I set my alarm for 6 a.m. three days a week with ambitious hopes of being on time for my 6:30 a.m. yoga class. In the winter, that time is midnight or pitch black, and the only reason I sometimes find myself doing early morning vinyasa is the sunrise alarm clock feature on the Hatch Restore 2. I set a schedule to start filling the room with light that gradually gets brighter. About 20 minutes before the sound of the singing bowl starts. The light helps my brain wake up before I wake up, and the subtle sound of the bowl penetrates my subconscious. I often find myself waking up with little to no reason.
Indeed, there are many sunrise alarm clocks. Many are inexpensive and don’t involve optional subscriptions. But I like the Hatch app, which allows you to adjust the length, color, brightness, volume, tone, and more of your morning alarm.
You can also set your morning meditation, exercise, inspirational pep talk, and more to play after your alarm. These are intended to help you return from a horizontal position to an ambulatory position in a matter of minutes. Of course, if you’re sharing a bed and the other person is still asleep, it’s rude to play motivational dispatch. This made sleep aids even more effective. Sound baths, ambient soundscapes, stories, and guided meditations help you transition between the overload of waking life and sleep.
For $5 a month, you get a complete library of alarm and sleep sounds, plus access to all your stories and music. Without this, you will only get a selection. I’ve been subscribing for over a year now because anything that lets you wake up in the dark and go for a hellish early morning workout is worth the money. — Amy Skolheim, reporter
