Struggling to get up in the colder months? You need a smart light in your life – and I’ve found just the one

If you sometimes have trouble waking up in the winter, you’re not alone. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests that the shorter daylight hours during winter can throw off your body’s timings, making you feel more sleepy and sluggish during the day.

If this is seriously affecting your everyday life then you should speak to your doctor about the possibility of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). According to to the NHS, signs of SAD can include persistent low mood, irritability, loss of pleasure or interest in normal activities, and difficulty concentrating. Your doctor will be able to listen to your experiences, and suggest lifestyle changes, therapies, or other treatments that can help.

If you’re not experiencing serious problems and are just finding yourself a little more reluctant than normal to pry yourself out of your warm bed, a wake-up light might help make mornings a little easier. These are special lamps that work by simulating a sunrise, slowly brightening over the course of several minutes rather than jolting you awake like the alarm on your phone. Think of being gently roused by sunlight filtering into your tent on a camping trip, and you’ll have the right idea.

Philips Hue Wall Washer light seen from front and back

The Philips Hue Wall Washer uses a technology called ColorCast to throw a smooth gradient of color onto your wall, and it makes an ideal wake-up lamp (Image credit: Future)

Philips Hue lights, you might be surprised that my number one pick is the Wall Washer rather than the Philips Hue Twilight, which is designed specifically for use on your nightstand. Turn both lamps around and you’ll see that they are quite similar, with a stack of LEDs down the back that throw a diffuse gradient of color onto your wall.

The key difference is that the Twilight also has a front-facing task light for reading before bed, but the Wall Washer has the edge when it comes to versatility. When connected to a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box it can become part of your home theater system, synchronizing with what’s on your TV screen to make movies and games more immersive − something the Twilight can’t do.

The Wall Washer is more discreet too, looking less like a conventional table lamp, so you can place it anywhere you want to add some indirect lighting.

Philips SmartSleep Sleep and Wake-Up Light can’t compare. That’s important, because sudden changes in illumination can shock you awake as abruptly as a trilling phone.

Color temperature is also important. Some wake-up lamps only have one light temperature setting, but the Twilight and Wall Washer gradually change from warm to cool light like a real dawn. Both also start out extremely dim, ramping up the brightness gradually so you’re not jarred into consciousness.

Split image showing gradient lights on Philips Hue Play Smart Wall Washer and Philips Hue Twilight lamps

The Philips Hue Twilight and Wall Washer both have the same stack of LEDs on the back, which shine a smooth gradient of light onto your wall (Image credit: Signify / Future)

Soft sounds

Nature sounds are a feature you won’t get with either of these lamps, but personally I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

Many of the wake-up lamps I’ve tested over the years offer a menu of audible options to help ease you in and out of sleep – usually nature sounds like birdsong or rainfall, with a dash of white noise. These can be useful, particularly if you’re struggling with racing thoughts, but wake-up lights tend to play very short sound clips of sound on a loop, which tends to be more annoying than relaxing. They often have poor-quality speakers too, which make the sound doubly irritating. A five-second loop of a blackbird trapped in a cola can is nobody’s idea of a good time.

Person holding Bose Sleepbuds 2 — Sleep earplugs like the Bose Sleepbuds 2 offer more realistic nature sounds than your average wake-up lamp (Image credit: TechRadar)

If you want to fall asleep or wake to gentle ambient sounds, I think you’ll be better off with something like the Soundcore Sleep A20, Bose Sleepbuds 2 or Amazfit Zenbuds. These are soft earbuds that play a selection of soothing sounds, are designed to be comfortable even when you’re lying on your side, and can even track your sleep overnight (though you can’t use them as regular Bluetooth headphones).

It’s a good idea to have some sort of backup alarm, just in case the Wall Washer is so gentle and you’re so exhausted that you manage to sleep right through, but in my experience that rarely happens – and even when it does, waking to an already lit room makes the switch to consciousness less of a shock.

It’s transformed my mornings, and if you struggle to peel yourself off your pillow first thing, it might just help you, too.

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