Are those sunlight alarm clocks any good?

[ILoveLukeAlderton]

I’m awake at 5 in the summer and happy to get up which means I get lots more done with the extra time. But now it’s darker I find myself laying in longer and not wanting to get out of bed - would one of these help? And if so are the cheaper ones any good or do I need to spend a bit more? Amazon has a Lumie one for £30 but the reviews are a bit mixed.

Yes, I really liked mine. After a while the light aline woke me up gently.

I use the lumie one and it's great

Yes, I love mine. I hate dark mornings and they just make it a bit less grim getting up when it's still dark.

I purchased one this year. Haven’t started the morning use yet, but there’s a dimmer option for going to sleep and it works very well. I wish I’d bought one years ago.

Yes, I’ve got a Lumie and I love it. One of my dc has just gone to university without hers and is regretting it massively. She’s complaining of being just woken up suddenly in the dark .

I have a Lumie, cost rather more than £30, but I think it's great. It's a much gentler way to wake up. There's a choice of sounds for the sound alarm - I have birdsong, but there are also more strident options, or the radio or something from your own playlist. But it probably does depend on the model.

I have a lumie one - my sister gave it to me as she had an upgrade. It's great, makes a massive difference to getting up in winter. Eases me awake rather than jolting like a traditional alarm.

I have the Philips Wake Up Light Alarm clock and it really does get me up in the morning. It gradually fills the room with sunlight starting 30 mins before the alarm is due to go off. It's a gentle way of waking up!

I have a smart bulb in my bedroom ceiling light and use alexa for my alarm, link the two and alexa makes the smart bulb simulate a sunrise and gradually come on, works perfectly.

I had a lumie and LOVED it! But my husband, who woke an hour later than me hated it, so it had to go. So absolutely fine if you are sleeping on your own or your partner is waking at the same time, but if not, I'd start with a cheap one to try it out first.

I love my lumie, it wakes me up without sound and is brilliant on dark mornings

Absolutely swear by my Lumie. Mine is quite old. It wasn’t as cheap as the cheapest on Amazon. The slightly more expensive ones have more options. Mine only has sunrise/sunset and with/without alarm (and the alarm is HIDEOUS). I know some have options like birdsong. I am not a morning person and it makes it so much easier to get up in the winter. I still set a phone alarm but I’ve usually started stirring before that goes off.

Thanks - I live on my own and could presumably switch it off if my partner stays so no worries there. What models do people recommend?

I love mine! I got it last year. I thought it wouldn’t make a difference. I was wrong.

I started using them 20 years ago when they were quite new; I'd started a new job in the January that required waking in what felt like the dead of night. It's still going although DS now has that one and I have a newer one.

I have an audio alarm of a song on my phone and the lumie set so dawn starts as my alarm goes off, and it gradually lightens during my 20min wake up time.

It's a much softer way to wake up in the darker months.

The bloody thing woke me as soon as the light came on.

I liked having one, helped me get up. My period did change dates though after a month of using one which had never happened before (didn’t really matter for me)

I’ve got a lumie and really like it during the winter months as it’s a more gentle wake up . I use the purring cat wake sound which is nice as long as you like cats

Yes, they are a big help.

Love mine. If I am on annual leave and don't use it I feel so sluggish and grumpy in the morning.

Mine is Lumie 150 and I got it on special offer for £80 in August. I see they’ve jumped up in price now though.

I'm not sure what model mine is but it's a Lumie and it's great. There is not a chance in hell that the light alone could wake me, but it being light once the alarm starts shouting at me is an enormous help.

Mine is like this. Worth signing up to the Lumie website though, sometimes they do introductory offers.

Lumie do great customer service IME, too.