Toddler Alarm Clock. Picture this, sleeping peacefully in your comfortable bed all snuggled up. Then, a little human walks into your room waking you up because they think it is time to get up for the day. This is where we were with Oliver.
Oliver has always been a great sleeper. He has always slept through the night without any issues. Emmitt, on the other hand, was our nonsleeper. He would wake up a couple of times through the night. We seemed to have gotten Emmitt to finally sleep without waking up and we thought we would get some sleep.
Little did we know that Oliver was going to decide to wake up too early and come and wake us up. Of course, when a toddler wakes up they do not know what time it is so they just automatically think it is time to wake up. We needed sleep.
Sleep is a great thing and experts recommend eight hours of sleep for an adult and twelve hours of sleep for a toddler. You need sleep, your children need sleep, when you do not get enough sleep, everyone becomes cranky and irritable. So, we needed to find a solution.
Toddler Alarm Clocks
The Hatch Rest
The Hatch Rest is a great sound machine that can grow with your child. It has a soft night light that you control the brightness, for nighttime feedings or for your toddler to sleep. It also has nature sounds, white noise or lullabies to help your child fall asleep and stay asleep. You can program it for specific times and colors that works best for your child. It is Bluetooth-enabled and all the features can be controlled by your smartphone.
We wanted more features, so we purchased the Hatch Rest+. It has all the same features as the Hatch Rest, but it also has a clock, is Alexa-enabled and a two-way audio monitor.
Little Hippo
Little Hippo has a pre-set bedtime color and the little face closes its eyes when it is time to fall asleep. It turns yellow thirty minutes before time to rise which allows quiet time before wake up when it turns green and the face is smiling. The Little Hippo has three sounds of rain, white noise, and the ocean. It also has five nightlight colors and the hippo itself comes in three different colors.
Ok to Wake!
Ok to Wake! is a lot like the Little Hippo. It has the same color and facial expressions but also has a digital clock that allows this machine to grow with your child. It comes with two faceplates to change the appearance to your child’s preference.
The Decision
We decided to purchase the Hatch Rest+ because of the many features that it came with. I know it is a little on the pricey side, but we ordered from Bed Bath and Beyond and signed up for a twenty percent off coupon. We do not have a camera in Oliver’s room so the two-way audio was a nice extra.
I also liked the fact that we could choose between multiple colors and sounds to help Oliver fall asleep and stay asleep. We had set the color to orange for him to lay down and fall asleep. The sound plays all night in case he wakes up, he is soothed back to sleep. It turns green at seven in the morning for him to know it is ok to wake up and get out of his bed. Hatch toddler alarm clock.
Has it worked?
The Hatch Rest+ has been a great investment. It is also something he will use as he continues to grow. Oliver enjoys the colors and sounds and they help him fall asleep and stay asleep. He does not get out of his bed in the morning until it turns green and time for him to wake up. But the best thing is during nap time.
We started struggling with nap time. Oliver was beginning to fight naps. He would just get out of his bed and play the “I have to go potty” card. With the Hatch Rest+ I have it programed to play music and the orange light until it is time for him to get out of bed. Then, it turns green and he knows he can get up.
Some days, he takes a nap and some days he just lays and has quiet time. Regardless if he naps I am just happy that he stays in his room until it is time to get up.
Funny Story
Since the Hatch Rest+ is connected to my phone through Bluetooth, I was checking on the settings one night before bed. Oliver was already in his bed and the Hatch Rest was already on. I accidentally turned off the Hatch Rest+ and Oliver got scared (he likes monsters right now). He thought a monster had turned off his light and music because he did not understand that it is connected to my phone.
I explained that I accidentally turned it off and he calmed down and went to bed. It just goes to show you the imagination of a little one who does not understand something so practical to us.
Leave a comment below if you used another clock or machine to help with sleeping transitions for your toddler. Toddler Alarm Clock.
If you enjoyed this post, check out “Chores for Toddlers”, “Baby Teething”, and “Potty Training”.
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81 Comments
Krysten Quiles
I wonder if my brother has an alarm clock for my nephew. I’ll have to share this with him. Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!
Julia Hess
The fun lights are a big hit with the little ones.
Tamara
This sounds amazing. My little ones are all probably too old for this (youngest is 5) but all of them have sound machines And have had them since they were babies. They can’t sleep without them!
Julia Hess
Yea I realized that my husband and I rely on our fan to sleep, so that is our sound machine.
Emma
We tried the OK to Wake clock, but found it was tricky to set up. The Hatch sounds awesome!
Julia Hess
Yea I wanted to give other options because I know the Hatch is a little expensive. It works great for us and Oliver loves it. Thank you for the advice on the Ok to Wake clock.
Nicole
Love this thanks for sharing what worked for you. We are trying to work on this with our 5 y/o now just b/c she doesn’t like to go to sleep at all b/c that means no more playtime. i think we’ll look into investing to see if this helps her!
