If you sometimes find it difficult to wake up in the winter, you're not alone. American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests that shorter daylight hours in winter may disrupt your body's functioning, making you feel sleepier and sluggish during the day.
If it is seriously affecting your daily life, you should talk to your doctor about the possibility of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). According to the National Health ServiceSigns of SAD may include persistent low mood, irritability, loss of pleasure or interest in normal activities, and difficulty concentrating. Your doctor will be able to listen to your experience and suggest lifestyle changes, treatments, or other treatments that may help.
Sunrise simulation
If you are familiar with Philips Hue fixtures, you might be surprised, but my number one choice is a wall mounted sink rather than Philips Hue Twilightwhich is designed specifically for use on a bedside table. Turn both lamps around and you'll see they're very similar, with a stack of LEDs at the back that create a diffuse gradient of color across your wall.
The key difference is that the Twilight also has front-lighting for bedtime reading, but the Wall Washer has the edge when it comes to versatility. When connected to Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box it can become part of your home theater system, syncing with what's happening on your TV screen to make movies and games more immersive—something Twilight can't do.
A wall-mounted washer is also more discreet and looks less like a regular desk lamp, so you can place it anywhere to add indirect lighting.
Whether you choose the Twilight or the Wall Washer, it's these stacked taillights that provide the soft illumination needed to help you gradually fall asleep and wake up, and they change brightness more smoothly than any other lamp I've tried. Even premium Philips SmartSleep Sleep and wake up light I can't compare. This is important because sudden changes in light can wake you up as suddenly as your phone buzzing.
Color temperature is also important. Some alarm lamps only have one light temperature setting, but Twilight and Washing Machine gradually change from warm to cool, just like a real dawn. Both also start out with very dim lighting that gradually increases in brightness to keep you from passing out.
Quiet sounds
Nature sounds are a feature you won't get with either of these tubes, but personally I don't think it's a bad thing.
Many of the alarm lamps I've tested over the years offer a menu of sound options to help you fall asleep and wake up easily—usually nature sounds like birdsong or rain mixed with white noise. This can be useful, especially if you're struggling with racing thoughts, but the alarm lights tend to play very short sound bites on a loop, which tends to be more annoying than relaxing. They often have low-quality speakers, which makes the sound doubly annoying. A five-second loop featuring a blackbird trapped in a Coke can isn't great entertainment for anyone.
If you want to fall asleep or wake up to quiet ambient sounds, I think you'll be better off with something like the Soundcore Sleep A20, Bose Sleepbuds 2, or Amazfit Zenbuds. These are soft headphones that play soothing sounds, are designed to keep you comfortable even when you're lying on your side, and can even track your sleep at night (though you can't use them like regular Bluetooth headphones).
It's a good idea to have some kind of backup alarm in case the Washer is so gentle and you're so tired that you manage to fall asleep, but in my experience this rarely happens – and even when it does, waking up in an already lit room makes the switch into consciousness less of a shock.
This has changed my mornings, and if you have trouble getting off your pillow first thing, it might help you too.
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The Best Smart Lights for Every Room
