When it comes to the products I recommend here on the blog, I am always super-picky. I make sure to take my time using the item, getting to know it, and doing my due diligence (especially if it’s a sponsored post). Because of that, this post is a long time coming! I’ve been using a Hatch Restore for about a year and a half as my sound machine, alarm clock, and sleep lamp… and I love it. So today, I wanted to dig into what it is, why I love it, and a few of the benefits of adding the Hatch to your sleep routine.
Please keep in mind that this all based on my personal experience and not sponsored in any way. I’m just sharing something I love with you! Also, if you’re concerned, be sure to talk to your doctor before proceeding. This is NOT medical advice.
Hatch Restore Review & Why It’s My Fave Sleep Lamp, Sound Machine, and Alarm Clock
What is the Hatch Restore?
Essentially, the Hatch Restore is a lot of things all rolled into one cute little machine: sound machine, reading light, and sunrise alarm clock. Via an easy-to-use app, I’m able to create a sleep routine where it will play meditations, sounds, and more while also changing the color and intensity of the light based on my settings. I have made a wind down routine with it to ensure I relax before bedtime and a wake up routine that helps me feel more rested. And it’s all from one machine!
Features of the Hatch Restore
The Restore does a LOT of different things, so I wanted to break them down for you and share my experience and thoughts on each:
Alarm clock
First and foremost, I bought the Restore to use as my alarm clock. I wanted one that would mimic the sun to gently help me wake up instead of being startled awake by an alarm. I have mine set to quietly begin playing a sound and slowly brightening into an orange-y color about half an hour before I wake up.
Here is a screenshot of my sunrise alarm settings. Starting at 7:30 am, it gradually starts playing a gentle chiming sound that’s actually pretty relaxing. And it also starts to slowly illuminate in a warm orange-red color. There are tons of options for both the sound and the color of the sunrise; these are the ones I personally like best. They really do help me wake up feeling less anxious and stressed!
And if I feel like I want to hit snooze, I just tap the top of the Restore and it will snooze for a bit then start up again with the sound (the light stays on when you’re snoozing).
These settings gently wake me up, so I feel like I am more naturally awake. Research shows that this type of sunrise alarm clock is great for supporting healthy cortisol levels, which is related to your body’s stress levels. Think about it: if I am woken up more gently, then I automatically start my day feeling less stressed!
Sound Machine
I have always slept with a sound machine, even as a kid. While I was shopping, I loved that the Restore would take the place of my old sound machine, thus freeing up space on my already cramped nightstand. And the sound library has tons of options including guided meditations, relaxing soundscapes, and even Sleep Stories.
Here’s what my bedtime routine looks like. The ones that are dimmed out are once that aren’t active currently because I’ve been playing with my settings recently. To activate my ‘reading’ light and sounds, I tap the top of the Hatch Restore and it lights up in a cozy pink color and plays a relaxing soundscape. After 30 minutes of that, it switches to a different sound that’s 5 minutes long and turns off the light, which is my cue to stop reading my book and settle in to sleep.
Typically, I am asleep before the 5 minutes are over. Then the Hatch changes to my actual white noise for sleeping, which is the sound of water rushing in a river.
The other sleep routine option that I really love is the ‘fall back to sleep’ setting. Basically, if I wake up and have trouble getting back to sleep, I can tap the Hatch again and it will switch to a meditation that will help me go back to sleep. It’s been a while since I’ve needed this setting, but it’s great to have.
Reading lamp
It can also be used as a reading light. Personally, I prefer a real lamp since I’m all about the aesthetics… but if you’re a nightstand minimalist, this setting could be great for you!
There are a few things I wish the Restore did better, too (in the interest of giving you both sides of the coin with this review):
- Slowly fade the light and music out: my biggest complaint is that when the light turns off, it doesn’t slowly fade out or dim. Instead it just turns off, which can feel a bit abrupt during my wind down routine before bed. I also wish some of the sounds faded out a bit more, too.
- It requires wifi: Even though our wifi issues are wayyy more resolved than before, sometimes it can still cut out because of bad weather. This means if I want to make any changes to my routines, I have to wait until service is restored. That being said, there are buttons on the bottom of the machine to turn off/on the alarm, so at least there’s that!
- I don’t love the reading light. Maybe it’s the position of it in relationship to me as I’m reading… I don’t know. But that’s why I still have a normal lamp on my nightstand.
Most of these things are small, knit picky things that don’t reallllly affect my day-to-day use of the Restore. And they certainly don’t make me love it any less!
The benefits of using a sleep lamp
More relaxation
I definitely feel like my sleep hygiene in general is a lot more relaxed than before. The wind down routine helps me tell my brain it’s time to start preparing for sleep. Also, the different colored lighting options are designed to help you relax, too.
Gentle wake ups
To me, there is nothing worse than waking up to something aggressively beeping at me. Instead, being gently woken up by a light that mimics the sun feels natural and cozy. Sunrise clocks are known to help make it easier to get out of bed and boost your energy for the day.
Better sleep
As someone who’s kind of always been a crappy sleeper, having established routines helps me a ton. I’ve essentially conditioned my brain to slow down and relax when the sounds are playing. So when I hear the Deep Rest sound, I get sleepy. It’s great.
Shop the room:
So what do you think of this Hatch Restore review? I hope you found it informative and helpful! Leave a comment and let me know if you use it consistently as well… or even if you have any questions I didn’t answer in this post!
Does it have the option of setting multiple alarms? Right now my husband and I use an alarm clock with two different alarm functions so that we can set our own, independent wake-up times, which I like. I have been considering switching to something like the Hatch to help with my insomnia problems, though!
I am not sure actually… that’s a really good question! Maybe check out the FAQs on their site?