I’ve always struggled with seasonal depression, especially when I was living in Canada. The long, cold and dark winters felt like they were never-ending, and finding the motivation to do anything, even just getting out of bed in the morning at a normal time, was tough.
What made matters worse is that I usually didn’t have to: Ever since I quit my office job for self-employment, I started sleeping later and later, and without an alarm. These habits eventually came to a head, resulting in my circadian rhythm getting totally out of whack.
To recalibrate my sleep schedule, I made a somewhat impulsive decision to purchase the Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light. Since purchasing the product give years ago, my morning routine transformed for the better. Not only do I wake up every single morning at 7 a.m. now (yep—even on weekends), but it sets me up for a healthy and happy day, and I’ve been able to maintain those habits for years now.
More About the Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light
The Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light is a traditional morning alarm clock, a bedside lamp as well as a light therapy device for seasonal depression (sometimes called a SAD lamp). The product simulates the rising sun to help wake you up (as opposed to a loud, aggressive alarm), which should not only make waking up easier, but also help establish a healthier morning routine.
Price: $179.99 at Amazon
All the Reasons Why I Love the Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light
The gentle sunrise setting was a game-changer during dark winters
I used to live in an apartment with almost no natural sunlight, which meant that not only was I not waking up with sunlight, but I wasn’t getting any sunlight throughout the day at all. The gentle sunrise setting on the Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light is programmable to simulate the sunrise before your alarm even goes off—which meant that my circadian rhythm was tricked into feeling like it was waking up to natural sunlight.
The alarm is a more gentle way to wake up
The Wake-Up Light’s alarm clock noise starts slow, then progressively gets louder before the actual alarm goes off. The gentle increase in volume isn’t overwhelming or stress-inducing like a traditional alarm, and allows for a more relaxing and pleasant way to wake up and start the day. Even better, you can program the noise of your alarm; Mine is bird noises and spa like music. These sounds put me in a good mood right off the bat, whereas using my phone alarm made me feel like I was starting the day stressed.
A physical alarm clock allows me to put my phone away before bed
Like most folks, I would count on my phone’s alarm clock to wake me up in the morning. But since using my Wake-Up Light, I don’t have to, which allows me to leave it to charge elsewhere during the night. Doing this has effectively eliminated the temptation I’d used to get to scroll social media before trying to fall asleep.
The warm light doubles as mood lighting throughout the day
I tend to live in studio apartments, and I enjoy keeping a minimalist lifestyle—so I love that the Wake-Up Light also doubles as a warm-light lamp. I tend to set it at about half the full light strength and it creates a golden hour-like glow in my apartment all day.
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