I’m among the thousands who struggle with winter mornings, as the chilly UK weather brings a seemingly endless darkness. Fortunately, an early Black Friday discount on Amazon has been a game-changer for me, aiding in waking up when it’s still pitch black outside.
The Lumie Sunrise Alarm Clock, a simple-looking bedside gadget that does more than just tell time, is what I’m talking about. As the name implies, the clock simulates a natural sunrise by gradually increasing light levels 30 minutes before your alarm sounds, preventing you from being abruptly awakened by a loud alarm.
It has significantly helped me get out of bed faster and eliminated any early morning grogginess that we’re all too familiar with. And now, this simple yet effective gadget is much cheaper on Amazon – where the Prime retailer has reduced the price to £32.99.
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Originally priced at £49.99, the limited-time deal offers a substantial 34% discount, making it one of the best early Black Friday deals on the online giant’s site. This is, of course, ahead of the highly anticipated November 29 sale date in the consumer calendar.
Nonetheless, I couldn’t overlook the discount and not share my experience of using the lamp over the past two years, as it has genuinely made a significant difference. I now jokingly tell my boyfriend that his ‘last-dash’ birthday present turned out to be one of the best gifts I’ve ever received, reports the Mirror.
The Lumie light is ingeniously designed to wake you up gently, by slowly increasing the brightness of its warm white light over a 30-minute span. As your alarm time approaches, the light becomes brighter, which, according to the product description, helps you “feel refreshed, energised and ready to take on the day”.
After setting it for a 6:30am wake-up (a process that’s now a breeze with just a click of a button after the initial setup), I’ve noticed a positive shift in my mood. Before the Lumie, I would linger in bed, too groggy to move or speak, for about 20 minutes.
Now, I’m up within five minutes of my alarm, and sometimes I’m even awake before the light reaches its brightest. The device also offers a night-time feature, allowing you to choose from a spectrum of colours to help you relax at bedtime.
The yellow and red hues simulate a fading sunset, which I find particularly useful when I read before sleep, although I don’t use it every night. One aspect of waking up that I’ve always loathed is the jarring sound of an alarm, but Lumie’s selection of five natural, bird-song-like sounds provides a peaceful alternative, enhancing the experience of waking up naturally as if to a bright summer morning with the windows open.
Having received the Lumie as a birthday gift a few years back, the only slight improvement I’d suggest is perhaps the material of the light itself—it feels a bit ‘plasticy’, but that’s just me being picky; its functionality is faultless.
In addition to the Lumie, there are other models available that offer sunrise-like qualities, such as the Philips Sunrise Alarm and the Lexon Mina Sunrise Lamp. However, these alternatives tend to be more expensive than the Lumie light I use.