Wake Up Light - Go Buy One

Let's talk about wake up lights. In case you don't know, a wake up light is an alarm clock with a built in lamp that gradually brightens in addition to the typical alarm sounds. According to many studies, the human body prefers to sleep and wake in sync with the sun but modern work schedules prevent that. In the winter this disconnect can cause tiredness or even depression.

I have always been intrigued by wake up lights because I am a terrible morning person and would sleep all day if I could, particularly in the winter when the sun makes itself scarce. The final push I needed was my new running schedule (first thing in the morning, 3 days a week). As the days got shorter I found it increasingly difficult to get out of bed or have any motivation to exercise. With the many binge-eating opportunities this season - the state fair, my birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas - this was no time to fall off the wagon. So I put a wake up light on my birthday wish list and my hubby obliged me.

I went with the Philips Hf3470/60 model, available from Amazon for $70. There are a multitude of wake up lights on the market, but I chose this one because it is inexpensive, sleek, and had good reviews. Some of the more expensive models have additional features but I didn't think they were worth the extra cost.

These two promotional photos were pulled from the Amazon listing and give a good illustration of what this light looks like. What? You don't look that happy and gorgeous when you wake up?

This light is very bright and does a wonderful job of gradually waking me. The light has adjustable brightness and will go from 'off' to your selected brightness in the 30 minutes before alarm time. The light is so bright it even helps wake up my husband from across the room - no need to buy one for each of us. You can also add an alarm sound - beep, birds, or radio - that you can snooze. The only downside is that, like a typical alarm clock, you have to remember to turn on the alarm each night. It's not a deal-breaker but I had gotten spoiled by the programmable alarm clock on my phone, which I still use as a back up.

This last shot shows the light at home on my nightstand. All-in-all I would highly recommend a wake up light in general, and the Philips model specifically. I have only been using it for a week, but I am already in love. Anything that helps me drag my butt out of bed is a sound investment for me.

NOTE: no one paid me or perked me for this review. I selected this wake up light based on my own research and all opinions are my own. It makes me happy so I thought you guys might want to know about it.