Definition
Light alarms wake you up using light to imitate the sun rising. This may improve your mood, creativity and can alleviate sleep problems.
How to Do It
- Purchase a sunlight alarm or set a timer up to turn on a lamp or other light source
- Set the alarm for the appropriate time
- Wake up when the alarm goes off
Benefits
Time Commitment
1 minute
Why it works
Exposure to light in the morning aligns your body’s sleep cycle with the day-night cycle
Proper wake-sleep cycles result in beneficial effects for mood and cognitive ability [7].
Improved mood and cognitive ability may lead to a boost in productivity.
Suggested Frequency
Daily
Supporting Studies and Articles
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/acps.12741?casa_token=d2PCux5fLAsAAAAA%3AsZgZulcpLsPpf_uGNaNmm_CFV9pDXzdZkiwzMlsbP-C48VzYHfaa9hKIaOdH2n8xxcjxz41XyLrDSlU SLEEP SELFEFFICACY
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079215001136 SLEEP, INSOMNIA CIRCADIAN ADJUSTMENT
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/acps.12785 POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18076544
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166432817315358 BLUE LIGHT PREVIOUS NIGHT -> Boost morning cognition
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178112000455?via%3Dihub
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13524-017-0609-8
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3010336/
Side Effects
Tiredness
Headaches
Required Equipment
Light Alarm
Notes
- It may be a good idea to adjust the time of your morning alarm based on when you are going to sleep [8].
- Heavy sleepers or sleep deprivation may lead to sleeping through a light alarm.
