Getting out of bed can be one of the toughest challenges, especially when it comes to getting up in the morning. However, there are many technologies that can help. Instead of using an alarm on your cellphone, these four gadgets are hopefully more powerful in waking you up for sahur.
1. Smart light
Smart lights allow you to use your phone to turn the bulb on and off, and make it work on a predefined schedule as well. Many types of smart lights also come with features that will make it easier for you to wake up by imitating the time and color of the sunrise that looks natural.
With gradual intensity of light, lights like this aim to wake you up in the same way that sunlight does. Some bulbs, such as those in the Philips Hue range, can adjust the sunrise time for your location and are programmed automatically.
There are also smart lights that simply tell you when to wake you up, and the brightness can be set for a few minutes. Settings can be done via an application on a smartphone.
The Lifx bulb is one brand that has this capability. You can set the sunrise and sunset times, and the Lifx app takes care of the rest (including matching sunrise or sunset colors).
Some smart lights are also made specifically to get you out of bed naturally. At the selected time, Philips SmartSleep Sleep or Wake-up Light for example, will gradually fill your bedroom with light. It can help you wake up at night too, by producing a cycle of calming light and sound to help you fall asleep faster so you don't wake up late.
2. Smartwatch or fitness tracker
The benefits of using a smartwatch or fitness tracker to wake up are twofold. First, this gadget can monitor various stages of sleep which can provide information on sleep quality. Second, smartwatches and fitness trackers can wake you up with soft vibrations instead of loud noises.
This wearable gadget can also monitor our movements throughout the night, to track when we are having a good night's sleep. Then we can use that data to determine the best time to wake up, and to stick to a routine that displays the same bedtime and wake time.
Some smartwatches and fitness trackers let you choose the time period when you want to wake up. There's also a vibration setting which comes in handy if you happen to be sleeping with someone else who has to wake up at a different time. Most smartwatches and fitness trackers usually already have the features mentioned above, for example the Samsung Galaxy Watch and Fitbit Inspire.
3. Radio alarm
If you don't really like modern technology or want a touch of retro decor in your bedroom, maybe you can rely on a radio alarm. No need to always buy a new one, you can clean old radio alarms that may not have been touched in years since you got a smartphone.
Some of the reasons why radio alarms are more effective at waking sleep than cell phone alarms: you really have to get out of bed to turn them off (try to keep your alarm far enough from your bed), it can play the main news of the day or your favorite genre of music, And that means you can get rid of your phone and all those annoying notifications all night so they don't ruin your sleep.
If you've never had one, the price of a radio alarm is relatively cheaper than modern gadgets. Some of the radio alarm features depend on the model you get. which have an integrated sunrise light such as the Jall Wake Up Light Sunrise Alarm or there is also the DreamSky brand which gradually adjusts the alarm volume so you are not surprised when you wake up.
Smart speaker
Smart speakers seem to have become a common gadget in modern bedrooms or living rooms, so you may have started using one of these devices to wake up in the morning.
Smart speakers, such as the Amazon Echo or Google Home, can set a repeating alarm for a pre-selected time. It's easy to set or change an alarm, and turn it off with just a voice command.
Photo: Internet
This Amazon and Google smart speaker also has other functions such as turning on smart lights, listening to the morning news, starting listening to podcasts, enjoying some songs when you wake up, reporting weather forecasts, to road conditions if you are going to leave in the morning.
Keep in mind, it's very important to start the day off well, and finding the right gadget to get you up without being startled and rushed is a big part of that. Remember, you don't have to rely on your smartphone to do this