A variety of sounds, including those from the beach, the forest, or even your backyard, can be played by the best natural-sound alarm clocks, which also have multiple volume settings. Additionally, they’ll have the clock features you need, like sunrise simulation settings, dual alarm designs, or low-light clock faces.
Take into account which natural sounds you are seeking first. Even though the majority of the options on this list give you a choice, the best option for you will depend on the specific natural scenes you want to visualize when you wake up. Consider your sleep preferences in addition to the sounds of nature. You might want a clock with a snooze function or one with separate alarms for weekdays and weekends. The analog or digital design you choose will depend on your personal preferences, just like with any other clock purchase.
Alarm clocks that can mimic the sunrise to wake you up in the morning are another nice-to-have feature that may be suitable for you. An alarm clock that simulates sunrises plays nature sounds serves as a white noise machine, and can be used for meditation is a staff favorite. If you value sensory experiences, there is also a dual-purpose diffuser and alarm clock on this list that can serve both purposes on your nightstand.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of the top natural-sound alarm clocks that can help you wake up in the morning gently.
A Budget-Friendly Alarm Clock That Plays Nature Sounds
This $40 alarm clock from L-Bell is such a great deal because some sunrise alarm clocks can cost quite a bit. This is how it goes: This clock gradually lights up to resemble a sunrise as your alarm time approaches and eventually becomes as bright as daylight. Additionally, you can program it to play soothing natural sounds like a stream, wind chimes, birds singing, or ocean waves. You can use this alarm clock to aid in falling asleep as well. It can be used as a bedside lamp, and as the time for bed draws near, the light gradually fades and you begin to feel sleepy while a sound of your choice plays (or not, if you’d prefer silence to fall asleep).
In addition to having a seven-color glow feature, this sunrise clock also doubles as a radio with up to 40 radio stations that you can scan or save. To get a few extra minutes of sleep, you can snooze your alarm or set different settings for weekdays and weekends.
With So Many Features, an Editors’ Choice Alarm Clock
The Hatch Restore is the pinnacle of high-tech alarm clocks, and its price reflects that. It combines a sunrise alarm clock, a mediation tool, and a sound machine. Simple natural sounds like rain, a waterfall, wind chimes, and white noise are available with the alarm clock alone, but the subscription features are where the Hatch really shines. A free six-month trial of Hatch Premium, the company’s content library of additional nature sounds, sleep meditations, soundscapes, sleep mixes, sleep stories, and even yoga and stretching exercises, is included with your purchase.
This subscription will increase to $49.99 per year after the first six months, making the alarm clock a genuine investment. However, it has a stellar (pun intended) 4.4-star average rating from thousands of Amazon reviewers.
This alarm clock features 22 distinct lighting options that you can customize on a timer to match your sleep preferences using the related app. If you’re unsure of where to start, there is also a default setting available. In addition to nature sounds and a content library, this alarm clock also has 22 unique lighting options.
The Hatch has a dedicated lighting setting for reading, winding down, and sleeping, and you can program it to act as a sunrise alarm clock to wake you up with light. Additionally, you can set it so you have a different sleep schedule for the week and the weekend by hitting the snooze button to block out any outside noise and get a few more minutes of sleep. Even in broad daylight, you can easily read the LED clock’s face. If you prefer to sleep in complete darkness, you can also turn off the light.
A Basic Digital Nature Sounds Alarm Clock
This low-cost, gentle alarm clock features two natural sounds—ocean waves and birds chirping—as well as a few other sound settings and an FM radio. A sleep timer can also be set for the radio function, allowing you to play music or the radio while you drift off to sleep for up to 120 minutes. After that, it will turn itself off.
The base even has two built-in USB ports so you can charge your devices, and the button on top serves as your snooze button. The clock face also displays the space’s indoor temperature, and the dimmer can be set to one of five brightness levels to suit your sleeping preferences. You can set two different alarms, just like the other people on this list.
Ileana Morales Valentine, an associate commerce editor who originally purchased the Hatch Rest, an alarm clock made for babies, also enjoys using this particular alarm clock. “Hatch has been crucial ever since my child was a newborn, perhaps even more so now that he is a toddler,” the mother claims. “The sleek design and clever features are fantastic. Moreover, adjusting from your phone is very convenient. I bought the Restore for my own nighttime and gentle wake-up routine, and I also gave one to friends who are expecting a baby. “
A Child-Friendly Alarm Clock With A Nightlight
There are 17 different types of natural sounds available, such as thunder, the ocean, rain, summer nights, and animal sounds like frogs, cows, or ducks.
