Why I can’t sleep without the Hatch Restore 2

Since getting my first iPhone over a decade ago, buying an alarm clock has felt unnecessary. I did not see a reason to spend money on a separate device when there’s a free app pre-installed on my phone. I now realize that being startled awake by a blaring ringing noise is a terrible way to start my day. Plus, keeping my phone next to my bed offered too much of a temptation to answer one last email or watch one last TikTok before dozing off.

The solution was obvious, though it came in the form of a product I’d sworn off: an alarm clock. But not just any alarm clock. My research led me to the Hatch Restore 2, a customizable sunrise alarm clock that uses light and sound to guide users awake. It also acts as a sound machine, night light and clock.

Now that I’ve used it for months, I can safely say that the Hatch Restore 2 (which the brand sent me to try) has altered my sleep for the better. I no longer dread waking up because I have the device’s beautiful lightscape and serene noises to look forward to, and listening to relaxing river sounds calms my mind as it lulls me to sleep. Below, I’ll share my experience trying the Hatch Restore 2 and why I think it’s worth investing in, regardless of what type of sleeper you are. 

SKIP AHEAD What is the Hatch Restore 2? | How I tried the Hatch Restore 2 | My experience with the Hatch Restore 2 | Potential drawbacks to keep in mind | Who is the Hatch Restore 2 best for?

The Hatch Restore 2 ($199.99) is a cross between a sunrise alarm clock and a sound machine. If you’re unfamiliar with a sunrise alarm clock, it’s a device that mimics a sunrise by gradually emitting light up to an hour before your scheduled wake-up time. Sunrise alarm clocks gently encourage you out of your slumber instead of suddenly jolting you awake like standard alarm clocks do. Many also pair their sunrise with a peaceful sound like wind chimes or chirping birds to further coax you out of bed.

Hatch Restore 2

What we like

• Highly customizable
• Multifunctional
• Easy-to-use companion app

Something to note

• Requires Wi-Fi connection
• Not portable

Sunrise alarm clocks give your body time to react and adjust to leaving the sleep state and entering the wake state, according to Dr. Christopher Winter, a neurologist and sleep specialist. The Hatch Restore 2, which is available in three colors including Slate (gray), Latte (tan) and Putty (white),  takes that peaceful wake-up experience a step further by allowing you to fully customize its settings. The linen-covered device pairs with a free companion app (iOS or Android) via Wi-Fi, through which you can schedule up to 15 individual sunrise alarms along with 13 calming alarm sounds like morning birds and wind chimes. 

For each alarm, you choose the light color and brightness level for the sunrise, as well as the sound and its volume level. You also choose the sunrise duration, what time you want the alarm to go off and what days of the week you want the alarm to repeat. You can also set alarms with just a sunrise or just a sound, if you prefer. For example, if you want to be fully awake by 6:30 a.m. and set the sunrise duration to be an hour, the light starts gradually getting brighter at 5:30 a.m. It will reach its most intense brightness at 6:30 a.m., which is also what time the noise sounds. 

You can also toggle alarms on or off depending on when you want to use them. I set a weekday alarm and a weekend alarm, but toggle the weekday alarm off instead of deleting it if I have a day off or it’s a holiday.

The Hatch Restore 2 doesn’t just aim to ease you into your morning — it also helps lull you to sleep. You can program up to five unique sounds to use at night, like white noise, ocean waves and rain., and can choose each one’s duration and volume, plus whether you want to pair it with a night light. 

You can also program night lights without any noise if you just want to softly illuminate your room while sleeping. Unlike the sunrise alarm clock, you cannot schedule the sound machine or nightlight to start at a specific time, so you have to either turn it on via the Hatch app or by pressing a button on the device. However, you can set a rest reminder through the app, which sends a push notification to your phone at a specific time and on days you select, nudging to start heading you to bed.

The Hatch is also a digital clock. Through the app, you can choose to keep the clock on or off at all times, or turn it off at night. You can also set your preferences for the clock’s daytime and nighttime brightness levels in the app or on the machine itself. 

In 2022, I received the Hatch Restore, the brand’s original model, as a holiday gift from my family and used it for a year until the new model came out. Up until that point I had been using my iPhone as an alarm clock. After the Restore 2 came out in 2023, the brand sent me it to try, and I’ve been using it for about four months in my New York City apartment, where I am the only one using the device. I typically wake up around 6:15 a.m. on weekdays and 8:30 a.m. on weekends. I’ve slept with a sound machine on at night for as long as I can remember and cannot sleep without one.

Because everyone’s sleep and wake habits are different, I asked five NBC Select staffers to try and share their feedback about the Restore 2. The brand sent SEO editor Nikki Brown, associate SEO reporter Ashley Morris, editor Cory Fernandez, and production coordinator Kelsey Fredricks the device — they’ve been using it for a little over a month. Associate reporter Bianca Alvarez bought the Restore 2 herself in 2023 and has been using it for about four months as well. All of my fellow testers have never used a sunrise alarm clock or Hatch product prior to trying the Restore 2. They all sleep alone, so, like me, they’re the only ones using the devices in their homes.

When my colleagues and I came together to debrief about our experiences, we unanimously agreed that it revolutionized our sleep. Below, I’ll share more details about my experience using the Restore 2.

