LilSugar

Alarm Clocks That Wake You Up (Peacefully!) With Light

Heather Dale — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:36:54 PDT

That loud beep-beep-beep coming from your alarm clock at the crack of dawn marks the start of a new day. Personally, that sound makes it that much more difficult for me to rise and shine in the morning. So here's an idea: trade in your annoying alarm clock with one that wakes you up naturally with light. That way, your body will slowly wake up with the gradual increase of light. I was fortunate to have stayed at a hotel that had one of these alarm clocks in its rooms, and let me tell you, the light mixed with the faux sound of birds chirping was heavenly compared to my normal alarm clock. Here are five alarm clocks that will make the transition from night to day easier.

Do You Set Your Alarm?

LilSugar — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:00:00 PST

The sound of an alarm clock chirping in a dark and quiet room is enough to send most people's hands fumbling for the snooze button. In prebaby days, that button could be pressed several times before rushing to get in the shower and downing some breakfast in advance of heading out the door.

With newborns' tendencies to wake for sunrise feedings and older tots' internal alarm clocks kicking in, many mamas forgo the alarm clock altogether. Just this morning a friend told me about her rush to get her son to school and herself to the office after her newborn and toddler decided to sleep in. Based on the past three years of their lil ones' waking habits, neither she nor her husband had set their alarms. In the almost-comical scene that ensued, she realized that she had not set her alarm clock since the birth of her first child.

Do you still set an alarm clock every night?

10 Clocks to Get Kids Up and Out

LilSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:00:40 PDT

Up and at 'em! While some kids are up with the birds, others seem to need a splash of cold water to wake from a sound slumber. Help transition your children to getting up on their own with a personal alarm clock. From cute characters to ones that require your tot to chase them, there are a wide variety of tickers to make the process fun.

To see more pics of our fun finds,

View 10 Photos ›

Mommy's Lil Helper: OK to Wake!

babysugar — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 05:00:39 PDT

If the early bird gets the worm, my daughter could open a bait shop and sell them wholesale. Maybe it's normal for a two-year-old to wake up before sunrise, but it's beyond rough to deal with a newborn all night and then a toddler at 5 a.m. I would be willing to dole out a decent chunk of change if I could get her to stay in bed for another hour or three!

The folks at American Innovative certainly know what that early morning wake-up call is like. In an effort to keep children tucked in and parents snoozing, they created the Ok to Wake! clock ($30) that changes from the purple nightlight to daytime green - signaling it's okay to get out of bed. Always up for a game, my daughter may not sleep later, but at least the clock will allow us to rest a little longer.

Do You Use an Alarm Clock?

babysugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:00:00 PDT

As a mother to a 22-month-old, the last thing I need in my life is an alarm clock. Aside from occasional use for early airport trips, my daughter is up with the roosters and ready to crow.

If there were ever a day where I thought sleeping in may be a reality, I'd go with it. I'd leave the kitchen a mess, phones ringing and the world waiting while my child let me rest peacefully. Dream on you say? Well, I would if I could.
Source

Wake Up and Smell the Oatmeal!

YumSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:13:31 PST

There are some pretty fun alarm clocks out there, but this weekend the internet was abuzz over a different kind of alarm clock. According to Scotland's Daily Record, Quaker Oats is testing a bedside alarm in the UK. Now you'll be able to wake up to a warm bowl of porridge or oatmeal each and every morning.

The device, which is called The Porridgemaid, contains a thermos to keep the milk cold overnight. However, once the alarm goes off, the thermos is heated up and in three minutes you've got yourself a bowl of breakfast. In our ever increasingly fast-paced lifestyles, I suppose every minute counts. However, I could see myself reaching for the snooze button and putting my hand right into a bowl of porridge. It also reminds me of the episode of The Office where Michael cooks his foot, and we all know that that was a completely bad idea. What do you think!?

Source

How-To: Never Be Woken Up by Your Partner's Alarm Clock Again

Emily Co — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:51:07 PDT

We can never have enough inventions to increase our quality of sleep and it seems like we have a winner with the new Lark alarm clock ($129) which is available on its website and since it connects wirelessly to your iPhone, it will be coming to Apple stores on June 14.

