You’ve been waking up wrong for years – my genius alarm clock trick reveals why

FOR decades, I blindly believed that the only way to wake up in time for work was to have a digital alarm clock shriek bloody murder into my ear from my bedside table.

That all changed last week when I tried out a gentler bit of kit that aims to rouse you from your slumber without spiking your heart rate.

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The Lumie lamp has taken social media by storm over the past two years and utilises light therapy to get you up in the morning.

It’s packed with LEDs that gradually brighten to resemble a sunrise, gently filtering light into the room for a more natural awakening.

But is the high-tech gear any good? I tried out the pricey Bodyclock Luxe 750DAB to find out (spoiler: Yes, it’s good.)

SEEING THE LIGHT

The first thing to note is that setting the Lumie lamp up is an absolute breeze.

Once you’ve got it out of the box, it takes just a couple of minutes to fiddle with the settings and, hey presto, you’re ready to go.

The one drawback here is that you have to use the lamp’s four buttons and two spinning dials to set up.

While this saves you the annoyance of having to download a companion app, it can be a little fiddly. Lumie has video guides to help.

The gizmo’s design isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s a bit space-age, with a U-shaped, fabric base topped by the plastic casing of the light.

My version (there are seven available at various prices) comes with a digital radio, meaning it has an antenna protruding from the top.

It won’t go with the feng shui of every bedroom, but it’s neutral and subtle enough not to draw too much attention.

OUT LIKE A LIGHT

The Bodyclock Luxe comes with all sorts of extras, including the aforementioned radio, Bluetooth speakers and a low-blue light feature.

As a bonus, you can use it as a bedside lamp and even charge your phone using a USB port around the back.

The most important bit, however, is the faux sunrise and sunset function, which is powered by ten LED lights.

If you’ve set an alarm, the lamp will gradually brighten over the course of 15, 20 or 30 minutes.

It’s undoubtedly a far calmer way to rouse from a slumber, and you can always set a gentle sound – such as rainfall or ocean waves – to go off at your preferred time if you don’t trust the light to fully wake you.

You can also use a sunset feature as part of your bedtime routine, with the light gradually dimming over a set period.

It’s a great way to keep you from scrolling your phone for hours when you should be getting your head down for some rest.

Lumie says that waking up using its sunrise and sunset lamps carries health benefits, a claim you should probably take with a pinch of salt.

What I can say for certain, however, is that using one of its lamps has made waking up a far more pleasant experience, and I find myself hitting snooze far less frequently than I did with my old alarm clock.

LIGHTS OUT

If you’re looking for a calmer way to wake up, then bagging yourself a Lumie lamp is a good way to go.

It saves you from the jarring blare of a traditional alarm and adds a calming new addition to your bedtime routine, too.

For the pricier models, the added benefit of a radio and/or Bluetooth speaker can only be a good thing.

The primary drawback, ultimately, is the price. Lumie lamps start at £50 but the pricier model I’m using costs a knee-wobbling £230.

If you ask me, it’s a price worth paying, but that will depend on your budget – and how much you despise the alarm you use right now.

For me, the Lumie represents the best alternative to a traditional alarm clock. Ear-violating awakenings are firmly a thing of the past.

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