Alarm clocks may be a necessary evil, but there’s no question that those designed to mimic the sunrise make for a far more pleasant wake-up experience than a sudden blaring beep. The best sunrise alarm clocks pair a gradually brightening light with soft sounds to gently signal the body it’s time to wake up. Turns out, sunrise alarms are tapping into a biological cue. Our circadian rhythm (the body’s 24 hour clock cycle) is tied to the light/dark cycle of the sun, so the more light we’re exposed to, the more alert we become.
The best sunrise alarm clocks can make for gentler, easier awakenings than sound-only options.
Illustration: / Photo: Retailer
“We evolved to align our sleep-wake cycles with the sun,” explains Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell, board-certified physician and certified sleep specialist. “By mimicking sun exposure first thing in the morning, it makes it easier to awaken and is a more natural process than being jolted awake by a traditional alarm clock.” To help you start mornings off on the right foot, we did the research to find the best sunrise alarm clocks on the market. With its gradual sunrise light and choice of accompanying tones, the undeniably elegant Hatch Restore 2 snags our best overall spot. Read on for eight other sunrise alarms that we also recommend for easier mornings.
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App: Yes | Clock display: Yes | Trial: 60 days
The Hatch brand became virtually synonymous with sunrise alarm clocks with the release of its Restore model in 2020, but it upped the ante with the Restore 2. The new version of the alarm comes in a choice of three muted colors and is wrapped in linen, which gives the light a soft, diffused quality. The sunrise alarm is entirely customizable, from the 10 accompanying sounds to the length of time it takes to fully come on (which you can set for anything from 5 to 60 minutes) to the brightness of the light itself. The Hatch Restore 2 functions best with the accompanying app, but you can turn the alarm on and off with a sliding side button on the device.
The Hatch Restore 2 has three speakers and a library of 21 white noise tracks, including rain, wind, crickets and the ocean. These can help muffle any ambient noise as you fall asleep or throughout the night. This feature is customizable too—you can set white noise to run anywhere from a few minutes, up to 24 hours. Last but not least is the nighttime routine function, an integrated timer you can set to signal when it’s time to wind down and switch from one part of your evening relaxation routine, such as reading, to another, like meditation. The steps on the Hatch’s nighttime routine can also be set to correspond to various soothing sounds, different colors and brightness of light.
What our editors and the reviews say: “The gentle illumination of the Hatch Restore 2 has done away with my dark and stressful mornings,” says Vetted contributor Lindsey Vickers, who tested the Hatch Restore. “I entirely underestimated the difference it would make, but the light has massively improved my morning experience.” A Hatch customer writes, “While my Hatch Restore is amazing for winding down and setting myself up for a good night’s sleep, my favorite thing about it is waking up to its sunrise and starting my morning from a place of calm. I love how relaxed I feel waking up and throughout the day.”
Pros
Customizable features
Robust sound library
Aesthetically appealing
Cons
High price point
Works best with the app
Homelabs
Homelabs Sunrise Alarm Clock
App: No | Clock display: Yes | Trial: 30 days
The Sunrise Digital LED Alarm Clock from Homelabs covers the basics, and does it nicely. To rouse you, it pairs ocean sounds or birdsong with gradually increasing light that begins 30 minutes before the alarm sounds.
The device also has a sunset feature. When you go to bed, the sunset simulator gently dims the room to help you doze off. The round clock can be set to one of eight cheerful color choices and it doubles as a lamp when you’re not sleeping. This can all be controlled on the device itself, which has three brightness levels and buttons on the face and top that make it easy to adjust. You can also use it to tune in to local FM radio. At 7 inches tall and just under 7 inches wide, it’s sized well for a bedside table. Plus, at under $40, it’s a great buy for the money.
What the reviews say: One customer writes, “It’s very hard for me to get up in the winter, it’s still dark when the alarm goes off. Having my bedroom gradually brighten is making it much easier to wake up. I feel like I’m waking up naturally instead of being jarred awake by an alarm clock.” Another, who says this is their third sunrise alarm clock, says, “I should have bought this one first. It’s sturdy, the directions are clear and it actually works—beautifully, in fact. On top of that, it’s a fraction of the cost of the runner-up and actually less expensive than the crappy knock-offs.”
Pros
Inexpensive
Doubles as a lamp
FM radio
Cons
Sunset simulation lacks bedtime sounds
Bedtime sound library is limited
No app
Hatch
Hatch Rest+ (2nd Generation)
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App: Yes | Clock display: Yes | Trial: 60 days
With its child-focused Rest+, Hatch made our list again. The newest Rest+ builds on the success of the original Rest, with the addition of a backup battery that means it works even if the power goes out. This device is a combination night light, sound machine and clock—and it’s made to grow with children from infancy onward. The soft light and soothing sounds are designed to help young ones fall asleep and stay that way through the night. It can also help teach kids good sleep habits using a time-to-rise cue that lets bright-eyed little ones know when it’s time to get out of bed. This feature is especially helpful for parents of children who consistently get up too early.
