Hatch who? This sunrise alarm clock is almost as good as the Restore 3 but just $58 for Black Friday

As Digitpatrox’s Sleep Tech Product Tester, I often get asked which products are truly worth investing in and one I never hesitate to recommend is a top-rated sunrise alarm clock.

If we’re talking specific models, the trending Hatch Restore 3 is the best you can get. But at $169.99, plus a subscription fee, it’s premium buy. So, with my money-saving goggles on, I was delighted to find a dupe on Amazon this fall — namely, the Dreamegg Sunrise 1 alarm clock.

Early Black Friday sleep deals mean you can get the Dreamegg from just $57.99. That’s around a third of the cost of the Hatch and it’s subscription-free.

Winter is closing in, if you’re anything like me, your sleep schedule may be slightly out of whack. I’m usually an early bird, but even with the mornings a bit lighter thanks to the clocks going back, we’re still not seeing the early sunrises of summer. And inevitably, it’s harder to pull myself out of bed when it’s cold, dark and drizzly outside.

“Starting your morning with natural daylight helps to reset your circadian cycle and sends a ‘wake up’ signal to your brain,” says Dr. Nerina Ramlakhan, a neurophysiologist and sleep expert at Oak Tree Mobility. If you can’t get the real thing, simulated sunlight is the next best option.

Gradually getting brighter over a timeframe of up to 60 minutes before your alarm time, the Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock helps kickstart your circadian rhythm so you feel less groggy by the time the audio alarm sounds. As for the alarm, you can choose from the likes of birds chirping (my personal favorite as it reminds of those brighter summer mornings) or crashing waves.

The gadget also serves as a white noise and ambient noise machine that can lull you to sleep around your bedtime if you’re one of the 38% of Americans who can’t sleep in silence. You can programme it to play gentle fan whirring or ambient static, which are among the 29 sounds the clock offers.

And, since the clock’s light is adjustable, you can dim it at bedtime so it functions as a soothing nightlight, with 9 color options to choose from.

I’ve used the Dreamegg Sunrise 1 myself for the past two months off the back of testing the Hatch Restore 3, and I’m enjoying the simplicity of this app-free device. As it’s operated via on-device buttons, I can leave my phone out of bed, eliminating the temptation to scroll at bedtime and first thing in the morning. And I don’t get sucked into an endless library of wake-up programmes and wind down routines (as good as Hatch’s selection is).

Though the sound quality can’t compete with the premium Hatch, and it lacks themed wind down routines, the Dreamegg’s natural alarm sounds and authentic sunrise simulation provide a relaxing wake-up call. It certainly won’t be leaving my bedside any time soon.