Dawn Simulator

It’s not natural to wake up to sound. Alarm clocks jolt people out of deep sleep, which is a very rude awakening. It causes sleep inertia, a symptom of depression – and of everyday life – that leaves people feeling groggy and foggy headed in the morning.

A dawn simulator improves this problem by creating a virtual sunrise in your room, easing the transition from sleep to waking. The result is less depression and better energy and concentration throughout the day. On average, a dawn simulator cuts the severity and duration of sleep inertia in half.

Choosing a Product

There are three types of dawn simulators. All-in-one products have built-in, long-lasting LED bulbs and programmable clocks. Alternatively, if you want to use your own lamp, screw in a smart bulb and program it to turn on slowly over 30-60 minutes in the morning. There are also dawn simulator apps, which are great for travel but don’t give off enough light to make a meaningful difference with everyday use.

All-in-One Simulators

Smart Bulbs

Apps

Antidepressant Effects

Waking up with better energy is good for anyone’s mood, but can a dawn simulator actually treat depression? Eight clinical trials suggest it does, at least for winter depression. These studies were small, but they were well controlled – testing dawn simulation against a placebo or lightbox.

A lightbox is a more powerful approach for winter depression, but it can be paired with a dawn simulator. Doing so helps people wake up so they can use the lightbox in the morning.

In people who are not depressed, dawn simulators improve alertness, attention, and memory throughout the day. They also improve sleep, by getting the circadian rhythm off to the right start.

Temperature and Sleep

Light is not the only signal that helps us wake up. A rise in morning temperature also gets the gears moving, and a cooler bedroom induces sleep. Program your thermostat to rise in the morning about 1 hour before you plan to wake up.

Likewise, a drop in temperature signals sleep. Cold rooms deepen sleep quality. How cool? Sleep doctors recommend 60-65˚ Fahrenheit. If you can’t get it that cool, use a fan to cool down with convection.

Cooling mattresses are available that claim to lower the temp by up to 10 degrees, and there is some evidence that these improve sleep. Some models, like the BedJet, warm up in the morning.

Getting Out of Bed

A dawn simulator can wake you up, but it won’t get you out of bed. If that last step is still difficult, try an alarm clock that won’t turn off until you are out of bed.

Aromatherapy is a gentler approach. Mint, citrus, and rosemary help energy and alertness. Plug an oil diffuser into a programmable socket timer set to turn on 15 minutes before you wake up.

Music can also waken the senses. One study found that upbeat, melodic music improved mood and energy in the morning. Their top tracks were Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys and Close to Me by the Cure, but the best music is what pleases your ear.

Coda: Goodbye to Plug-in Clocks

–Chris Aiken, MD, Updated 6/17/2024

Key points

• Sleep inertia makes it hard for the brain to wake up, leaving people groggy throughout the morning
• Noisy alarms worsen sleep inertia by yanking us out of deep sleep.
• Dawn simulators improve wakefulness by creating a gradual sunrise in the bedroom.
• Dawn simulators improved winter depression in 8 clinical trials.

Aromatherapy, melodic music, and warmer temperatures help people wake up with more zest.

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