When I was younger, I used to be great about springing out of bed as soon as my alarm went off. Then in college, I developed the unfortunate habit of setting multiple alarms. Once I experienced the satisfaction of hitting snooze to enjoy five more minutes of sleep (and then five more after the next alarm), I was totally hooked. From there, it became a habit I was unable to kick—until I tried the Casper Glow Light about a year ago.
The Casper Glow Light ($129) is designed to lull you to sleep in the evening, and wake you up ... [+]
The Glow Light is a lamp that’s designed to help you fall asleep easier, sleep more deeply and wake up comfortably instead of jolting awake. When mine first arrived, I was impressed by how compact it was. When I plugged in the charging dock and set my Glow Light on top, it didn’t overwhelm my nightstand at all. I was also pleased to find that it charged relatively quickly; after about 20 minutes it was ready to use—so long as I left it resting on the dock.
At night, you can turn the device on for a warm yellow glow, which cues your body to relax and start preparing for sleep. Over a period of 45 minutes, it slowly dims until it finally turns off, indicating that it’s time for bed. I like this feature because the yellow light really does feel calming, but I don’t notice that it helps me fall asleep much quicker. In fairness though, I don’t typically have trouble falling asleep so I may not be the best test subject.
On the other hand, the wake up feature has been a total game-changer for me. After downloading the Casper Glow app, you’re able to sync your Glow Light to your phone and set a specific time that you’d like to wake at. In the morning, the lamp starts slowly brightening the room for about 30 minutes before your set your wake time, simulating the sun rising to help your body wake up naturally. The first time I used my Glow Light in the morning, I was shocked. I actually woke up before my alarm, which never happens, and I felt well-rested and ready to get out of bed.
Now I use it almost every day, and I’ve perfected the system so that I wake up right around when my alarm is set to go off. For me, that seems to work best if I set the Glow Light’s wake time to about 15 minutes after my alarm. Otherwise, the brightness starts to wake me before I really need to get up. Thanks to this addition to my morning routine, I hardly ever hit snooze anymore. I don’t really feel the need to—I feel refreshed when my Glow Light wakes me up. Plus, it’s not exactly easy to fall back asleep with a bright light shining in your face.
If you’re struggling to wake up on time like I used to, longing to fall asleep easier, or you just want a new calming, pretty lamp for your bedroom, the Casper Glow Light is worth a try.