The wifi-controlled Rest+ has a robust sleep library with music, bedtime stories and breathing exercises (available with the Hatch Sleep membership), an audio monitor and a dimmable clock. It’s also portable by design, so it can move from room to room or give your child a piece of home and their usual routine while traveling.
What the reviews say: “We had our first child at the end of 2018 and purchased a Hatch Rest to use in his nursery at night as a dual sound machine and night light. It became one of our favorite baby/toddler products,” says one customer. “We just had our second baby in 2022 and of course purchased our second hatch, a Hatch Rest+. Getting a Hatch is a no-brainer. It does everything you need it to and more without being over complicated.”
Pros
Night light, sound machine and clock in one
Encourages healthy sleep habits in growing children
WiFi controlled
Cons
Higher price point
Works best with the app
Philips
Philips Smartsleep Connected Sleep and Wake-Up Light
App: Yes | Clock display: Yes | Trial: 30 days through Amazon
The Smartsleep clock has all the features you’d want in a sunrise alarm clock, including seven accompanying natural sounds or FM radio, a sunset simulation to help you wind down in the evening and a smart-touch display to set and adjust the alarm and brightness of the light.
It earns extra points in our Book for its “RelaxBreathe” feature, a collection of light-guided breathing and relaxation exercises designed to help you transition into sleep. Its accompanying app, Sleepmanager, is another distinguishing feature—it collects and stores data on your sleep environment, such as light, humidity, temperature and ambient sound levels. If you’ve ever wondered why you wake up suddenly in the wee hours, a deep dive the data could be illuminating. Finally, the Smartsleep doubles as a night light if you want a soft glow for middle-of-the-night bathroom runs and can be brightened to serve as a bedside lamp if you like to read in bed or want your room gently illuminated before bedtime.
What the reviews say: “I’ve been thinking about purchasing one of these for a while now. Now that I have it, waking up is a lot less traumatic,” says one customer, who uses it in conjunction with the alarm on their phone. “My sunrise takes 30 minutes and starts very dim and gets extremely bright (both brightness and timing of the sunrise is totally adjustable), and it almost always wakes me up before the alarm on my phone goes off.”
Pros
Smart touch display
Includes light-guided breathing and relaxation exercises
25 personalized brightness settings
Cons
Expensive
No Bluetooth capabilities
App: Yes | Clock display: No | Trial: 30 days
It’s neither an alarm nor a clock, but the Casper Glow Light still made our list for its low-key approach to wakeups. In the morning, it gradually brightens to gently nudge you awake—no alarm tone, just light. The self-dimming touch lamp also signals the body that it’s time for bed with customized light settings that let you control brightness and duration. You set the time you want it to wake you in the Glow app, which also lets you manage features like syncing multiple Glow Lights.
The device relies on simple controls like flipping, twisting and shaking. Flip it over to turn it on, and it gradually dims and turns off over the course of 45 minutes. Want to turn it off before then? Just flip it over again. You can also pause the dimming process with a tap of the top or bottom button. A clever gyroscope feature lets you manually twist if you want it to adjust the brightness on your own. During the night, the Glow Light works as a portable nightlight. It has an ambient light sensor that you can trigger with a gentle shake when it’s turned off, giving you just enough light for a late-night trip to the bathroom or the kitchen.
What the reviews say: “[It] makes starting my days at 5 a.m. in the dark so much easier. I wake up gradually [and] peacefully to a room and house filled with soft light. Evenings, as I settle into bed, [I] just flip the beside Glow lamp over, turn it to the brightness level I’m in the mood for, and fall asleep just as gently,” says one reviewer.
Pros
Intuitive design works by flipping, twisting and shaking
Self dims to signal sleep
Can be synced with other Glow Lights
Cons
Lumie
Lumie Bodyclock Glow 150
App: No | Clock display: Yes | Trial: 45 days
The Lumie Bodyclock Glow 150 is a popular and well-liked bedside lamp and alarm clock in one, with fully adjustable lighting. It’s designed to help your curb that nighttime smartphone habit, with sunset-emulating light that you can set to fade over a period of time. If you aren’t a fan, it can be switched off completely. Wake in the morning with a sunrise duration of 20, 30 or 45 minutes, paired with the option of ten out-of-the-box sounds to get you going (happy goats, anyone?). Unlike many of the other alarms on our list, this one doesn’t require, or even have for that matter, an accompanying smartphone app—all of the Lumie’s features are easy to manage on the device itself.