Setting up the Restore 2 is a very straightforward process because the companion app walks you through every step. I followed its prompts to connect the device to Wi-Fi, give it a name and start customizing my rise and rest routines.

Since the curved device has a sleek, minimalist appearance, it practically blends into my bedroom. The buttons are also flush with the top of the device, so they do not draw attention to themselves. I also appreciate that the Restore 2 comes in three linen colors, allowing me to choose the one that best fits my bedroom decor. 

It only took one sleep for me to understand how much of an impact a gentle wake-up call has on my morning. I wake up at 6:15 a.m. during the week to run before work, and my iPhone alarm would always make me jump. It was such an unpleasant experience to have at the start of my day, and I often found myself waking up in the middle of the night to check the time because I dreaded being woken up so abruptly. But that sense of dread has gone away since I started using the Restore 2, and I’m more likely to sleep through the night now since I’m not anticipating being startled awake. The gradual increase of light in my bedroom lets me slowly transition from a deep sleep into consciousness.

Another benefit of using the sunrise alarm clock is that it’s hard to ignore, says Alvarez. She previously used her iPhone as an alarm, but frequently slept through it because the volume was too low or she forgot to turn the volume on so her phone just vibrated. But the Restore 2 pairs light and sound to wake you up — together, those two cues are almost impossible to sleep through, she says. And while you can hit snooze on the device, it just stops the noise for nine minutes, which means the bright light still illuminates your room. I find it hard to fall back asleep when I’ve already seen a bright light, so while I may snooze the sound on my Restore 2 once in a while, it just briefly delays me from getting out of bed.

Being able to customize the sunrise I want to experience is one of the best parts about the Restore 2. I love scrolling through the different sound and light options to find a combination that works for my mood that week. 

Prior to using the Restore 2, I relied on the same Homedics noise machine for years and was quite attached to it. I found the sound soothing and knew what my perfect volume level was, so I was worried that I would have a hard time adjusting to using a new noise machine. Now, however, I cannot imagine not dozing off while listening to the Restore 2’s relaxing river sound at a 24% volume level. 

The Restore 2’s three speakers make me feel immersed in the crisp, full noise more so than other sound machines I’ve used. And with over 20 noises to choose from, I was able to experiment with different options and really think about which one created a peaceful atmosphere in my bedroom. The Hatch app also remembers my ideal volume level, so I don’t have to fiddle with the settings every night.

While I do not use the night light feature, many of my fellow testers do: Fernandez turns on its dim night light before bed when he doesn’t want it to be completely dark yet, and Morris customizes the color of her night light depending on what she’s watching as part of her nighttime routine. Alvarez also programs one to keep her accountable about going to sleep at a reasonable hour. “Sometimes I’ll be working at night or watching TV and realize it’s getting too late, so I pick one of the sunsets and set it for an hour, that way I know when it turns off, it’s time for bed,” she says. The night light makes a great reading light, too.

To set up and use the Restore 2, it needs a Wi-Fi connection at all times. My fellow reviewers found that the location of their Wi-Fi router in relation to their Restore 2 impacted their ability to use the device. “The Wi-Fi in my bedroom wasn’t strong enough for the initial connection to work,” says Morris. “Once I checked the instructions, I saw that they suggested setting up the Restore 2 close to the router. I plugged it in beside my router and it worked immediately.”

Additionally, if the Wi-Fi or power goes out in your home, you won’t be able to use the Restore 2. If this were to happen overnight, you might not wake up on time. Fredricks says she sets a secondary alarm on her phone just in case. But requiring a Wi-Fi connection is par for the course with most other customizable sunrise alarm clocks as well, like the Loftie Clock, WiiM Wake-Up Light and Philips SmartSleep Sleep and Wake-Up Light. 

Since the Restore 2 has to be connected to an outlet at all times, it’s not particularly suitable for traveling, but Brown wishes it was. The cord is also on the shorter side, which limits where you can set it up.

The only way to set up alarms and sound machines on the Restore 2 is through the Hatch sleep app, so you must have an iPhone or Android to use the device and cannot manually change its settings via the buttons on the device. However, after you schedule sunrise alarm clocks, noise machines and/or night lights, you can turn them on and off using the built-in buttons.

So long as the Restore 2 is plugged in, connected to Wi-Fi and connected to the Hatch app, it displays the time. The device’s clock syncs to the clock on your phone, which means it automatically adjusts itself during daylight saving time and if you move to a new time zone.

Generally speaking, almost everyone can benefit from incorporating the Hatch Restore 2 into their sleep routine. My fellow reviewers and I each have different rise and wind down preferences, but we all found that the Restore 2 made our bedtime routines and morning routines more enjoyable, peaceful and easier to stick to.

More specifically, anyone who dreads being jolted awake by the alarm on their phone will appreciate the Restore 2. “This has been a game changer for me,” says Brown. “The difference between waking up to a gradual sunrise and calming sounds, and my iPhone alarm is huge. I haven’t needed to hit the snooze button once since I started using it, even after nights when I didn’t get a lot of sleep. I feel way more refreshed and alert.

At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

• Dr. Christopher Winter is a neurologist and sleep specialist based in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Zoe Malin is an associate updates editor for NBC Select who covers sleep products like sleep masks, silk pajamas and weighted stuffed animals. For this article, she tried the Hatch Restore 2, which the brand sent her and five other NBC Select staff members to try.

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Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com