Shea Simmons
Some people have the luxury of waking up each morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Good for them. For the rest of us, it’s more of a groaning, groggy slog to the bathroom. But there’s good news, grumpy morning folks! One small change could help you wake up more relaxed.
Of course, there are some obvious ways you can avoid stressful a.m. wake-ups like making sure you get enough sleep, but what about subtler changes? For example, what if you could just avoid turning on a light?
According to Dr. Claire Kenneally, lighting is an important contributor to stress.
“Light is one of the most potent zeitgebers known to the human brain, creating a powerful cue that it’s time to wake up,” Kenneally told MyDomaine. “Improved alertness can be had by simply opening your curtains.”
Of course, unless you have the cool smart kind, opening the curtains requires you to get out of bed, and that might be a big ask as soon as your alarm goes off. Fortunately, there’s another option!
A set of Phillips Hue bulbs. If you’re unfamiliar with these easy upgrades, they allow you to control everything from brightness to color. You can also set a timer to turn them off or on whatever you want.
You can control the bulbs via their own app, but they’re also compatible with Alexa and Google Home voice commands. You can get a set of three for your bedroom, then just set the timer to turn them on whenever you want to wake up. They’ll even brighten gradually to wake you up like an artificial sunrise.
Want more tips on waking up less stressed? You can check out all of the recommendations over at MyDomaine.
