How the Dreamie Alarm Clock Helped Me Overcome My Nighttime Phone Habit

I’ve accomplished something quite remarkable: I now enjoy peaceful nights of sleep without my phone by my side. No need for applause. I often ponder whether I could have reached this milestone without the Dreamie alarm clock.

If this seems like bragging about a relatively trivial achievement like brushing my teeth, then you might not be the intended audience for Dreamie. I certainly am, and I relate to many who have grown so dependent on their phones that we might as well be cyborgs.

I understand that scrolling on my phone while in bed disrupts my sleep, and a lack of quality rest adversely impacts nearly every facet of my mental and physical health. Yet, prior to using Dreamie, I spent over ten years with my phone on my nightstand every single night—that’s countless nights tethered to that lit screen, dreading the nightmare of waking up in darkness without it.

I’m not completely lost. Over time, I’ve developed a bedtime routine that involves reading, which helps me to unwind. Despite this, sleeping well has never come easily for me (my parents can confirm I had childhood anxieties after visiting a Titanic exhibit that convinced me I’d meet a similar fate). Frequently, when my mind races and hampers my ability to sleep, the only solution is to close my eyes and listen to podcasts or audiobooks (unless they happen to be about the Titanic, of course).

It appears the creators of Dreamie truly understand this struggle; its unique feature, as opposed to other sophisticated alarm clocks, is delightfully simple: it plays podcasts.

Before we delve into the podcast features, let’s discuss how Dreamie functions.

In “ambience” mode, it operates as a standard clock; however, it also provides various modes to enhance your sleep experience.

The “wind down” mode initiates your bedtime routine, indicating that sleep is nearing. I’ve set mine to replicate the sound of a crackling fireplace, accompanied by a warm, orange glow that gradually dims, simulating a real fire. I usually let the fireplace sounds play for around 25 minutes while I read. After that, it transitions to the “noise mask” mode, mimicking a gentle thunderstorm. If I feel drowsy before this transition, I can activate it earlier. The chosen sound will continue until it’s time to wake up, with the “sunrise” light slowly brightening until the alarm goes off. (There’s also a silent option, if preferred.)

One of the most impressive features of Dreamie is its “back to sleep mode.” If you wake up at night, this mode activates, allowing you to listen to any media you choose—whether it’s a breathing exercise, soothing sound, or any podcast. You can pre-select your favorite episodes or shows, ensuring you won’t be aimlessly scrolling the interface while half-asleep. Additionally, you can connect Dreamie to Bluetooth headphones, so you won’t disturb anyone else in bed… although this does mean wearing headphones while you sleep.

Dreamie is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing it to download any podcast you want from the internet. This is made possible by the nature of podcasts—they’re distributed using RSS feeds, enabling developers to create custom RSS apps, which is how Dreamie can play them. (Let’s take a moment to appreciate RSS as one of the internet’s last bastions of openness, often challenged by platforms like Spotify that prefer their closed ecosystems.)

It’s a bit embarrassing how useful this feature is for me. Typically, when I wake up and can’t fall back asleep, I’m tempted to reach for my actual phone to find a podcast. However, being a millennial means constantly checking notifications at the moment I wake up. This usually leads to poor choices that can keep me awake for hours.

While I’m ultimately responsible for my actions, I know I’m not alone. A survey of 2,000 American adults shows that 87% keep their phones in their bedrooms while they sleep. I don’t need studies to confirm that too much screen time harms my sleep, but research does back this up. With Dreamie, I can simply swipe down to turn on “back to sleep” mode and listen to someone talk about baseball statistics.

My problematic phone habits also affect my mornings. I often find myself scrolling through my phone for about half an hour before getting out of bed. Without the distraction of my phone, I’m able to wake up significantly easier and start my day feeling like a functioning individual, rather than a sluggish, caffeine-deprived zombie.

The Dreamie retails for $250, which is pricey for an alarm clock. At least there are no hidden subscriptions or companion apps to worry about. Despite its numerous features, the interface is user-friendly, resembling the iPhone Clock app.

During my trial with Dreamie, I “cheated” a little by using my phone in bed for audiobooks (some situations call for specific listening). Initially, I was disciplined and refrained from using my phone for anything else. However, that proved difficult, and I eventually reverted to my device in the early hours.

I’m not sure if Dreamie will eventually support applications like Libby or Libro.fm, as there may be technical challenges. Nevertheless, it might provide a way to upload our own media, including downloaded audiobooks.

Towards the end of my review period with Dreamie, I also began testing the Brick, a device that blocks all apps on my phone at night, except for podcast and audiobook applications. At $59, it’s a more affordable option than Dreamie; if I were to invest in one of these devices long-term, I believe I could achieve most of the same benefits with the Brick. However, the comfort of leaving my phone in another room is invaluable. Even if your phone is “Bricked,” it’s still your phone. And honestly, would you really want your phone to be the last thing you see before sleep?