For most people, waking up in the morning is probably the hardest part of the day and having a blaring alarm doesn’t help at all. You wake up, probably, with a headache and a grouchy attitude. Sometimes, waking up like that affects everything you do afterward. You’ll be easily pissed off my small things and probably end up irritable at work.
There are already pieces of evidence from studies that claim that the sudden jolting sound an alarm clock makes is actually bad for your health. Dr. Chris Idzikowski said that small changes are going on in our body while we are sleeping that makes us vulnerable and the sudden act of waking up and getting up will probably cause problems in your blood circulation, breathing, and heart rate. In addition to that, the ringing of your alarm causes your body to increase your adrenaline levels. It is because your body’s flight or fight response is activated, which is supposed to be for emergency situations only.
Instead of getting up and be ready for your day, you end up annoyed and dreading the rest of your day. The worst part is that there is a possibility that if you are woken up during your deep sleep, you might not be able to think clearly.
Quick tip: Coffee helps wake you up in the morning
If you manage to wake up cranky although you’ve gotten yourself a new alarm clock with soothing nature sounds, you should get yourself a coffee maker with built-in timer. It will make sure a cup of coffee is up for grabs the second you wake up.
So if you feel the noise from your alarm is causing stress to you, you might want to swap it out with something calmer. Changing things up a bit with a relatively pleasing sound to wake up to is probably the best for you. It allows your body to slowly go into waking up mode without causing so much pressure and tension. Plus, it starts your day in a positive tone and this might have a cascading effect throughout your day.
If you are now considering purchasing an alarm clock with a pleasing natural sound, you need not look else were. I have listed the best three alarm clocks out there that keep away from those jolting notes of your traditional alarm. I have also added one more clock on the list that you might consider buying. So without further ado, here is my list of the best alarm clocks with the sound of nature brought into your home.
Small Alarm Clock With Large Digits and 5 Sounds
USCCE Compact Alarm Clock
- Compact design
- Large white digits (can be dimmed)
- Beep/buzzer/bird sounds/piano music/soft music
There are three things that I simply love about this alarm clock. The first will be its adjustable alarm volume and ringing tones. Now you can choose a natural bird sounds or gentler music to start your day fresh and peaceful. The next thing that I love about it is that this clock is easy to operate. There is no added stress on which button is what and there is no sweat in setting and turning your alarm off. Lastly, I adore the fact that the LED display is adjustable. It means that the brightness can be set so it won’t distract you, especially when the lights are out.
It also has additional features that I find very useful. The 12/24-hour display can be toggled, so if you have a certain preference on how you’d like to read the time, then this clock gives you control over that. The other two things that I find helpful are its very own USB charging station that makes sure your phone is ready to go when you wake up, and a battery back-up when for a power outage. However, the battery pack only makes sure that the settings are maintained and aren’t used as back-up power for the alarm or the screen.
Specifications:
- Product Dimension: 5.9” x 1.6” x 3.1”
- Item Weight: 10.1 oz.
- Battery: 1 Lithium-Ion
Digital Alarm Clock With Blue Digits and 3 Sounds
Mpow Digital Alarm Clock
- Calming blue digits
- Buzzer/bird sounds/chord
- 5-level brightness
The Mpow digital alarm clock is simple, elegant looking, and it can wake you up with the birds singing, that is if you want to. There are three options for alarm sounds. You can go for the traditional beeping, or wake up with gentler sound like the chirping bird or the chording of a musical instrument. The volume is also adjustable between 75dB and 85dB, so you can choose between softer sounds or go a little bit louder. The model also comes in two different colors of LED display, a blue one and a white one, and you don’t need to be wary of the brightness since it is also adjustable.
The alarm clock is very easy to use since only the brightness buttons and the snooze button are on the top. Say goodbye to that annoying time where you blindly search for the snooze, not knowing what buttons you’re pressing. And because it is very easy to operate, this would be a great gift for kids or the elderly. An adapter is included when you purchase your product. However, if there is a power outage, you can plug it in a power bank or a laptop and it will work just fine!
Specifications:
- Product Dimension: 7.9” x 3.8” x 2.2”
- Item Weight: 7.8 oz.
Small Alarm Clock With USB Ports and Multiple Nature Sounds
ANJANK Small Alarm Clock Radio
- Large snooze-button on top
- Two USB charging ports
- Water/bird sounds/kanoon/spirited away/beep/buzzer/radio
The ANJANK small alarm clock radio is relatively more expensive in comparison with the other two mentioned but it is my personal favorite and I’ll tell you why in a minute.
This alarm clock is multifunctional. It doesn’t only help you wake up fresh but it also eases you into sleep. It has an FM Radio that can search 60 channels at most. You can either search them manually or use the auto-search settings. Here’s the best part, especially for people like me who listen to a little bit of music before drifting off to sleep. It comes with a sleep timer that ranges from 10 to 120 minutes. The next thing you know is you’re waking up from the gentle music.
Here’s my favorite thing about this product: there are six different gentle sounds, ranging from those that come from nature to sounds made by musical instruments, which you can use to wake you up. The natural sound includes the water (which is my personal favorite), chirping birds, and kanoon.
I also found a lot of extra features that are very much helpful. The first one is that it has a headphone jack and adjustable volumes. This is very helpful especially if you have a roommate. You won’t bother your roommate with your alarm noise and you can give them the sleep that they need. Next is that you can set two alarms useful for days that you have a different time to wake up (true for college students). Lastly, is that you won’t need to be bothered by sudden power outage anymore. This clock has a back-up battery function for the clock, radio, and alarm! You just need to invest in three AAA batteries and you are good to go!
Specifications:
- Product Dimensions: 3.9” x 3.2” x 2.4”
- Item Weight: 9.6 oz.
Things to Consider When Looking for an Alarm Clock With Nature Sounds
There are a lot of options to choose from when we are talking about alarm clocks with gentle nature sounds. But there is more to consider than just the sound itself. So, what should you be considering when you’d like to purchase an alarm clock with nature sounds?
Sound
Okay. I’ve mentioned this item in the paragraph before, but I will really need to stress this out. Your aim now is probably to wake up stress-free, with your heart rate normal, and your mind is clear and calm. So choose the alarm clock that will wake you up with gentle music, may it be the sounds of the singing birds or the water from the stream. So, always check the product description or if you’re in your local department store, ask if you can try it out.
Brightness
The brightness of your LED display can disrupt you as you try to sleep. Bright lights stimulate your eyes and brain and trick it into thinking that it is still day time, keeping you alert and awake. However, you also need the display to be bright enough during the day. It is better to look for alarm clocks that have an adjustable level of brightness to alter it according to your needs at a certain period.
One more thing that can disrupt your sleep, is anxiety. If you suffer from anxiety, try a weighted blanket and see if it helps keeping you calm at night.
Back-up Power Features
Let us face it. There will be several times in a year that a sudden power outage will occur. Sometimes it happens overnight, and alarm clocks with no back-up power will push you to use your smartphone with beeps and buzzes. If you can deal with it then it’s fine. But if you can’t and you need your Zen, then this feature is a must. Does it have a back-up battery? Can it be plugged on a power bank?
Extra Features
This is not essential but will be a great help. Always check out alarm clocks for additional features such as those that can be set with two alarms, for days that you have a different time to wake up; or those that have a gentle light feature that goes with the gentle sound. A gentle light also eases your body into waking up. We have another article about it.