I have Seasonal Affective Disorder which basically means that my mood and energy are significantly affected by the amount of sunlight I receive. I tend to want to go to bed when the sun sets and to get up when it rises. If there are prolonged periods of overcast skies then I become sluggish and I just want to hibernate. Clearly this is not helpful in trying to maintain a modern lifestyle and it is one of the major reasons why I moved away from Seattle. Getting up on time during the winter months has always been a difficulty; the alarm clock sounds, but it’s pitch black and cold so I end up hitting snooze way too many times.

Finally there is a solution: the Wake-up app by Pico-Brothers available for iPhone and iPad (It works best for me on iPad). Basically I put my iPad against the wall and set the alarm. When the time approaches for me to get up the screen gets brighter and brighter. There is also a sound function which I have set to “birds”. Now I don’t have trouble getting up and I can get to the gym before work, a previously unobtainable dream. This app is now a part of my essential apps collection.