Your alarm goes off in a dark, cold room, and getting up feels like a small act of willpower every single morning. Nothing about the room has changed to tell your body it's actually time to wake up.
IFTTT can start shifting the room before your alarm even finishes, dimming lights up, warming the thermostat, all timed to when you actually want to be awake. If you don't already have an account, you can sign up for IFTTT free in about a minute.
How the routine works
Each Applet below runs off the same simple idea: a time you set once, and a device that reacts the moment the clock hits it, every single day after that.
That independence is useful in practice. Your lights and thermostat aren't coordinating with each other, they're each just watching for the same number, so if temperature is the only thing you actually care about, build just that one step and skip the rest. Shift your wake time later for the weekend, and you're updating each Applet on its own, they don't share a setting, just the same number.
Step 1: Dim your lights on at wake time
Every day at the time you choose, this Applet sets your bedroom's Philips Hue lights to a low, dim brightness, a gentler first signal than jumping straight to full light.
Step 2: Shift to an energizing color a few minutes later
On weekday mornings, this Applet changes your Hue lights to a brighter, more energizing color, giving the room a second, more noticeable shift once you're closer to actually getting up.
Step 3: Warm up the room before you get up
At the same wake time, this Applet sets your ecobee to hold at a warmer temperature indefinitely, so the room isn't cold the moment you get out of bed.
Step 4: Get a reminder to actually start your routine
Every day at your chosen time, this Applet sends a push notification reminding you it's time to get moving, useful if the lights and temperature alone aren't enough to get you out of bed.
Try these other smart home services too
This same wake-up pattern works with plenty of other smart home gear too. A few worth knowing about:
LIFX lights work the same way Hue does here, swap the action and the same dim-then-brighten pattern applies.
Google Nest Thermostat is a direct alternative to ecobee if that's what's on your wall instead.
WeMo Smart Plug can turn on a coffee maker or fan at the same wake time, plug it in and the same Date & Time trigger applies.
Lutron Caséta covers smart blinds and shades, useful if opening them at wake time is part of your routine instead of, or alongside, the lights.
Sonos can play a favorite or stream audio at the same wake time, a wake-up sound instead of, or alongside, the lights and temperature.
iRobot can start cleaning your bedroom the moment you're up, one less chore waiting for you later.
Let your room wake up before you do
None of these Applets need each other to work. If you only build one thing, make it whichever part of waking up you find hardest, the dark room or the cold one.
Start with Step 1 and Step 2 if light is the bigger factor for you. Start with Step 3 if temperature matters more.
FAQs
Does the lighting actually simulate a gradual sunrise?
Not literally. Both lighting Applets are instant changes, a dim setting, then a separate color change, rather than a slow, continuous transition. Used together at slightly different times, they still create a noticeable shift as you wake, just not a smooth fade.
Do I need a Hue Bridge for the lighting Applets?
Yes, you'll need a Hue Bridge and at least one compatible bulb.
Can I use a different thermostat than ecobee?
Yes. Swap the ecobee action for whatever your thermostat's IFTTT service supports, several other smart thermostats have an equivalent hold action.
Do I have to use all four steps together?
No. Each one runs independently, so you can build just the lighting steps, just the thermostat step, or any combination that matches what actually helps you wake up.