Developed by a Harvard sleep expert and a sleep coach for pro-athletes, the Lark gadget is a wristband you strap on that vibrates to wake you up, thus only waking up one person. Don't worry, you're not going to feel a strong electric jolt, the vibration is quite light and is described by the Wall Street Journal to feel "gentle and soothing."

Further, the product even tracks your sleep patterns with a sensor and records it onto an app available in iTunes. And if you're worried about how effective this product will be after a long length of time, the creators have solved this problem - apparently the vibrations also change daily so people won't start getting used to it and ignoring it.

The WSJ review also said that although wearing a wristband takes some getting used to, it starts to feel less noticeable after a couple of wears. So what do you think - is this something you would buy?

Spring Forward With These Alarm Apps

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:20:49 PST

Last fall, iPhone owners were hit by a daylight savings alarm bug, which allowed them to sleep in, even if they didn't want to. A work-around was put into place (by setting a new alarm each day - no reoccurring ones), but users were still skeptical about the effectiveness.

Be warned - daylight savings time is here again (we're all "springing forward" this weekend), and if you're not willing to pony up for a cute nightstand clock (you know, old school), you can always install one of these reliable iPhone alarm apps to use instead.

Alarm Clock + (Free) - This simple app uses your music as your alarm, provides automatic weather reports with your internal GPS, and has a flashlight for those late-night bathroom trips.
Clock Pro Free (Free) - This clock app has all your timing needs covered, coming with an alarm clock, music alarms, notifications, an analog clock, chess clock, stopwatch, world clock, nature times (for high tide, low tide, and sunrise/sunset), sleep timer, egg timer, countdown clock, and even a project clock that works when your iPhone is turned off. Phew!
Alarmed (Free) - This alarm app is simple and easy to use, coming with reminder alerts, reoccurring alarms, reusable timers, sleep timers, and custom sounds.

See the rest after the break.

Gear Review: Lark Silent Alarm Clock

Leta Shy — Sun, 13 May 2012 16:48:00 PDT

You can count me as one of the 30 percent of people who don't get enough sleep every night, so when Lark sent me its silent alarm clock ($100) to test a couple months ago, I was all about it. Since then, I've been using it pretty regularly, here's what I think of the alarm clock.

First, here's what it is: The Lark is part app (compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad only at the moment, but an Android version seems imminent), part motion-sensing wristband that vibrates to wake you up and tracks your sleep quality throughout the night. It promises to both help you wake up more naturally and without disturbing your bedmate and change your personality from sleep-deprived night owl to well-rested morning lark. Included in the package is the Lark sensor, wristband, and charging dock where you plug your wristband into when you wake up - both to shut off the vibrating alarm and ensure that your wristband has enough juice to monitor your sleeping stats for the next night. The charging dock includes a USB port to connect your iPhone charger to it, so you don't have to use two sockets for each.

Who it's for: The Lark is useful if you have a partner and you both wake up at different times. Since it's a silent alarm clock, it rouses you with a series of vibrations through your wristband, so if your normal wake-up call is earlier than your bedmate's, your partner can snooze away without being disturbed. That may or may not be valuable enough for you to justify the $100 price tag, but it is an effective solution. Besides the alarm clock portion, the Lark app tracks several sleeping stats: how many hours you slept as well as how many times you woke up during the night and how long it took you to fall asleep (both based on your movements).

Keep reading for my thoughts on the Lark alarm clock.

8 Ways to Stay Upbeat on Your Job Hunt

Emily Co — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:14:20 PDT

A recent study revealed that staying positive on your job hunt ensures you a better chance of scoring a job. Staying upbeat in the face of multiple rejections can be quite tough - here are a couple of ways to cope:

Avoid talking to negative people. You need all the cheerleading you can get, so try not to talk to those who have lost all hope and are trying to get you to feel the same way. Misery loves company and spending time with negative people can influence how you feel as well.

Work out. When you're unemployed, working out will help you stay positive. The endorphins released during your workout are known to boost moods and the overall well-being of a person. Studies have shown that working out also gives you more energy, which is essential during your job hunt.

Wake up early. Retract the shades on your window so you'll be waking up to the sunrise every day, or set an alarm clock that will get you up at an early hour. Just because you don't have to clock into an office in the morning doesn't mean you should sleep in. In fact, researchers from Roehampton University found that people who get up earlier have happier and healthier lives than those who sleep in. Develop healthy sleep habits for a better mood.

Read on for more.