You don’t need to become a morning person when your bedside alarm can trick you into it.

If you aren’t feeling rested when your alarm goes off, a sunrise alarm clock could change your life. The disruptive jolt of loud beeping and harsh tones isn't a fun way to start the day, nor is it a natural way to help your body rise. I’m a chronic snooze-button kind of gal, and I find a sunrise clock or wake-up light incredibly helpful for me to actually wake up when I need to and follow a healthier circadian rhythm, since the growing light helps tell my body it’s time to wake up. Plus, a bright light is much, much harder to ignore than a noise I can snooze.

I've woken up to the bright hues of nearly a dozen different sunrise alarm clocks over the past two years, and it's a game changer. Here's what makes it work, and which ones I ...