All children are different. And if you are also enduring through the 'second child syndrome' then you will know that only too well.
The idea that first-born children are generally 'easier' to lull you into a false sense of security so you feel equipped to have a second child who proves to be a little more challenging, was just a lazy stereotype - until I had my second. No, in all seriousness, they are just different, because all children are different as are all people.
This means while my firstborn would often take himself off to bed when he had had enough, my second is a little more reluctant, almost to the point where he thinks we are having a party when he has settled off to sleep, in reality I am falling asleep to Fraiser re-runs after doomscrolling TikTok.
So anything that can help my little one go to sleep and stay asleep is already worth whatever money they are selling it for. Enter the Momcozy Sunrise Alarm Clock.
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The clock is an alarm, a wake up light, a night light and a white noise machine all in one. We have always used 'white noise' in some form for my son and my eldest and my husband also have 'sleeping sounds' so it is a regular cacophony of sounds from our landing in the night.
But the Momcozy Sunrise Alarm Clock allows you to do this without using your phone or laptop, or searching on YouTube for an eight-hour video that doesn't have adverts. Choose from 30 high-fidelity sounds, including 17 nature sounds, three fan sounds, seven baby sounds, and three soothing noises (one white noise, one pink noise, and one brown noise).
It also has some cute melodies, including one from Studio Ghibli, which was a welcome surprise and the one my four-year-old chose alongside changing the light to a pink colour - there are a number of colours to match your mood and you can dim it and the clock face light for your perfect ambience.
You can set the volume to your needs, which the sound quality being good and clear. You can also set a timer for this to turn off the sounds, with settings being at one, three and six hour intervals, or no timer and the sound machine will gracefully power down as time elapses, ensuring an undisturbed and peaceful sleep.
We chose no timer as even at four, our son has a tendency to wake up more fully and burst into our room demanding soothing, but with the Momcozy Sunrise Alarm Clock's sound machine, his night time waking (which is a normal part of the REM sleep cycle) he was able to self soothe and go straight back to sleep.
It also features a 'morning sun alarm' where the light and soothing melodies gradually rouse you to your alarm time. We have not used this setting with our son, he doesn't need it (!), but from positive reviews on Amazon, others love it.
One said: "I've always wanted to try one of these. I hate waking up to the sound of an alarm so was keen to see if being woken up by light was any better. For me at least it certainly seems to be.
"What I like most about this clock is the little quality of life things they've thought of. For example, the main buttons (alarm set and snooze) have raised bumps to make them obvious in the dark.
"The night light function has a deep red option which is perfect for late night as it doesn't mess with your night vision. You can also easily adjust the brightness with a spinning dial on the back. Similarly, the small digital clock also has adjustable brightness with a spinner on the back.
"You can set it to just use light to wake you, or light and sound with a volume control to tailor it to your preference. To turn off the alarm for the weekend or holidays, you just have to press and hold the alarm set button for a few seconds. No fiddly navigation through menus every week."
Another added: "The sunrise simulation is incredibly effective. It gradually brightens, mimicking a natural sunrise, which gently wakes me up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day. The option to choose from 30 soothing sounds, including nature sounds and white noise, is fantastic. It helps me fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer."
Some other reviews said they wished it was cheaper, although it is currently on offer for £46.74 on Amazon down from £59.99. There are cheaper sound machines available on Amazon, such as the Momcozy Sound Machine for Baby for £29.99 or the Momcozy White Noise Machine for £39.99.
Alternatively, there is the ARTINABS Sunrise Alarm Clock for £26.06 or the FUNFOR Sunrise Alarm Clock for £29.99.
