newly ended, it’s crucial to acknowledge that sleeping in the same room as our smartphone, as well as using it as an alarm to wake up, is an acute part of the problem.
For starters, screen time has a direct impact on our production of melatonin, otherwise known as the hormone of darkness, which is produced in the brain’s pineal glands and requires—you guessed it—to work its magic and induce sleepiness. “Melatonin doesn’t like light, especially the blue light emitted by electronics,” explains Shelby Harris, Psy.D.
The bottom line is that if you’re keeping your phone in your bedroom, your brain isn’t fully shutting down and it’s impeding an optimal night’s rest. The solution? If you can’t rely on your circadian rhythm to wake you up naturally, revert back to a traditional alarm clock. “Go old-school!” insists Harris. “It’ll keep the temptation of your smartphone out of the room and if you put it away from your bed, you have to physically get up and turn it off, which makes the snooze alarm tougher to use.
That said, even if you’re buying more time on a de facto alarm clock instead of an iPhone next to your pillow, it’s not a fruitful habit. “If you find that you’re constantly pushing snooze, you’re probably going to bed too late and need more sleep overall,” she says. The other factor to take into consideration if you’re having trouble getting up in the mornings, particularly during the cooler months, is light.
From the latest sun-mimicking innovation to a timeless Danish model, here are three alarm clocks that will ensure a better night’s rest and upgrade your space, too.