Do Sunrise Alarm Clocks Really Work?

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The daily ‘rise and shine’ may not apply to everyone, and even your jolt of caffeine may not be enough in the morning to get you going. Light plays a central role in regulating the body’s internal clock that signals when to be alert, and when to rest. Light also affects the production of melatonin, an essential sleep-promoting hormone, according to the Sleep Foundation.

If your sleep cycle has been interrupted due to limited sunlight, erratic work schedules, jet lag or other type of sleep deprivation, you may want to consider taking a look at sunrise alarm clocks (also known as ‘dawn simulators’). One study found they can help reduce temporary disorientation and tiredness upon waking (also known as sleep inertia).

In the guide below, we discuss how sunrise alarm clocks are designed to work, what a lux level actually means, and review some of the best-selling sunrise alarm clocks currently on the market today.

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What Are Sunrise Alarm Clocks?

Sunrise alarms, or “dawn simulators”, mimic the rising of the sun that triggers our internal clock to tell us it’s time to get up. The sunrise lights gradually increase the brightness over 30 minutes or up to an hour depending on your sensitivity. Some sunrise alarm clocks even offer nature sounds, white noise and other relaxing and meditative music for waking.

Do Sunrise Alarm Clocks Really Work?

According to one trial, the quality of sleep for the volunteers did see improvement while using the dawn simulator-devices. It took about six days of consistent use before the sunrise lamps saw some benefits, but once stopped, the effect of using the simulator would stop as well.

Benefits can depend on a variety of conditions, like your light sensitivity and the times you are going to bed. If you are very sensitive to light, the 30 minute dawn simulator might wake you up earlier than you anticipated. If you are going to bed too late, you could also be cutting short your sleep cycle.

Sunrise clocks aren’t to be confused with a light therapy box, which is powerful enough to mimic outdoor light.

What Are Lux Levels In Sunrise Alarm Clocks?

A Lux is a measurement of the amount of light level intensity, also referred to as the illumination of a surface area. Indoor artificial lighting can be as high as 1,000 Lux, with sunrise and sunset usually around 400 Lux.

Best-Selling Sunrise Alarm Clocks of 2025

1. Best Overall: Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light, Sunrise And Sunset Simulation HF3520/60

Price: $89.99, was $108.95 at Amazon; $148.75 at Philips

Lux Level: 300 | Brightness Settings: 20 | Natural Sounds: Yes | Alarm: Yes | Radio: Yes

While not the brightest sunrise alarm clock on this list, the reviews rate this Philips SmartSleep Sunrise Light place it as one of the best on the market and the ideal all-rounder in terms of general functionality and price point. With 4.3-stars and over 14,000 reviews on Amazon, reviewers have largely agreed that the brightening functionality (with the multitude of brightness settings) and some of the natural alarm sounds make early morning wake-up calls a breeze. Users can also shorten or lengthen the wake up time depending on preference.

As one reviewer mentioned, “I can now set the alarm for when I actually need to get up (not one hour before for cushion time) meaning that I get more sleep. The light itself doesn’t wake me up fully, but to the point where I'm in that drowsy-half asleep state and fully aware that the day is about to start. I do still need sound to get me fully awake, so I [also] use the radio function.

Another reviewer said, "This is very similar to waking up while you're rustic camping, if you've ever done so. So much so that at first I thought I was back in my tent at Yellowstone. That is really the only way I can describe it. I also liked how the light changed from dim red to bright white as it got brighter. Lights I've had in the past do not do that, you just get a more intense version of the same color light."

Some of the criticisms of the clock were largely around the design and sturdiness. They also mentioned that with the button controls on the outer rim, they can be hard to see and reach. And unlike some of the other products on the market, there's few "smart" or app extras despite the price point.

2. Best Value: JALL Sunrise Alarm Clock

Lux Level: 200 | Brightness Settings: 20 | Natural Sounds: Yes | Alarm: Yes | Radio: Yes

This JAAL Sunrise Alarm Clock is one of the most popular and best-selling options on Amazon at the moment, with over 27,000+ ratings and 4.3-stars. Over 4,000 JAAL products have been purchased in the last month, according to the company page.

In terms of price point, you can’t beat this sunrise lamp either, ‘clocking in’ at the best value on this list at less than $40 while on sale. Like the others on the list, there’s plenty of brightness options, a gradual wake up setting for heavy sleepers up to 60 minutes, a radio and nature sounds galore. Reviewers are generally pleased with the performance and brightness, sound and color options.

"The clock works as described and it gets very bright, but you can adjust that. Everything is nearly adjustable from the dawn light to the sounds. I like that it has two alarms and you can pick some days of the week that they go off. I have it set to go off for an hour which means it will turn on and get brighter an hour before you want to get up," says one happy reviewer who gave the product 5-stars.

Another said, “If I get up to turn off my phone alarm, I’m just not alert enough. But the light in my eyes from this clock removes a degree of sleepiness that would normally have my mind saying ‘just go back to bed.’” A third glowing review said, "I have had this alarm for about two weeks now and it is the dead of winter, and I have woken up feeling refreshed every morning."

The main complaints were the somewhat cheap look and feel of the product, some confusion in the initial programming set up, and the long-term reliability was in question.

3. Best For Toddlers: Hatch Rest+ Baby & Kids Time-to-Rise Sound Machine And Alarm Clock

Price: $89.99 at Amazon; $99.99 at Hatch.co

Requirements: $49.99 annual subscription to Hatch+ for full sound library

Lux Level: Not stated | Brightness Settings: Not stated | Natural Sounds: Yes | Alarm: Yes | Radio: No

While not a traditional sunrise alarm clock like the others on this list, the Hatch Rest+ Time-to-Rise machine uses light and sound to help maintain a healthy sleep schedule for your little ones. It’s a Wi-Fi enabled sound machine (think white noise, wind, rain, and lullabies) and nightlight. The ‘time-to-rise’ feature can be used with both sound and light combinations to signal to your children when it’s time to get up. The ‘time-for-bed’ feature also cues similar habits when it’s time to sleep.

It has an eight hour battery life and portable charging base. You would have to sign up for the annual subscription service to have complete access to the entire sound library, including the lullabies, but there are still sounds available even without it. All of the controls are accessible through a phone app. There’s also a monitor feature, so while it can be noisy (since it doesn’t filter out its own sounds according to one reviewer), it does help keep parents aware of their children’s bedtime habits.

As with most of the common complaints, the app can be a little spotty to use from time to time, the monitoring isn’t the most clear, and it does have to be connected to Wi-Fi to use.

How We Made Our Decision

Functionality

We aimed to highlight the key features of the top sunrise alarm clocks in the market today, such as lux level, brightness options, sound quality and radio options. There was only one alarm clock (the Hatch Rest+) that did not have a brightness rating available, but since it was for children and not designed to light up an entire room, we still moved forward with our pick because of other available features.

Price

We love a good deal, so between finding the products with the best reviews and ratings, we also aim to feature products at the lowest price point. When it comes to a higher than average price point, like the Philips luxury pick, we should expect greater performance options to justify the increased cost.

Reviews

We let the reviewers speak for themselves when it comes to hands-on testing. We strive to highlight the pros and cons of each product based on user feedback and the feature list. If a product has few (or no) verified reviewers, or the complaints outweigh the purpose and price of the product, we won’t feature it in our lists.

Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publish.