Review: Lumie Bodyclock Elite 300

I used to be a real morning person, but, for as long as I can remember, I have struggled to get out of bed when the alarm goes off. I can usually only manage to drag myself out of my pit after pressing snooze numerous times, and even then I don’t usually wake up fully until I’m at work (and sometimes not even then!).

I’d heard of dawn simulator alarm clocks but I was reluctant to spend money on something that might have just been a gimmick. However, my grandparents gave me some money for Christmas and instructed me to buy “a luxury that I wouldn’t normally buy myself”. Knowing that dark cold mornings make it even more difficult to get up (and there are plenty of those at the moment!), I decided to splash out on a Lumie Bodyclock Elite 300.

[Incidentally, I would strongly suggest buying it direct from Lumie. I originally ordered mine from Boots.com but when I unpacked it I found that the glass lamp cover was cracked. I called them and ordered a replacement clock, and although they picked up the broken one when they said they would, a new one didn't arrive. When I called them again, it turned out that even though they had told me a new one was on its way, they hadn't actually ordered one. I got a refund, and ordered one direct from Lumie. It arrived within three days, perfectly packaged and not broken!]

Lumie Bodyclock Elite 300

The Lumie Bodyclock Elite 300 comes with sunrise and sunset settings, which are said to help regulate your body’s natural rhythms. It also has an AM/FM radio, two 20-minute guided sleep meditation tracks and nine sounds for sleep and wake-up,  including natural (eg, waves, rain, the dawn chorus), music and spoken word.

I wasn’t entirely convinced that gently increasing light and birdsong would really be enough to rouse me so I set my old alarm (namely, my mobile phone playing Pump It by the Black-Eyed Peas – whenever I hear that track I feel like I should be leaping out of bed!) for five minutes after the Bodyclock should have done the trick. I needn’t have bothered.

The night before, I dropped off to sleep as the “sun” set over a 30 minute period, which was strangely relaxing. I haven’t tried the guided sleep meditations yet but I’ve listened to the first five minutes and think it sounds like it could be effective.

Then, at 6am, 30 minutes before I needed to be awake, the light came on very gently, growing in intensity. I began to stir at about 6.20am, and by 6.30am, when the birds of the dawn chorus began to sing, I was properly awake. I didn’t feel the need to press the snooze button at all – I felt refreshed and ready to get up. There was none of the “fog” that normally envelopes me – and even sceptical A admitted that the Bodyclock had worked for him.

The gentle approach makes waking up a far more pleasant experience  than being jerked awake by the Black-Eyed Peas. With continued use I feel it will really help me to feel less tired (a problem that has plagued me for years) and to make the most of my mornings!