The Best Sleep Training Alarm Clocks That Make It So You Can Finally Sleep In

This digital bedside buddy will become your kid’s (and your) best friend by getting your little ones into a sleep routine with the use of facial expressions and lights. When it’s bedtime, the clock’s face will go to “sleep”; when it’s time to wake, it lets your child know with a smile (basically, it’s like the Tamagotchi of sleep training). Further, the light changes yellow half an hour before the alarm goes off — indicating it’s almost time to become a human Pop-Tart — then turns green when it’s okay to seize the day. The Mella is also a nightlight, sound machine, and has a timer, which is perfect for time-outs or naps. And, you’ll love how its streamlined design and colorful feet (in teal, purple, pink, and light blue) look sleek, not tacky. “I was hesitant to spend $50 on a clock but my two-year-old now sleeps until 7:00 as opposed to 5:30,” says a reviewer. “Worth every penny. He’s actually easier to put to bed now too if we tell him Mella is going to be asleep soon.”

The celestial theme of this clock will surely help your sweetheart drift off to dreamland. A glowing moon and stars on the face of the clock mean it’s lights out, and in the morning, it’s replaced by a sun icon when it’s time for rise and shine. You can set two alarms (like one for school days, one for lazy Saturday and Sunday mornings), and they’ll wake your kiddo up with light, sound, or both. And if your youngster is scared of the dark, they can turn the nightlight on with just a touch; plus, they’ll love picking from 10 vibrantly colored lights. Doubling as a soother with 17 different sounds, this unit is powered with a USB cord. One customer says this sleep trainer is a must-buy. “I bought this for my son when he moved into his ‘big boy’ bed. It is easy to use. There is a lock feature so he can’t change the time or alarm. He loves playing with the night light when he gets ready for bed. The sun and moon are so easy for him to understand when it is time to get up for the day.”

With the use of stoplight-inspired lights, this Amazon bestseller is simple but effective. It turns red when it’s time for sleep, yellow when it’s almost time to rise, and green when it’s A-okay for hopping out of bed and it also has an alarm mode with lights and a song if you have a deep sleeper (lucky you!). If your youngster needs some extra help slipping into slumber, the clock’s light-up mode offers a soft glow for 20 minutes and it can play white noise, rain sounds, or a lullaby. The Skip Hop Sleep Training Clock is also battery-operated, so can be placed anywhere in your child’s room. And, it’s possibly the most travel-friendly option on this list … vacation sleep, here you come! “Ever since we switched my son to his toddler bed, he would run to our bedroom immediately after opening his eyes,” explains one dad. “We got this cloud and informed him that he mustn’t leave his room until it turns green and plays a song. After the first initial tantrum, he got so excited when it turned green that it only took a day for him to get the concept. Mom and Dad can get an additional half hour of sleep and everyone is happy.”

Any puppy dog-loving kid will want this nightstand pal. Big Red Rooster’s doggy toddler alarm clock is simple: The ball glows red when it’s time to sleep, then green when it’s okay to get up. It features two alarm settings, ideal for weekday and weekend sleep schedules, along with a separate nap timer. Parents will appreciate that the settings are located in a “hidden” back panel that’s not easily accessible to little hands. And older kids, especially, will appreciate the backlit, easy-to-read digital clock, plus the countdown that lets them know when nap time is officially over. Powered by AC adaptor or batteries, this unit is easy to use anywhere. “This product has had a huge impact on our family!” raves one reviewer. “We never sleep-trained our daughter. It was ridiculous but I’m writing it off as a rookie mistake. Anyways, at 27 months we decided that we finally had to get her to fall asleep in her own bed by herself and stay in bed all night. Not an easy task. Enter this alarm clock. It was one of the best purchases we have ever made as parents.”

