Here's Why You Should Stop Using Your Phone as an Alarm Clock

Chances are, you use your smartphone as an alarm to wake up in the morning. If you do, that probably means it's in bed with you or charging on the nightstand next to you. Unsurprisingly, a majority of parents (61%) and children (70%) check their smartphone within 30 minutes of falling asleep at night, according to a recent study done by Common Sense Media.

Your smartphone affects your sleep in more ways than you might realize. Not only do they have the potential to beep or buzz throughout the night, researchers at Harvard say the blue light emitted by your phone screen has been associated with suppressing the production of melatonin. That's the hormone that controls your circadian rhythm - and less melatonin means it'll be harder for you to fall asleep. Mobile devices can also cause emotional stimulation, which may make you stay awake longer. Or, intimacy issues with your partner could arise because of them.

Smart alarm clocks bring clunky clock radios to the 21st century. Although most have LCD screens that emit harmful blue light, their brightness can be turned down, and most can be operated by using just your voice. We've researched 10 different smart alarm clocks to find the ones worth setting on your night stand.

Most are powered by smart assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for turning off smart lights, setting alarms in the morning, or checking the weather. Several have built-in speakers for listening to music, white noise, or rain sounds to help you fall asleep. Here are our favorite ones worth shopping for!