Use a sunrise alarm clock to wake naturally

What to Do

Set a dawn simulator to gradually increase light over 30-90 minutes before your desired wake time. Let the light, not a jarring alarm, bring you out of sleep.

Why It Works

Gradual light enters through closed eyelids and triggers the body's wake-up sequence, including cortisol release and melatonin suppression. Studies show dawn simulators cut sleep inertia severity in half, improve cognitive reaction time by ~4.7%, and have antidepressant effects comparable to bright light therapy for seasonal affective disorder.

Tips

• Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light and Hatch Restore are the most popular options
• A 90-minute ramp peaking at ~250 lux showed the best results in clinical trials
• Especially valuable in winter months when natural dawn comes late
• Can be combined with a gentle sound alarm as a backup