Our sleep writer, Lindsey Vickers, is cognizant about using electronics before bedtime, and liked that there was no need to fiddle with a mobile app. You can control the settings with the device's simple, intuitive LED screen. As far as a bedtime routine, it offers a realistic, soothing sunset function (in essence, the sunrise in reverse) that can work as a reading light before your room fully darkens. That’s the real focus here, with 20 gorgeous brightness settings to personalize the intensity of your sunrise. The alarm excels in what it’s designed to do: simulate sunrise with a high quality light. However, some of the fancy features that this device lacks aren’t necessarily helpful for sleep, nor are they always useful in general. It’s on the minimalist side, with five nature-inspired sounds (that were pretty realistic, in my opinion) and a few small buttons around the top of the clock to set the alarm, get ready for bed, or listen to a built-in FM radio. The name, “SmartSleep,” is somewhat misleading, as this device lacks special features such as colorful lighting, breathing or meditation exercises, a plethora of soundscapes, and the ability to connect with other smart home gadgets. It eased me into my mornings, always waking me up before the alarm chimed, and I felt noticeably more awake throughout the day. Its frosted matte plastic produced one of the most realistic sunrises (and, likewise, sunsets), growing from a deep red into a bright, warm white over 30 minutes. This is what sold me and pushed this clock to the top of our list. The Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light is one of the pricier sunrise alarm clocks that we tested, and you can tell where most of the investment is: the light itself. Philips SmartSleep HF3670/60 Connected Sleep and Wake-Up Light.Philips SmartSleep HF3520 Wake-Up Light.These are the best sunrise alarm clocks we tested, ranked in order: If you’re looking for a state-of-the-art sleep routine or a budget model sans bells and whistles, we have picks for you as well. Our favorite is the Philips SmartSleep HF3520 Wake-Up Light ( available at Amazon for $79.95) for its realistic sunrise light, high-quality speakers, and easy-to-learn interface. We spent several months testing seven models, measuring each one’s quality of light and assessing the usefulness of its features. These clocks aim to recreate natural dawns and purport to help ease you into the morning. When our sleep is off, our bodies know-it can affect how we perform in day-to-day activities, our mood, and even our overall health. In a modern world with electronics at our fingertips, getting a perfect night’s sleep is harder than ever.
We’ve all been there-struggling to fall asleep, tossing and turning at night, and waking up feeling groggy.