Hatch Restore 2 review: I'm still oversleeping

To say I'm not a morning person would be an understatement. Not only do I have a hard time being useful in the first hour (or so) after waking up, but I also have a hard time waking up. I mean, really hard.

I've tried various recommendations and tricks: setting multiple alarms, keeping coffee ready, putting my alarm far from the bed, and opening the blinds so sunlight can wake me up. But I still tend to sleep through the alarm or hit the snooze button until the last minute.

The Hatch Restore 2, a smart alarm clock with lighting that mimics sunrises and sunsets, seemed like a technologically savvy approach to achieving my dream of becoming a morning person.

After about three weeks, I'm still not an early riser. But the smart alarm clock still deserves a place on my bedside table.

How it works

Hatch calls the Restore 2 a “smart sleep watch.” That's marketing-speak, but to be honest, the Restore 2 actually helps me sleep. A product page describes the watch as targeting users' “natural circadian rhythms to help you get optimal sleep.” There are a few reasons for this. Circadian rhythms are “the physical, mental, and behavioral changes an organism undergoes in a 24-hour cycle,” according to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). Circadian rhythms affect our sleep patterns (as well as other biological aspects like appetite), says NIGMS.

What makes Restore 2 unique is that it's a clock programmed to emit soothing light that you can gradually change as it approaches bedtime (e.g. getting darker), and it's paired with an alarm that simulates a sunrise with brightening light that can help you wake up more naturally. You can set the clock to play different soothing sounds as you wind down, sleep, and/or as an alarm sound.

The watch requires a Wi-Fi connection and an app to set up the device. The free app offers a ton of options, including sounds, colors, and tips for restful sleep (there's a subscription for additional features and sounds for $5 a month, but thankfully it's optional).

Out like a light

This is by far the most customizable alarm clock I've ever used. The app was a little overwhelming at first, but once I got used to it, it was calming to be able to set routines or different lighting/sounds for different days. For example, I set mine to play “Soothing Singing Bowls” with a slowly dimming sunset effect for two hours when I press the “quiet” button. If I press the button again, the alarm plays ocean sounds until my alarm goes off.

I didn't think I needed a sleeping pill. really good when sleeping. But I was surprised at how Restore 2 helped me fall asleep more easily by blocking out less pleasant noises. In my room, the biggest culprit is an old air conditioner that is loud when running and gets even louder when it automatically turns on and off (a feature that has become a bug that I can't disable).

While I slept for the past few weeks, the clock served as a convenient, adjustable, colored light that I could leave on in the evenings, or as a cozy night light. The sound of the ocean mixed with the sounds of the air conditioning and cleared my head. I drowsily wondered if certain sounds I heard were coming from the clock or my air conditioning. This is the dull, fruitless thinking that sends me to sleep quickly.

Playing sounds to help you fall asleep is obviously nothing new (some of my earlier memories are falling asleep to a Lady and the Tramp cassette tape). These days, many would rather use an app or play a long video than buy a $170 alarm clock for that purpose. Still, the ability to set repeating routines on a device that actually serves as an alarm clock proved to be a benefit. It's also nice to be able to start a routine by pressing a button on the device rather than having to use my phone to play sleep sounds.

But the idea that the clock's lights and sounds would help me wind down in the hours before bed would only work if I was next to the clock when I turned it off. I usually spend my last waking moments in my living room, so unless I'm willing to change my habits or get a Restore 2 for the living room, this feature is lost on me.