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I wake up at 4 a.m. Monday through Friday for my job in order to beat the morning traffic rush. This means that I am awake way before the sun is up! This makes it really hard to actually pull myself out of bed when it is still super dark outside. Every time I hear my alarm it jolts me out of bed and I can feel myself almost rolling my eyes at my alarm. It is such an irritating sound to hear first thing in the morning. So I finally decided I needed to find a different way to wake up in the morning!
In my quest to find a way to wake up better, I discovered sunrise alarm clocks. If you don’t know, these are alarms clocks that actually use light to simulate the sunrise in order to wake your body up. The light starts off dim and grows brighter as it nears the time you would like to wake up. So say you set the alarm for 7 a.m. and you also set the light duration for 30 minutes. At 6:30 a.m. a dim light will appear on the clock and will slowly get brighter until it is at the brightest point at 7 a.m. similar to an actual sunrise! Also most of these clocks will use sound at the time you select to also help wake you up just in case the light doesn’t wake you.
The Hatch Restore
After researching a few different sunrise alarm clocks I decided to go with the Hatch Restore and I am absolutely 100% happy with my choice. I am so in love with this clock and actually enjoy waking up now! Don’t get me wrong, it is still hard to get up at 4 a.m., especially on Mondays, but I have noticed that the process is so much easier and actually kind of pleasant. I now find myself waking up a few minutes before the alarm actually sounds just due to the light brightening the room. And better yet, the alarm sound is birds chirping so sounds like I am waking up on a beautiful spring morning every day!
Other Features
On top of the Hatch Restore being a sunrise alarm clock, it is also a digital clock, white noise machine, and allows you to create a bedtime routine that uses lights and sounds to help you fall asleep. This bedtime routine is just as cool as the sunrise alarm it provides. I set my bedtime routine for a 20 minute reading light, a 5 minute wind down light (turns to a deep red light), and finally the lights turn completely off while a sleep sound turns on (I chose the sound “Light Rain”). This sleep sound turns on and will go all night until the alarm sounds at 4 a.m. I start the bedtime routine by tapping the top of the Hatch Restore and it will automatically cycle through the different steps at the times I allotted or I can tap the top of the Hatch again to get to the step I would like.
The Hatch App
All of the features of the Hatch Restore are linked to an app on your phone. This app is where you can set up your alarms as well as choose the colors and sounds you would like for the alarms. Some of the sunrise colors include Malibu Sunrise, Portland Lighthouse, Morning Stroll, and much more. There are also quite a few alarm sounds including Meditative Flutes, Wind Chimes, Morning Birds (I use this one!), and a few more very calming sounds to wake up to.
You can also upgrade the app to access premium features such as a variety of meditations, sleep stories, breathing exercises/countdowns, music and more. I haven chosen not to upgrade the app as I feel the basic sounds and lights provided are exactly what I was looking for.
Pricing
The Hatch Restore costs $129.99 for the sleep machine/sunrise clock and as I mentioned before, you can upgrade the app for $49.99/year. I purchased mine in person at BuyBuy Baby but you can also get it online directly from Hatch or even through Target.
If the Hatch Restore seems a little too pricy, the Hatch company also provides some other products such as the Hatch Rest, Rest +, and a Rest Mini. These products are typically used to help kids and babies sleep, but offer a lot of the same features as the Hatch Restore for a lower cost.
Overall Thoughts
Overall the Hatch Restore is the ultimate sunrise alarm clock and sleep machine to have. I have not only been waking up better, but have also been experiencing much better sleep. I am extremely happy I purchased this product!
