Apollo Health DayBreak Duo Dawn/Dusk Simulator

• Sunrise Mode ¿ Set your wake time, Daybreak does the rest. Adjustable Sunrise from 15 minute to 2 hours.
• Sunset Mode - Signals your body clock that it¿s time to fall asleep (great for putting children to bed!)
• Dual AM/FM Radio Alarm ¿ in case you¿d like some music with your sunrise.
• Orange Backlit Touch Screen ¿ Ultra easy to use and won¿t disturb your sleep like white, blue, or green displays.
• Adjustable Screen Intensity ¿ Bright during the day, auto-dims during sleeping hours

More Than Expected:
I was excited to try this out as my new "alarm clock". It was heavier and sturdier than I expected, with an "outlet" in the back to plug my lamp into. I love the touch screen. It made it very easy to set the clock, alarm, radio station etc. There's a button that dims the backlight almost all the way off, but a nice feature is that when the alarm is set, it will automatically dim the backlight 8 hours before the alarm is set to go off. Even in the middle of the night, on the nightstand right next to the bed, the dimmed backlight doesn't bother me. (I used to block my old clock with a postcard because the single LED backlight was too bright) This one was the most expensive one I saw. I opted for it because I like the option of waking to a combination of light and radio and the other one similar to it didn't have the radio feature. It was more than I wanted to spend, but I am glad I did. It is so much nicer to wake up without that tired groggy feeling. The light makes the most difference on really dark days.

Great clock so far:
I used to struggle to get out of bed every morning despite 4 different alarms, and then I felt like a zombie all day - totally exhausted. As the sunrise started to occur later and later each morning (but I still had to be awake and out the door before it got light), I got really desperate to find a sunrise alarm clock. I researched several different models and finally decided on this one. I liked that I could use my own lamp, as with other models, but this one also had a radio. I listen to the radio while I get ready in the morning and really didn't want a separate clock and radio in the bedroom. I was nervous about ordering this clock since it had just come out, it was expensive and there were no reviews - but I was desperate! I am very happy with it so far, but like another reviewer mentioned, I wish there was a "sleep" function for the radio. That is my only complaint after a month. I am no longer exhausted and groggy all day at work. I still use the buzzer (light beeping describes it better) at the end of the sunrise, but many mornings I wake up a couple minutes before the buzzer just from the light - and my current lamp is just 40 watts. I also use the sunset every night to fall asleep. The backlight doesn't bother me at all, as another reviewer said. It is also very easy to use and set the times. Overall I am pleased with this clock and recommend it to anyone who wants to wake up more naturally using your own light source.

It's got a few problems:
I had to return the first unit because the battery backup did not work at all, and the sunrise (low dim) flickers like a disco when there's a 200 Watt bulb. The second unit flickers as well - if you plan on using a 100 watt bulb or less the Daybreak Duo seems to work. A couple other negatives in my book there's no sleep mode for the radio Unless you're looking down slightly on the screen, you can't read it. My dresser is slightly higher than the bed, and I can't read the time at all.

Wake up refreshed:
The Daybreak Duo is fantastic. I'm an evening person who normally hates mornings. That's changed now because I use the Daybreak to wake up. It makes a HUGE difference to wake up to a gradual sunrise vs. the jolt from an alarm. I use a 60 watt bulb and it's more than enough to get me out of bed on time. The sunset feature is great too, especially when I put my kids to bed. I leave their door open and my door open, then set the sunset for 30 minutes. I can hear them talking but the chatter dies down as the light slowly dims. No more "can you leave the light on" discussions and they fall asleep quickly. Fabulous. It makes a world of difference in the mornings.