Sunrise Alarms for SAD
The sunrise alarm clocks I recommend are all here, on the alarm clocks page.
Clinically effective bright lights for SAD are here, on the Happy Lamps page.
So far, a true SAD lamp - sunrise alarm clock combo doesn’t exist yet, probably because a regular lightbulb casts about 200 lux of light on your face, but a SAD lamp casts around 10,000 lux. It would be a harsh awakening.
Watch my video about whether SAD lamps or sunrise alarm clocks work better here (or, you can follow along in real time on social media.)
Video script, with bolded links to research:
If you’ve already ascended to "Wellness Level 99, then you’re waking up to Mother Gaia’s whispers instead of needing an alarm clock. You’re probably also embracing the mysterious beauty of seasonal darkness so hard, that you don’t experience any winter blues.
But, if you’ve been googling “10,000 lux SAD lamp sunrise alarm combo best 2024” and were sad to find they don’t exist, here’s what you can do instead.
First some info: millions of years ago, eyes developed the ability to see yellow and blue before any other colors because they dominate in sunrises and sunsets — this way, our primordial ancestors knew when to wake up, and when to go to bed, syncing our bodies with the earth’s 24 hour cycle. Researchers confirmed earlier this year that warm yellow light is an important part of helping us wake up — it turns out it’s not all about blue light blasting melatonin away.
Our eyes, even when closed, are ultra sensitive to very dim light and those faint, warm, dawn colors actually help our morning cortisol rise slowly and naturally to help us wake up. And, recent research shows that using a sunrise lamp to simulate dawn over an hour and a half is just as good as spending 30 minutes in front of a super-bright lamp for reducing symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. It’s also less annoying.
So if you struggle with getting up or feeling energized during the winter, a sunrise alarm or even a programmed lightbulb might help with both problems.