Ideal for kids too young to tell time, the Groclock uses pictures to help little ones get on a sleep schedule. It illuminates blue light with stars at bedtime, then the stars disappear, one by one, as the night goes on so they can gauge how much time has passed. When it’s time to get up, it displays yellow light with a smiling sun. This clock is ideal if you’re looking for an easy-to-use sleep trainer, but it does have some extra features: The light is dimmable and can double as a nightlight, and there’s an optional audible alarm. It can be set with two different wake times, and as a bonus, it comes with a board book to add to your bedtime routine. “This clock revolutionized bedtime and eliminated early morning wake ups! “ explains one Groclock user. “Our 3 year old responded so well to this clock that if he wakes up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, he chooses to go back to his bed and not join us in our bed because he doesn’t want to miss the Sun in the morning. The clock is easy to use. Our toddler sets it himself every night. Highly recommend !!”

Ah, the good ol’ Hatch. It makes frequent appearances at baby showers and turns out, it’s the perfect sleep trainer, too. From babyhood to toddlerhood and beyond, the Hatch Rest+, an update from the original Hatch, is a multipurpose tech wonder. You can create light and sound programs from an app on your phone, setting the tone for designated bedtime and wake times — your tot can also turn on the night light themselves with a double-tap. The plus includes a two-way monitor that you can access from your phone’s speaker, which can be extra comforting for newly-independent sleepers, as well as a digital clock display. Says one parent of a 2-year-old, “We’re currently training him to sleep on his own, and it really helps to have the Hatch+. The best feature is that it can be controlled via phone when paired with Alexa. Also, how cool is it that I can talk to my kid even when I’m in another room?! 10/10 recommend, especially for parents who are trying to train their kids to start sleeping on their own.”

Like the Mella, the Windflyer has facial expressions that are easy for even the littlest time-tellers to read. Complete with ears and feet, it’s even like a cute nightstand pet. Your kid will get their time cue from its expressions — closed eyes for sleep, a wink for play time, and a smile for okay to wake — as well as a customizable light color that illuminates with each mode. Because you can set it for sleep, wake, and play times, this option is great for tots growing into the little kid stage. Further, it has a bold digital clock face and snooze functions, two features that will benefit your kiddo as they grow. Added bonuses include four brightness levels, a timer, and a built-in sound machine to help soothe your LO to sleep. Following a period of home schooling due to COVID-19, parent Daniel Richards  shares how this clock has helped his Autistic son get back into a routine on his return to school. “For kids like my son, it is very difficult to accept new items,” he explains. “Now, it is not only an alarm clock for my son. It turns out to be his favorite toy accompanying him all the time. For us, it is a comfort to rebuild his routine with much less effort [so] he can return to school to socialize with others. We’ve decided to buy more for his classmates with similar conditions like him and hopefully, it can be helpful to them as well.”

For an alarm clock that has tons of functionality, opt for this Tribit speaker-slash-alarm. If you’re shopping for a tween or teen, they’ll love it, since they can listen to their music and turn on the lights to add a party vibe by reacting to the beat of the music. But then, to appease parents, it also has a built-in alarm clock that’ll wake up your kiddo without shaking the whole house with a death metal anthem. While the alarm sounds are on the peaceful side — think, bird chirps and wind chimes — they can crank up the volume and set the amount of time it plays to make sure they get fully roused.  This reviewer calls it “Tribit’s take on the kitchen sink,” adding, “I used this device for over a month in multiple rooms because its functionality was useful in so many different places. For example, it can sit on an end table in a living space to serve as an RGB lamp and a clock. It can go on the nightstand to serve as an alarm clock and ambient sound speaker. It can also sit on a desk providing lamp, charging, and Bluetooth speaker, and FM radio functions.”

First of all, how cute is this egg shape? Second, how cute will it be when your kids get more sleep and you get more sleep and everyone is happier? (So cute.) This FiveHome alarm clock lets your kids know that when the light glows yellow, it’s time to sleep or stay in bed … until the light turns green, then it’s go time. There are multiple wake up modes, brightness levels, alarm sounds, and more, so you can customize mornings and nights to what works best for you and your littles.  “We LOVE this alarm clock!” exclaims this reviewer. “It is exactly what we expected and more. I bought this for my 3-year-old son so that he would know when it is okay to get out of bed in the morning and at naptime. He follows it very well, so I definitely recommend it for sleep training toddlers.”