a typical blaring alarm which I'm glad I never have to listen to again, some birds chirping, and the radio. The birds chirping sound exactly like real birds chirping. I can sleep 9 hours and wake up to a blaring alarm, and feel unrested. With this light, I can sleep 5 hours, wake up "naturally" and feel much more rested.
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The best alarm/wake light ever invented
by James Quin (5 out of 5 stars)
March 19, 2014

I love this thing. From day one, it has become one of my few but favorite possessions.

The light gradually fades up and even looks like a sunset on a hazy horizon at first. As it gets brighter for 30 minutes prior to your alarm, I often find myself waking up prior to the alarm, but in a more natural wake pattern, like the sun woke me. I sleep in a dark room with light blocking curtains, so its important for me to get light first thing in the morning. Its proven that part of your brain doesn't wake up if you don't get sun light in the morning. I still look out the window and get some light in my eyes when I get up, but I often feel wide awake already form the light on the clock.

I use the bird sounds for the alarm, it starts off soft and gets louder. Way better than the beep beep beep. I sleep with ear plugs and was surprised how well the bird sounds wake me up. I never miss the alarm. The sounds volume and light brightness maximums are both easily changeable with up/down buttons.

Couple minor complaints:
1) Its hard to easily change the alarm time with the lights off because the buttons for the alarm settings are flush to the surface and don't have identifiable edges, so I often press the wrong button and have to start over. Frustrating. I now usually turn the light up so I can see where the alarm buttons are (yes, you can turn the light on an use it as your bedside light, as well as the alarm light, score!!!)
2) The clock interface lights are a old style looking dotted led type of thing. Its orange lights are a little bit bright and I turn the whole device away from me so I don't get the light keeping me awake. You would think they would have put more effort into this display considering how great the rest of the device is. Not a deal breaker but good area to improve. Maybe have it dim after 5 minutes until you touch a button again. Would be better if the color of the lights were red as well. Less likely to wake you up.

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