Hacking the morning.
I usually wake up around 6am, it’s easy in the summer months but it’s hard in the winter, so in January I bought a Philips Wake-up Light. For those of you that haven’t come across these types of light, they are designed to wake you up gradually by simulating the dawn sunrise using a powerful bulb. They are fairly expensive, retailing for around £100 ($140), though there are other models around for less.
So does it work? in a word: Definitely. I’m often awoken way before the light reaches it’s full intensity (which happens over a period of 15 minutes). It’s also feels like a natural wake-up making a normal clock radio seem like a bucket-of-cold-water-over-face in comparison. However after a particularly late night, the light doesn’t quite get my eyes to flicker open, the wake-up light has a backup plan though. Birdsong. Once the light reaches it’s full intensity, a birdsong soundtrack gradually fades in until it’s like being asleep in an aviary. If that doesn’t wake you, you’re probably dead.
It’s been a great purchase. There are however a few minor cons. Firstly the light unit requires a 100w incandescent bulb, they no longer sell incandescent bulbs in the UK so I had to buy a batch on eBay. Secondly it’s not really suitable for couples on different schedules.
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