One of the most difficult things about parenting is the lack of sleep. You spend months with an infant who wakes every few hours. You navigate sleep regressions what feels like every other week. Now in toddlerhood, you thought you’d get a break. But your little one can get out of bed on their own and wake you up whenever they please. If this is your life, it’s time to start looking at an OK-to-Wake clock.
Essentially a toddler’s first alarm clock, OK-to-Wake clocks teach young children the concept of time. They feature programmable lights that show little ones when it’s time to sleep and wake up. This form of sleep training allows parents to set their toddler’s sleep schedule in a developmentally appropriate way. Not to mention parents will get a bit more shut-eye in the wee morning hours!
- What Is an OK-to-Wake Clock & How Does It Work?
- Tips for Introducing an OK-to-Wake Clock
- TrulyMama Picks for Best OK-to-Wake Clocks
- Amazon Overall Pick: TIMEFUN OK-to-Wake Clock
- Amazon Best Seller: LittleHippo Mella
- Best Luxury OK-to-Wake Clock: Ooly Owl
- Most Integrative: Hatch Rest
- Best for Learning the Concept of Time: Gro-Clock
- FAQ
What Is an OK-to-Wake Clock & How Does It Work?
An OK-to-Wake clock is a stepping stone to an alarm clock. Best for toddlers between 2 and 3 years old, an OK-to-Wake clock uses lights and colors to give little ones a visual concept of time.
These clocks allow parents to set a morning and evening routine with programmable lights to show children when it’s time to sleep and wake up. Some clocks work with an app where parents can control things from afar.
At this age, many parents choose to transition their child from a crib to a toddler bed. Now, kids have more autonomy. They can get up at any time of the day or night and run into Mom and Dad’s room for a chat. Or if they’re like me as a toddler, they’ll call from their bed until someone comes.
An OK-to-Wake clock helps parents of children with tricky sleep habits learn to adhere to a sleep routine. Even if your child doesn’t present tricky behavior around sleep, these clocks are a great tool. They give children clear boundaries, especially if parents prepare them for how to use them.
Tips for Introducing an OK-to-Wake Clock
As with any schedule or routine change, it’s best to prepare your child so you set them up for success. Properly introducing your child an OK-to-Wake clock helps them understand the expectations. Here are a few tips to do just that.
- Set the wake-up time to something developmentally appropriate for your child’s age. This is not the time to hope they sleep in. Because they won’t. Most children wake up between 6 AM and 8 AM.
- Be consistent in how you use it. If you need to get your child up earlier on a certain day due to a one-time schedule change, adjust the clock the night before. Then, they’ll get a clear understanding of the rules. (“I wake up when the light turns green no matter what time it actually is.”) This is why the device-controlled clocks are parent favorites because you can make those changes remotely.
- Make the clock a big, exciting deal. The more you talk it up, the more excited your child will be to use it properly. Wrap it up. Give it as a gift. Once it arrives, role play with your child so they understand the expectations.
TrulyMama Picks for Best OK-to-Wake Clocks
Amazon Overall Pick
TIMEFUN OK-to-Wake Clock
This toddler alarm clock from TIMEFUN features a wake-up timer, sleep timer, and even a nap timer. When it's time to wake up, the clock turns green, and a sun appears on the clock face. At bedtime, the light turns red, and a star appears. The nap timer is a separate feature that allows parents to set a countdown timer for up to 2 hours without interrupting the day and night timers. This OK-to-Wake clock also functions as a dimmable nightlight and sound machine with a variety of colors and sound options.
Amazon Best Seller
LittleHippo Mella: Ready to Rise Children's Sleep Trainer
This adorable OK-to-Wake clock from LittleHippo uses lights and facial expressions to teach toddlers the concept of time. It literally has a clock face! Program the clock for bedtime and wake time with an optional playtime setting so kids know when it's almost time to wake. It includes extra features like a nap timer, sound machine, and optional nightlight.
Best Luxury OK-to-Wake Clock
Ooly Owl
Ooly Owl is an app-controlled OK-to-Wake clock that uses the science of light to help regulate your child's wake and sleep time. To promote uninterrupted sleep, it features a blue light blocker mode to prevent melatonin-disruptive blue lights during nighttime use. Parents control Ooly from their smartphone or tablet, and you can customize schedules based on your routine. You can also set a color and light intensity for each event. Ooly doesn't need to be plugged in overnight, just charged for a few hours once a week!
Most Integrative
Hatch Rest
With many integrative features and Wi-Fi capabilities, Hatch Rest is a parent's dream. It's a nightlight, a sound machine, and a routine-builder all in one! And the best part is you control everything from an app on your smartphone or tablet. As a sleep training clock, you can customize the color and sound so your child knows when it's time to sleep and wake up.
Best for Learning the Concept of Time
The Gro Company Gro-Clock Sleep Trainer
Time is a difficult concept to understand, but the Gro-Clock Sleep Trainer gives toddlers an easy introduction to it. This OK-to-Wake clock features a glowing interface using images of a sun and star to denote morning and nighttime. Once the wake up time is set, the stars disappear throughout the night, counting down when it's time to get up. You can also set a timer for an afternoon nap. The interface is dimmable, and there's an option to display the time and set an audible alarm. The clock comes with a cute bedtime story explaining how to use it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should kids use alarm clocks?
Personally speaking, my parents set me up with an alarm clock when I was in preschool because I was (and still am) a bear to wake up. Giving an alarm clock to a child is okay! It allows them the opportunity to wake up on their own at their own pace.
Some of the OK-to-Wake clocks in this article have an alarm feature. If you think your child might respond better to an audio wake-up, it’s worth a shot!
