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Forget the snooze button; New apps and devices designed to help you start your day more alert

Posted at 4:00 PM, Jul 14, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-14 16:00:08-04

If waking up in the morning is a tough time for you, it might have to do with how you are waking up. Now there are some new apps and devices that are designed to help you start your day in a fresher and more alert way.

"My mornings are better because I feel a little more focused; I feel more like, just a little more energy," says Ratanta Tarakulsathit who uses one of the new apps.

Ratanta used to use a traditional alarm clock with a jolting sound and would always hit the snooze button. Now, she uses "Sleep Cycle", one of the many new apps and devices designed to help you wake up more rested.

"There's a new wave of alarm clocks that are working with the natural environmental clues that we receive that help us to waken up naturally," says Dr. Natalie Dautovich from the National Sleep Foundation. "The gradual brightening of light from these devices is designed to mimic dawn when we are gradually moving from darkness to light."

Dr. Dautovich says the key is waking up during your lightest sleep cycle.

To avoid sleep inertia and wake up more alert, Doctor's suggest no matter what device or app you find, always budget enough sleep time and have a consistent wake time.

"If you wake up in a good way it just kind of gets your day off to a good start," says Ratanta.

On-going problems with sleeping and waking up may be part of a medical problem and you should talk to your doctor.