knitsnbytes's Full Review: Soleil Sun Alarm Digital Sun Alarm Clock
According to health blogger Dr. Mercola, who has one of the internet's most popular health sites, waking up to natural, gradual light reduces morning "fog" and helps you to have more energy during the day. Certainly, both of us at home find that waking to a buzzing alarm causes that startle-effect that is not restful. I hate waking to my heart pounding. It's unpleasant. Music is nice, but it almost has the same effect, and if I use soothing music, I just stay peacefully in semi-slumber. Not helpful for catching that plane.
The Soleil Alarm seems rather pricey, but as I have a long work day and need to get going, a fancy alarm clock looked like an investment, especially one that promises "more energy."
Features
Digital display
AM/FM radio
Beeper (ha, if you REALLY are worried to get up)
Snooze button
Special built-in light that simulates a natural sunrise Sunset feature where light fades to darkness over time
Optional Flash and Beep for the hard sleeper.
Optional Controller to operate your own lamp instead of the clock light
Appearance
The clock is black color, smallish (maybe the size of a large man's hand) clock. It is like a flattened cone with a flat half-rising sun shaped frosted lamp on top. The readout is blue-green LED (a bit bright, I think) and the radio controls are necessarily rather small. AM/FM only, no CD here in this small unit.
How it works
The clock has a half-hour prior-to-waking feature that causes the lamp on top to glow at increasingly brighter intensity until it's fully on at your waking time. This means you gradually wake up as the light brightens. The light goes from dim orange to bright yellowish color.
There is a glowing button on the right indicating that you've activated the alarm. If you press the alarm on button on the left side, the indicator glows, and your alarm is set.
Effectiveness
Yes, this really does wake me up (but I am not a heavy sleeper.) I find I wake up around the time it's glowing half way. My husband claims he sees it on its lowest setting, but he prefers NO light in the room when sleeping.
We find actually that dark drapes and no light do help sleep and then I do wake up when this light is glowing. I feel pretty cheerful when getting up. No lugging.
No doubt, this is a gentle and pleasant way to wake up. If you wear a mask, this is USELESS....but, if one of you needs to wake and the other sleep in (grrrr) then the sleeper-in can wear a mask and avoid being woken up.
I haven't tried the sunset, but I can see how kids, who hate the dark, might be lulled to sleep with this nightlight-that-goes-out feature.
Good and bad points
Good:
Wake up is gentle. Pleasant. Effective.
Turning off alarm is easy, single button.
Bad:
LED is bright, I have to shield it.
Controls are smallish, if you are clumsy or have hands that are arthritic, could be hard to work.
Radio only, no cd (I like CD music) --a small downside. Controls are a bit dicey as they are small, hard to tune and use.
Expensive
Lamp is special, have to order to replace.
Summary
I like this clock. I like waking to sunrise. As I get up before dawn, this is wonderful. Nothing worse than getting up in the dark and feeling that weight before work. If you are an early-bird, I think this would be well worth it for your health--too early waking against your natural cycle can actually stress you out.
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