alarm clock, bought from IKEAImage via Wikipedia

Today I was awakened by my daughter kindly bringing my cold blackberry and placing it on my bare chest. I had left it out in the living room and she must have thought that I needed it while I was sleeping. How kind! It’s not unusual for her to wake me up these days. Not in a crying fit like I hear many infants do, but more with sweet (but nonsensical) words. We usually wake up together. This is a luxury I’ve only been afforded by the fact that I can now operate on my schedule and don’t have to wake up (or go to sleep) at any set time. Before I started freelancing / running HPC full time, I counted on the not-so subtle sounds of my alarm. Needless to say, it wasn’t always the most refreshing wake up call. I don’t need much sleep, but I tend to be just as sensitive as the next guy to sleep cycles and the precise timing of being wrestled from them. That’s why a new product by Phillips caught my eye. It is called the Wake Up Light and it wakes you up using a light that simulates sunrise by gradually increasing in intensity; you set it to begin thirty minutes before you want to get up so that it doesn?t jolt you awake at the last minute. The Wake Up Light can also simulate nature sounds like singing birds and babbling brooks for extra effect. Light is the means I’ve found most useful for regulating wake-sleep cycles and ensuring that you wake up feeling fresh instead of groggy. Right now (actually before I used my daughter), I have an alarm clock that uses increasing volume. It’s ok but I still wake up groggy about a third of the time. I might have to give this clock from Phillips a shot. I know some of my readers have similar issues with sleep so let me know if you have used it or similar products.