The Philips Wake-Up Light

The positive effects of light and light therapy have been used to treat everything from acne to seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Now, a new way of using light is making its way into our sleep cycles and attempting to replace our alarm clocks. And the Philips Company is leading the way with the Philips Wake-Up Light – a “dawn simulator” that could change the way you feel about waking up in the morning.

The premise here is that its more natural and beneficial to the body and mind to wake up to a gradual increase in light than it is to a jarring alarm, loud music, or the morning news. That seems logical doesn’t it? After all, is there a single one of us who hasn’t been shocked to wakefulness by an alarm at one time or another? I know I have and I’ve thrown my share of pillows at my clock radio too. Waking up like that has never left me feeling more alert or ready to face the day. If anything, it’s put a morning-long scowl on my face that caused my family, friends, and co-workers to back off a step.

So the Philips wake-up light gently awakens you by gradually increasing the light intensity for 30 minutes before your actual wake up time-setting. As the light increases, it alerts your body to begin increasing certain energy hormones which prepare you to wake up. Then, when your actual wake up time arrives, you wake up more refreshed and in a more agreeable mood.

Sense and Simplicity are the watchwords at Philips and this new wake up light embodies both. Not only does this device use a fresh twist on light therapy, but it’s the first light of its kind to use an energy-saving lamp so it uses less energy than any other kind of wake-up light. So it's definitely a "green" device.

And the controls are so easy-to-use and unobtrusive, you’d think there were no controls at all. It’s a beautiful combination of form and function that will fit into any bedroom décor.

Heavy sleepers don’t have to worry about oversleeping because this Philips light comes with sound. It has an on-board FM radio so you can still tune in your favorite radio station. You simply set the device to begin playing your station when your alarm time is reached – after the wake-up light has finished its cycle.

The light also comes with four pre-programmed sounds that you can use to wake up with as well. You can choose to wake up feeling like you’re in a forest filled with birds or in an African jungle, or you can wake up hearing wind chimes or a simple, soothing beep.

This wake-up light isn’t just for the mornings either. It functions as a perfectly good reading light too. So you won’t need yet another lamp on your night table to read by. And the Philips Wake-Up Light can actually help you float off into a sound sleep too. You can set the device in a sort of “reverse mode” so that it starts off at a high illumination and ever-so-slowly works its way down to no illumination at all. This is what Philips calls “dusk simulation” – a way to wind the body down and get it ready for a sound sleep.

The Philips HF3480 model is built to go from no light all the way up to 300 Lux in 30 minutes. Note that “Lux” is a measure of light intensity and that 300 Lux is an approximation of the light intensity at or near sunrise. In addition to the innovative light functionality, the HF3480 also has:

• 15 minute back-up battery power
• an FM radio
• an invisible LED clock and radio station display
• a snooze button for both the sound and light

The Philips HF3490 model has all of the features of the 3480 with one added extra:

• a detachable dock to charge your iPod/iPhone and play your favorite music

For those of you with an iPod love affair, this is your model. Because even though the HF3490 comes with the usual FM radio and the usual four nature sounds, this model also comes just waiting for your iPod. So you can crank it up a notch if you like and use your own sounds or programmed tunes to put you into whatever mood you want when morning comes around.

The Philips Wake-Up Light puts a whole new spin on getting up in the morning. The device is built to deliver style and function and can operate using light, sound, or your own favorite music. Using an innovative yet logical approach with light, it offers a gentler and more natural way to wake up and meet the day. All in all, it’s a pretty cool deal.