What the reviews say: “This product is amazing. It has helped me sleep better, get on a sleeping schedule and wake up without jolting out of bed. Some of the sounds are a little loud for the morning, but it’s nowhere near my phone alarm. It has been calming and a really wonderful way to get in touch with light and my environment,” writes one customer.
Pros
Adjustable lighting
Features are managed natively
Cons
Higher price point for basic features
Clock comes pre-programmed in military time
App: No | Clock display: Yes | Trial: 30 days through Amazon
This sunrise alarm clock has a full-screen LED display panel, which takes up the entire face. In the morning, it brightens gradually from a dim glow to fully lit, which is timed to peak just as the alarm begins. The combination should get even the deepest sleepers moving in the morning. It has seven natural sounds, including birdsong, ocean waves, wind bells and soft beeps, along with an option for FM radio. Adjustability is built in, so you can determine the duration and brightness of the sunrise, turn off sound completely, dim or turn off the clock face and adjust colors with the mood lighting feature. All in all, it’s a great option that’s bright for a reasonable price.
What the reviews say: “I love that the brightness level of the time display on the clock is adjustable, ranging from no display (for those of us who need pitch black to sleep in) to a bright display (orange/red color),” writes one customer. Another says, “It does not break the bank and it gives you all the features of a high-quality sunrise alarm clock.”
Pros
Fully adjustable features
Full-screen LED display with multiple color settings
Affordably priced
Cons
Some reviewers have concerns about durability
Higher price point
App: Yes | Clock display: Yes | Trial: 30 days through Amazon
The Wiim Wake-Up Light can do many things—all without subscribing to an extra service. It still has a connected app and is also compatible with Alexa—so you can set up voice controls. To wake you, this clock has both a sunrise light feature and gentle sounds, or you can even pick a conventional radio wake-up. Instead of preset tones or music, this clock uses smart speaker technology, so you can stream sounds or songs from whatever service you like. The light color is customizable, so you can create the ambiance of your choice.
At bedtime, it can also serve as a reading light and white noise machine via the smart speaker, or use it to listen to the calming music or guided meditation or your choice. You can dim the clock display when it’s time to sleep.
What the reviews say: “I’m in love with this machine. I love all the different sounds available, the different colors to match your mood and this one also helps you fall asleep by scheduling at what time you want to go to bed. You can feel the quality in the product,” says one customer.
Pros
Integrates with Alexa
Streams music services
Customizable features
Cons
Light dimming occurs in noticeable stages
Higher price point
App: No | Clock display: Yes | Trial: 30 days through Amazon
The Winshine sunrise alarm clock has a similar shape to the Casper Glow Light, with the addition of traditional features like a digital clock and a 5-minute snooze mode. It’s a highly rated sunrise alarm clock with six different wake-up sounds and a 360-degree light that comes on gradually 5 to 60 minutes before the alarm (you can also turn the sound off completely if that’s your preference). At night, there are seven color options, all of which can be set to dim in 10, 30 or 60 minutes to help you, or your little one, drift off comfortably.
We also like the price point. This easy-to-use sunrise alarm clock has all the features you need and it’s priced under $40.
What the reviews say: One customer writes that it brings a “nice gentle wake up” with “good light” and is “easy to set up.” Another adds, “This sunrise-mimicking alarm clock has made a huge difference in how I wake up and the quality of my mornings, especially in the dark winter mornings. I pair the slowly brightening light with the sound of waves; [it’s] such a peaceful way to start the morning.”
Pros
360 degrees of light
Touch controls are easy to use
Reasonably priced
Cons
Clock light isn’t dimmable
Limited sound library
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How We Chose The Best Sunrise Alarm Clocks
To put together our recommendations of the best sunrise alarm clocks, we started with the category as a whole and drilled down to include options for everyone. We considered function, aesthetics, smart features (and lack thereof for the “less is more” crowd), and prices. Plus, we read through hundreds of reviews to see what real customers had to say. We only selected products that were sold by brands we know, or available through retailers we trust, like Amazon.
How Sunrise Alarm Clocks Work
By combining a digital alarm with an artificial light source, sunrise alarm clocks effectively mimic early morning light. “Light is the strongest factor influencing our circadian rhythms, causing our brains to send alerting signals to the rest of our body and signaling that it is time to be awake,” says Holliday-Bell. “Light exposure first thing in the morning helps to reinforce when those alerting signals are sent and also helps to align when our melatonin is released at night.”
The combination of brightening light and soft sounds makes for a more natural and certainly more pleasant way to wake up, and it can keep you from feeling groggy when you roll out of bed, too. “The gradual increase in light allows our bodies to awaken when we transition to a lighter sleep stage, helping to prevent the sleep inertia we sometimes get when awakened from a deep stage of sleep,” says Holliday-Bell.
