I hate getting up early, I don’t hide. But I hate the iPhone’s infernal high-pitched alarm clock even more (the semi-oriental melodies of a good part of Android phones don’t help either). A compromise solution was start waking me up with the vibration of my smart watch. A less intrusive method, but not entirely pleasant either.
Everything changed when I got a solar alarm clock. I usually run away when someone tells me that a product “changed their life” but, in this case, I’m not afraid to say that this type of alarm clock does. I’m going to tell you my experience with this solar alarm clock. I use a specific model, but Amazon is full of options.
A gadget that makes waking up less painful
Seven in the morning, my time to set foot in the real world. The main problem with traditional alarm clocks is that they make us go from the deepest phases of sleep to waking up. This is a rather abrupt (and completely unnatural) transition that does little to help complete a circadian cycle correctly. We are programmed to go to sleep at dusk and to wake up at dawn, something that becomes complex with the established schedules.
The main objective of solar alarm clocks is that, instead of waking up abruptly (going from a deep sleep phase to being awake) lor do it gradually. Thus, we will get closer to that biologically programmed awakening, in which we go from phases of lighter sleep to being awake. Something much less aggressive for the body and brain.
How do they work? Usually these alarm clocks emit a light adjustable in intensity and tone. As the time to wake up approaches, the light gradually illuminates the bedroom. It does so by imitating the warmth of sunlight, so that in the early stages the light is more reddish or orange, becoming much brighter and clearer when we wake up, simulating that the sun is already at its highest point.
To accompany this light, there are several alarm clocks that use a melody or simulate natural sounds. This sound is only emitted just at the time we have set the alarm: what is responsible for making us go from a deeper phase of sleep to a lighter one is the light itself that emulates the sun.
In my particular case, I use a Philips Wake-up Light HF3651/01. It is expensive, quite expensive, but you have alternatives for practically half. I chose this model because it can be connected to the phone, giving me real-time data on the light in the room, temperature, sleep statistics connected to Apple Health, Wi-Fi connection, radio and more. In the same way, for obvious reasons, the more expensive the alarm clock, the better components it will have.
With the model that I use, I have programmed waking up with the sound of birds. I live in a rural area, so I am used to this sound: I can assure you that the quality of the alarm clock is such (it has a 3D sound effect that fills the room), that said sound is practically indistinguishable from the real song of the birds.
And yes, you may be thinking “I’m not going to wake up to the sound of some birds, I need something louder”. I can guarantee that one wakes up yes or yes, since it starts to sound more and more intensely (accompanied by a very intense light that illuminates the entire bedroom).
Waking up at seven is still one of those acts to avoid in the future, but doing it this way has completely changed (at least in my personal case) the way I face the day.
Image | xataka
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