The touch-sensitive display of this child-friendly alarm clock shows a moon graphic when it’s time for your child to go to bed and changes to a sun graphic when it’s time for the set wake-up time. There are 17 different sounds included in it, including a variety of animal sounds as well as sounds from nature like thunder, the ocean, rain, and summer nights. It also functions as a nightlight, but the best feature is that adults can set a timer so that the noise and nightlight turn off automatically after a period of time. You can also set the noise to play while your child sleeps if they prefer to spend the entire night with white noise. Your child’s preferences can be accommodated by adjusting the volume and brightness of the nightlight to three different levels of intensity.
One crucial point: Some reviewers point out that even the lowest brightness is a little too bright for light-sensitive children. It can, however, be completely turned off and used only as an alarm clock.
An analog alarm clock that plays bird noises
Birds chirping, five melodies, a beep, and other natural sounds
If you want to be able to wake up to the sound of birds chirping, this analog clock is an easy option. The minimalist, low-light design will appeal to anyone looking to get back to the basics, even though it lacks many of the high-tech digital features found in the clocks above.
If you prefer to sleep with the face illuminated at night, you can also press the button on the clock’s top. You can switch between the sounds and change the volume using the two easy dials on either side. Additionally, the top button serves as a snooze button. Your sleep won’t be disturbed by the non-ticking design, and unlike the other alarm clocks on this list, this one runs on batteries and even includes batteries.
What kind of alarm is the best?
When it comes to morning alarms, there are two opposing viewpoints.
- To gently wake up and avoid snoozing it in a sleepy stupor, choose a sound (or a song) that is uplifting, calming, and that you can listen to in its entirety.
- Pick a noise that jolts you out of sleep. The more annoying the better. Your true north is a fire alarm, You might even resort to hiding your alarm on a Roomba so that nobody can find it. Or even better, a drone.
Both schools of thought, despite being incompatible, have some scientific merit.
Why Soothing Sounds Are Important
In order to better understand how sound affects our bodies, researchers at Brighton and Sussex Medical School in England conducted a study. While keeping an eye on the participants’ heart rates and functional MRI scans of their brains, the researchers presented them with both natural and artificial sounds.
Results revealed that listening to nature sounds caused participants’ heart rates to drop and their sympathetic response, or the fight-or-flight response that occurs when we’re under stress, to decrease. The body’s parasympathetic response, which promotes relaxation, increased as a result of exposure to nature sounds. It is sometimes referred to as the “rest-digest” response.
Science is merely confirming what most people already believe: relaxing nature sounds can lower stress. It can also be difficult to get out of bed. Am I right?
Why are jarring sounds a must avoid?
What transpires if an alarm clock blares while you’re sound asleep? A significant increase in cortisol occurs in you. But your body already responds to cortisol by awakening.
Your cortisol levels gradually increase 30 minutes after waking up to get you ready for the upcoming stress of the day. Your heart may race if you get an extra jolt of wakefulness, but it’s not always beneficial to you.
According to one study, firefighters are 6.4 times more likely to experience a “cardiovascular event” (heart attack) when the station alarm goes off at night than they are when performing their non-emergency work during the day.
Avoid these top 5 jarring alarm sounds!
- Alarm. Straight from a Michael Bay film, it was low, blaring, and monotonous.
- The vehicle horn is possibly the most annoying cartoon sound effect ever.
- old telephone brings back all the fear you had before caller ID and cell phones.
- Radar. Surprisingly, this is the iPhone default. It is monotonous, high-pitched, and will bother you for the rest of the day. a wise choice if you want to feel jittery and uneasy.
- Presto. Similar to “Radar,” but with a bell instead of a radar. The highest, smallest bell would be rung in your ear with a furious pace by a performer wearing white gloves and handbells. The Presto alarm has just finished playing.
Choose How You Want To Wake Up.
Being awake is difficult. These alarms wouldn’t be present if things were simple. And even though we can’t make you a morning person, we can point you in the direction of the information and equipment that will enable you to awaken feeling rested.
