These alarms gradually expose you to light in the mornings by simulating natural dawn over a set period of time and set off your alarm when the light is at its brightest.Įach model provides the function of waking you up with light. You may have seen these innovative alarm clocks circling around the internet, so here’s how they work and the benefits. Exposure to gradual light at the start of the day is the most effective way to gently wake you up and regulate your daily sleep cycle but as we don’t have the same amount of exposure to the sun all year round, this isn’t always possible naturally.Ī sunrise alarm clock that imitates natural daylight could be the solution to acclimating your body for a gentler wake up regime, especially in the months where there is less natural sunlight. S2CID 14073060.During cold winter months where there’s a lack of natural sunlight, waking up in the mornings is no mean feat. "Dawn and dusk simulation as a therapeutic intervention". Terman M, Schlager D, Fairhurst S, Perlman B (April 1989)."Dawn simulation and bright light in the treatment of SAD: a controlled study". "Controlled trial of naturalistic dawn simulation and negative air ionization for seasonal affective disorder". ^ Terman M, Terman JS (December 2006).^ Avery DH, Eder DN, Bolte MA, Hellekson CJ, Dunner DL, Vitiello MV, Prinz PN (August 2001).: CS1 maint: archived copy as title ( link) Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2012. Most commercial alarm clocks include a "dusk" mode as well for bedtime. Light enters through the eyelids triggering the body to begin its wake-up cycle, including the release of cortisol, so that by the time the light is at full brightness, sleepers wake up on their own, without the need for an alarm. Non-clinical sleep and wake-up uses Ī dawn simulator can be used as an alarm clock. In addition, the technique has been used clinically with patients who suffer from delayed sleep phase syndrome, helping them to awaken earlier in gradual steps, as the simulated dawn is moved earlier. In an elaboration of the method, patients have also been presented with a dim dusk signal at bedtime, with indications that it eases sleep onset. Some patients with seasonal affective disorder use both dawn simulation and bright light therapy to provide maximum effect at the start of the day. In terms of efficacy, some studies have shown dawn simulation to be more effective than standard bright light therapy while others have shown no difference or shown that bright light therapy is superior. Because the entire treatment is complete before awakening, dawn simulation may be a more convenient alternative to post-awakening bright light therapy. Approximately 19% of patients discontinue post-awakening bright light therapy due to inconvenience. The theory behind dawn simulation is based on the fact that early morning light signals are much more effective at advancing the biological clock than are light signals given at other times of day (see Phase response curve).Ĭomparison with bright light therapy ĭawn simulation generally uses light sources that range in illuminance from 100 to 300 lux, while bright light boxes are usually in the 10,000-lux range. When used successfully, patients are able to sleep through the dawn and wake up easily at the simulated sunrise, after which the day's treatment is over. There are two types of dawn that have been used effectively in a clinical setting: a naturalistic dawn mimicking a springtime sunrise (but used in mid-winter when it is still dark outside), and a sigmoidal-shaped dawn (30 minutes to 2 hours). Clinical trials were conducted by David Avery, MD, in the 1980s at Columbia University following a long line of basic laboratory research that showed animals' circadian rhythms to be exquisitely sensitive to the dim, gradually rising dawn signal at the end of the night. Variations and improvements seem to get patented every few years. Modern electronic units were patented in 1973. The concept of dawn simulation was first patented in 1890 as "mechanical sunrise". Dawn simulation is a technique that involves timing lights, often called wake up lights, sunrise alarm clock or natural light alarm clocks, in the bedroom to come on gradually, over a period of 30 minutes to 2 hours, before awakening to simulate dawn.
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