There are both short and long-term benefits from making the switch to this kind of wake-up light. Holliday-Bell says it allows for more gentle awakenings that can lead to more energy, alertness and positive mood first thing in the morning. In the long-term, she says it can stabilize and reinforce the circadian rhythm, which can improve sleep-wake cycles for easier mornings and nights.
What To Consider When Shopping For A Sunrise Alarm
If you’re routinely fighting grogginess after dragging yourself from bed, the best sunrise alarm clocks could make a big difference. It’s a good idea to know what you want before you hit “add to cart.” Here’s what to keep in mind as you shop.
Features
Additional features of sunrise alarm clocks vary, but they all have the same core idea. These kinds of alarm clocks use synthetic light to mimic the sunrise, which may trigger the production of serotonin in the body and make you feel more alert. They’re an alternative to traditional alarm clocks that use sound alone.
Some sunrise alarm clocks pair this gradual brightening with muted tones or nature sounds to gently wake you up, or include features designed to help you develop better sleep hygiene as a whole, such as sunsets or evening wind-downs. You can find clocks that are app-enabled or others, like the Lumie and Jall on our list, that don’t require any separate technology—a plus if you’re trying to keep phones out of your bedroom or you just prefer a low-tech approach to waking up.
Function
Ease of use can make or break your experience with a sunrise alarm clock, so think about how comfortable you are with technology and let that guide your choice. If you don’t want to deal with pairing your clock to an app or using your phone to set alarms and preferences, look for an app-less option where everything can be controlled on the device itself. If you want to improve your sleep experience from beginning to end, consider a sunrise alarm clock with soothing bedtime and nighttime features, like the Hatch Restore. Choosing a clock for your child? Make sure it’s a sturdy option that can withstand curious youngsters.
Brightness And Color Options
Adjustability is an important consideration for sunrise alarm clocks and generally, most sunrise alarms have at least a few options for brightness and color hue. Some manufacturers make a point of sharing specifics about the light’s brightness intensity with measurements in lux. For reference, typical lux from a natural sunrise is 400. The Jall sunrise clock on our list measures 320 lux at its brightest, making it one of the highest on the market.
Personal preference plays a big role in how bright or warm you want your light. Warm lighting, for example, is a better option for promoting relaxation, so that’s a feature you’re likely to find on sunrise alarm clocks equipped with bedtime options. It’s also believed that warm tones, rather than cooler ones, are less detrimental to the circadian rhythm. Adjustable color hues also means flexibility for things like reading or night light. An orange or red-hued light is likely best at this time in terms of limiting sleep disruption.
Sound
Sunrise alarm clocks can rely entirely on light to wake you up, but most include the option of audible cues as well. Generally, you’re able to pick from a library of sound options ranging from traditional beeps to nature-inspired sounds, like ocean waves or chirping birds. Some include soothing sounds, such as rain or ocean waves, that can help promote sleep or serve as white noise during the night.
Bonus Features
If you like the idea of soothing nighttime guidance, like breathwork, mindfulness techniques, meditations or bedtime stories for the little ones, look for those sorts of features specifically. The benefit of an accompanying app tends to be these sorts of bonuses, along with more robust libraries of sounds and options for sunrise or sunset durations.
Are Sunrise Alarms Worth It?
Sunrise alarm clocks are a gentle alternative to traditional alarm clocks, and they have additional perks that can make them worth the extra money. “A sunrise alarm clock makes waking up at the same time each day easier to do,” says Holliday-Bell, because light exposure in the morning is a signal to the brain that it’s time to be awake. By reinforcing the circadian rhythm, she says it also makes it easier to fall asleep at the same time. That kind of consistency can lead to more restful sleep overall.
What Is The Most Realistic Wake-Up Light?
If the idea is mimicking a sunrise as authentically as possible, yellow wake-up lights are the closest match. Not only is yellow an energizing color, our bodies are already inclined to associate its brightness with morning.
What Kind Of Morning Alarm Is Best?
The best morning alarm is subjective, but most people find it less jarring to be woken with gradually brightening light and more muted sounds than a loud, sudden beep. Sunrise alarm clocks can also effectively retrain and reinforce the body’s circadian rhythm for better sleep overall.
What Makes A Sunrise Alarm Clock A Good Addition To Proper Sleep Hygiene?
Consistency is important for good sleep hygiene, and Holliday-Bell notes that waking up and going to sleep at the same time is a big part of that. “A sunrise alarm clock makes waking up at the same time each day easier to do, and because it reinforces the circadian rhythm, it also makes it easier to fall asleep at the same time,” she says.
A sunrise alarm clock with additional features, like sleep sounds, stories and meditations, can also make it easier to fall asleep at night. She recommends prioritizing a pick with adjustable lighting as well—which makes it easier to avoid bright lights in the evening, as these can inhibit natural melatonin release.
