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This Light Therapy Alarm Clock Will Help You Get Up on the Right Side of Bed

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If you’re not a morning person, getting out of bed can be a chore, to say the least. According to Popular Science, your internal clock, or circadian rhythm, is controlled by the “suprachiasmatic nucleus” — a part of the brain responsible for the body’s biological rhythms — and some are pre-dispositioned to be later than others.

If loud alarms and persistent snooze buttons have done you no good in your quest to become an early — or simply better — riser as you work to reset your inner clock, we just may have found the answer to your wake-up woes. Say hello to the Philips Wake Up Light Alarm Clock ($49.99, Amazon)!

Designed to mimic the sun’s natural rising patterns, this innovative machine features a round, LED-lit face that will increase in brightness beginning 30 minutes ahead of the time you set it to wake you up. 

The idea here is that the increased light intensity will stimulate a sunny morning before it ever begins to beep, tricking your body into adjusting its circadian rhythm. This type of light simulation is something the National Sleep Foundation also recommends, as your “circadian rhythm responds well to light cues.” 

Since light sensitivity varies by individual, we love that this clock allows you to set its brightness at one of 10 light intensities up to 200 lux (the measurement by which daylight intensity is measured). You can also select  a natural sound of your choosing to chime at the designated hour. 

Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock

Amazon

If you’re still not quite ready to start your day, not to fret: You can tap the snooze button for a nine-minute lull before the beeps resume. 

Several Amazon customers chimed in to say that this therapy clock has changed their tough-to-break rising patterns, with one writing, “I can’t believe how much easier it is to stay awake and get out of bed. This thing is worth it!” 

Added another: “I’ve never been a morning person (and never will be), but this helps you slowly and naturally wake up. Even though your eyes aren’t open, it affects your brain and the waking process. …I highly recommend it and have shared it with friends and family. Even my doctor, who … said he’d suggest it for other patients who had similar challenges with ‘not enough time to exercise.’”

If you’re ready to stop feeling groggy in the a.m. and start feeling refreshed, it’s definitely worth giving this gadget a go. 

Where to buy: $49.99, Amazon 

See more of our best product recommendations.

We write about products we think our readers will like. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the supplier. 

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