How to Wake Up Easier in the Winter

You’ve heard of SAD—seasonal affective disorder; a condition causing intense irritability, lack of energy, and an unceasing craving for carbs. You probably don’t have it, but that doesn’t mean your winter blues aren’t real: Each year, about half of Americans report feeling down once it gets cold. (The rest moved to L.A.) So we’ve compiled fancy gadgets, restorative beauty products, and therapeutic advice to help you get through.

“Dawn simulation,” the idea of using light to rouse you more gently than a blaring beep, isn’t as New Age as it sounds. It goes back to the late 1800s, when inventors created “mechanical sunrise” machines that slowly lit up a room to wake the user’s body before she opened her eyes. Clinicians at Columbia University have studied the concept—which links circadian rhythms with sleeping habits—and say it’s a more restful way of rising, setting you up for a less sluggish day. One study suggests it even works on teenagers: They not only found it easier to wake up, but their parents also agreed. Today many alarm clocks incorporate this gradually brightening technology. Here, four of the best go head-to-head.