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TylerJay comments on How can I spend money to improve my life? - Less Wrong Discussion

15 Post author: jpaulson 02 February 2014 10:16AM

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Comment author: TylerJay 02 February 2014 07:43:52PM 15 points [-]

If you wake up before the sun rises (or have blackout shades), would recommendI this gradual-wakeup light alarm clock. I bought it after seeing someone link it on LessWrong. If your morning wakeups are abrupt, I highly recommend this. For the 30 minutes before your set alarm time, it gradually brightens the light. Then if you're not awake yet by the time the sound comes on, it's birds chirping VERY softly that slowly gets louder. I usually actually mistake them for real birds in my half-asleep state. Its a much more pleasant way to get up in the morning and personally, I feel a lot better when I do.

I also have a Vitamix that I use usually twice a day and I absolutely love it. Great quality and really easy to clean.

Comment author: Antiochus 03 February 2014 03:23:25PM 2 points [-]

Just bought a different model of this last week, because my bedroom is blissfully dark at night, but also dark in the morning, making it more difficult to wake up when I'd like to. I can confirm that it's made a really big difference for easing me out of bed. I don't need the usual snooze routine, or to set a second alarm in a different room anymore.

Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 04 February 2014 04:43:14AM 2 points [-]

Countersupport: I bought a very similar model, but didn't find it helpful.

Comment author: Alsadius 09 February 2014 06:17:55AM *  1 point [-]

I just use two cheap alarm clocks - one set to radio at fairly low volume, two minutes before the alarm on the other one goes off. The former wakes me up and lets me transition to consciousness, the latter kicks my ass out of bed. I find it works well. (This is something you should tailor to personal preferences, of course, but I figured I'd throw another idea in)

Comment author: Tem42 15 June 2016 06:00:00PM 0 points [-]

Another possible work-around; I found that my radio alarm became much more tolerable, and that I woke more gradually, once I started sleeping with a white noise generator (actually an air purifier). This was less intrusive and more effective than simply waking to a very quiet alarm.

Comment author: hyporational 06 February 2014 05:00:59AM *  1 point [-]

I use a set of bright lamps with a timer in the socket. I doubt the graduality would add much benefit, and I get much brighter light a lot cheaper than I would with any wakeup light. These days I also use a set of red lights in the evening before going to bed (melatonin suppressed mostly by blue wave length).