Like other budget alarms, it brightens in ten gradual stages over half an hour, but the Lumie Sunrise also offers coloured mood lighting, which I tend to put on as soon as I get home to make the bedroom feel cosier. I like the small choice of wake-up sounds, my favourite being birdsong. You can also choose purring kittens or a classic alarm beep. Charged over USB and good for more than a week’s worth of use against the recommended session amounts, it’s a discreet and portable alternative to the the Beurer TL-100, if not quite a like-for-like substitute for the wake up lamps listed here. Melatonin is known as the sleep hormone and significantly influences the quality of our sleep. The pineal gland releases the hormone, especially in the dark. The longer it is dark, the more melatonin is produced. Serotonin is considered a happiness hormone, wakes us up and has a positive effect on our mood. However, the two hormones are by no means just counterparts, as they are closely interdependent. The Beurer Wake Up Light WL50 is compact, and looks smart on your nightstand (Image credit: Suzanne Baum) A sunrise alarm can be an excellent way to make sure you start the day off in the right way. A good sunrise alarm will have both sunrise and sunset modes, so you can get to sleep easier as well as waking up more gently in the mornings. With many models, you also benefit from being able to wake up to nature sounds or your favourite radio station.

The ""beurer LightUp"" app provides you will extensive functions for operating your device. Please note that the availability of certain functions varies depending on the individual products:The device also functions as an FM radio, and allows you to store up to 30 different channels. Alternatively, you can use the speaker it houses to play your own music via Bluetooth, or via any USB connected device. There’s a cable included for this, which also doubles as an aerial for the FM radio. Beurer WL50 Wake Up Light review: daily use Whereas the previous lamps on this list have been intended for the bedroom, Beurer’s TL100 is intended for use throughout the day, hitting your SAD lows with a full-on bright-light blast.

For comparison: In a well-lit office, the light intensity is just 500 lux. At the same time, electric light has an increased proportion of red light compared to daylight. Due to the low lux value and the increased red content, conventional electric lamps are therefore not sufficient to have a medical effect. This alarm is suitable for adults but would also be great for kids. Not only is it an appealing design, but there’s also a colourful display and a customisable nightlight that lets you choose from a range of different colours.With two separate alarm slots (which, slightly annoyingly, have to be activated each time you want to use them) and five natural wake up sounds, the HF3520’s gradual light steps were naturally graded, offering a peaceful start to the day. MOOD LIGHT – Free your spirit with the preset light scenes and an additional choice of 256 colours. The additional timer function switches the mood light off after the time you have selected. The feature that immediately jumps out at you with this alarm is the light. It’s designed to imitate a sunrise and will, therefore, increase very gradually over 30 mins before reaching maximum brightness. This helps you to wake up naturally and helps you to feel restored when you do. You can adjust the brightness level to your preference and once the 30 mins are up, a song or radio station of your choosing will play. In a nice touch, a simple tap of the lamp sets its alarm into snooze mode. But the other controls, either dotted around the outer ring or the touch-sensitive ones on its front face, could be a bit fiddly, especially when programming different settings. You’ll want to keep the instruction manual handy for the first few days.

The smart touch display makes it very easy to use this alarm and the aux connection means you can easily connect your phone or tablet so you can use it as a speaker. The light from the alarm means you can also use it as a table lamp and reading light, with fully adjustable light settings. Alarm function – Most lamps will have some kind of audible alarm, which is usually a choice of interesting sounds and/or radio.

The Philips Somneo Sleep and Wake-Up Light (also known as SmartSleep) is the most stylish wake-up light we've tested, and looks great even when not in use. The unusual shape doesn't just look good, either; it also helps light diffuse evenly throughout the room. RADIO – With the integrated radio, you can store up to 10 stations using the station search and use the stations as wake-up or fall-asleep music. Yes. The gradual brightening effect is much more likely to coincide with one of your shallower sleep patterns. It is easier to wake gradually from shallow sleep than suddenly from deep sleep. Is it better to wake up to light or sound?