I swapped my iPhone alarm with a sunrise alarm clock for 30 days and waking up is suddenly easy — an expert explains why

Introduction: The Battle Against Morning Grogginess

Less screen time, better sleep, more energised mornings: sounds like a dream, right? Except there’s one gadget that has helped me achieve all these things in the last month, and that’s a trusty sunrise alarm clock. As fall crept in, darker mornings caught me off guard. I was waking up groggy, skipping morning workouts, and found myself rushing to get to work on time. This had a knock-on effect on my mood throughout the day, so I knew it was time to make a change. I’ve been invested in finding the best sunrise alarm clock on the market for some time now and, this year, I’ve upgraded with the brand new Hatch Sleep Clock. Here's how using a sunrise-simulating device has boosted my morning energy levels over the last 30 days...

The iPhone Snooze Button Trap

While there are benefits to using a sunrise alarm clock year round, I relied on natural sunlight to wake me up this summer, with a little push from my iPhone alarm. However, as the season changed, the sunlight I had relied on to wake me up started showing up later. Being jolted awake by my phone in darkness came with problems. I felt disorientated, groggy, and was constantly hitting snooze every morning, which are all classic symptoms of sleep inertia. Then, when I eventually opened my eyes, my hand would instinctively reach for my phone to check notifications. The next thing, I found myself scrolling on my phone instead of getting on with my day. As a morning lark, the morning is when my energy levels are usually at their highest and I’m most productive. However, hitting snooze and losing myself to social media left me feeling sluggish and unmotivated.

How a Sunrise Alarm Boosted My Morning Energy Levels

30 days later, I'm thankfully noticing improvements, and I've reached out to human biologist and longevity expert Gary Brecka to get the rundown on the science behind why a sunrise alarm clock is such a good investment at this time of year.

1. No More Morning Grogginess

Dragging yourself out of bed when it's dark outside is difficult, and that’s down to the science that dictates you need a light source to shift your body into an awake state. Light exposure helps transition your body from deep sleep to light sleep as it suppresses hormones that make you feel sleepy. Essentially, 'As the days darken your body produces more melatonin and less serotonin, which is why people feel sluggish and oversleep,' says Brecka. You want to be in a light sleep stage with less melatonin present just before your alarm sounds for an easy transition from slumber to wakefulness. When natural light isn't available during autumn and winter months, a sunrise alarm clock gradually lights up your bedroom, suppressing melatonin.

2. Simulated Sunrise Helps Me Feel Alert

It turns out exposure to sunlight, be it the real deal or simulated, through closed eyelids or open, prompts the body to produce hormones that help you feel alert upon waking. The hormones in question? That's serotonin and cortisol. Brecka explains: 'When your eyes register natural light within the first hour of waking, you send a signal to your brain to suppress melatonin, your sleep hormone, and start producing cortisol, your energy hormone.' With my Hatch Sleep Clock helping to raise my cortisol levels over a 30-minute time span prior to waking, my body is more prepared to wake up by the time the alarm rings.

3. I’m Finally Getting the Sleep I Need

'Light is the biggest trigger for setting your body clock,' says Brecka, aka your circadian rhythm, which runs on a 24-hour cycle. A sunrise alarm clock can reinforce this regular sleep-wake pattern. In the Hatch app, I've set a specific bedtime and wake time so my alarm clock turns on sundown mode and sunrise mode at the same time night in, night out. Notably, I'm falling asleep quicker and waking up easier as my body is in tune, anticipating sleep at regular times.

4. I Have Healthier Scrolling Habits

Honestly, I'm a self-confessed doomscroller. I've lost count of how many times I've vowed to read before bed and ended up scrolling reels instead. Again, my sunrise alarm clock has been a life saver here. Without being reliant on it to wake me up in the morning, I'm making a conscious effort to leave my phone outside my bedroom. This way, I'm actually reading instead of scrolling before bed.

Swapping My iPhone for a Sunrise Alarm — Pros and Cons

What Worked…

The sunrise alarm clock helps banish morning grogginess by gradually pulling me from sleep. It encourages a consistent sleep routine, reinforces bedtime as well as wake-up time, and improves screen time habits by allowing me to remove screens from the bedroom. Furthermore, it's significantly gentler on the nervous system compared to a loud, jarring iPhone alarm.

What Irked…

If you share a bedroom with someone who has a different sleep schedule, lighting up the room may be problematic. Once the light hits, they are likely to feel alert too, even if it's too early for their liking.

Final Verdict

When your bedroom is dark, a shrill alarm sound tends to wrench you out of deep rather than light sleep, leading to sleep inertia. Replacing that audio alarm with a simulated sunrise has completely transformed my mornings over the past month. Waking up feels natural, allowing me to enjoy morning workouts and breeze through the day.