KMAC  Sleep PicksShopping from

Sunrise alarms: faking the dawn in winter

Morning light is the main signal that keeps your body clock on time. On dark winter mornings there isn't any, and many people drift later. A sunrise alarm brightens the room gradually before your alarm goes off.

What matters: how bright it gets, how gradual the fade is, and whether the light faces you. What doesn't: radios, apps and 20 sound options. Pair it with: the same wake time every day, and daylight outside once it's up.

Our pick

A sunrise alarm

Philips SmartSleep (HF3520)

Why: It fades your room up to light over 20-40 minutes before the alarm: the signal morning daylight would give your body clock, on mornings when there isn't any. Wirecutter has rated it its top sunrise alarm for years.

How to use it: Set it 30 minutes before your wake time, and keep the wake time the same every day, weekends too.

The honest downside: Not cheap, bulky on a bedside table, and the built-in radio is nothing special.

Check today's price at Amazon (US) →

Check today's price at Amazon (Canada) →

Check today's price at Amazon (UK) →

Check today's price at Amazon (UK) →

Check today's price at Amazon (Australia) →

Check today's price at Amazon (Australia) →