Julia Hess
Aww always need playtime. The hatch has definitely helped because he sees a certain color and knows it is time to lay down in bed. I hope you find something that helps.
Tami Brothers
LOL! I love the story at the end. My youngest is 22 now, but I do recall those years. We didn’t have some of these neat gadgets (wow, that sounded old…), but I love the idea of them. We did have fish tanks in our sons’ rooms. That seemed to help a bit.
We do use a sound machine or app when we travel now and are in a fairly loud area. But I didn’t realize how much these could help out the kiddos as, too. Thanks for sharing the information on the different types.
Tami
Julia Hess
I had to laugh when he became upset about the monster. Proud mom moment but it was funny. It is crazy how technology has evolved. Fish tanks are a great idea because they usually have a little light and a hum of the motor which is like a sound machine.
Infinity laser Spa
I remember when i was a toddler, waking up super early at the weekend and going to my parents bedroom to get them up too. An alarm clock is actually a great idea, especially if it keeps your toddler asleep for a little longer while you enjoy your sleep
Julia Hess
Yea same here, the moment we were up everyone needed to be up. But he stays in bed until the light turns green and it chirps little birds.
Melissa Jacobs
Wow. I wish this had been available when my kids were little. I’m still trying to catch up on sleep. lol
Julia Hess
Haha I can only imagine. They say you lose sleep when you have kids but you are never prepared for it. I am glad that both our boys are pretty decent sleepers and I hope they remain that way.
Lisa
I’m not a mother (yet) but I can see this toddler alarm clock coming in very handy! Sleep, as you say, is very important for everyone! A sound purchase.
Julia Hess
It has been a great purchase. I need my sleep because I become cranky so I am perfectly happy how well this has worked.
Julianna
Maybe this is what I need to finally get my LO to stay in bed….
Julia Hess
It honestly has worked. I hope you find something that works for you guys.
Macie
This is a great list! I have a 2 year old and I honestly have not even thought of buying him an alarm clock. It might be helpful to us! Thanks!
Julia Hess
Yea when Oliver was two he stayed in his bed, but once he learned how to open doors, we needed to find a solution.
Amber Myers
These look like some great alarms for toddlers. I’m glad they are working out for you guys!
Julia Hess
Thank you! It has been a great change for our little one.
Christine
I’m with you on waking up early. Kaleb has always been a good sleeper and he naps for atleast 2 hours now that we’re staying home. But, boy, he wakes up so early like 5:00 am early. And yes he wakes us up too. Presently, my struggle with him is to put him to bed early at night and he uses the “I want to eat more” just before going to bed.
Julia Hess
Haha they are so very clever. They know what to say or try to say to stay out of their beds. Glad he is napping, Oliver is iffy with naps lately and I need my quiet time in the afternoon.
Kristin Y
This is a great review! I’ve been going back and forth on an okay to wake clock for 3. I hadn’t heard of the Hatch, but I’m going to check it out!
Julia Hess
I just recently found the Hatch also, I almost bought the little hippo but glad I waited and did more research. And it is something that he will be using for a while so it is a perfect investment.
Agnes
Awesome! I wish I had toddler alarm clock when my kids were growing up. It could have saved me a lot of trouble! I envy those mothers bringing up kids now, it is quite easy. Thank you Julia.
Julia Hess
Oh yea, no doubt technology has made parenting a little easier. Which I am super thankful for.
Nour
This is such a great gift idea! Thanks for sharing
Julia Hess
Most definitely if you know someone who has a little one who struggles with staying in bed.
Tara Pittman
I remember the struggle of toddler sleep. This is a clock that I wish I had for my boys
Julia Hess
I am sure it would have been helpful!
Marie Phillips
I never had an issue with my kids getting up too early. I have one now that doesn’t go to bed until really late. His biological clock just doesn’t cooperate, even when I see him trying. So we just have settle down time. He does quiet activities until he can fall asleep. Plus magnesium, low lights, and lavender scented lotion and pillow spray. But back to the toddler alarm clock idea. I love that idea for those whose children wake up so early. It seems like a perfect solution.
Julia Hess
My hubby is a morning person and my toddler gets it from him. Me, I would rather stay up later and sleep in.
Kenda Fox
We had to invest in the wake me alarm clock for our son, as he was an early riser. It has been a life saver. I love that you can easily switch from the light to the alarm (as he is school age). I think every parent needs to have one of these, it is well worth the investment.
Julia Hess
100% completely agree. I am glad this one will grow with him too.
Nina
i am glad that it is working out for yous. sounds like a functional toddler alarm clock.
Julia Hess
It has been a great investment:)
Ashlyn smith
I feel like this would well for my husband lol. He has a tendency to wake up early on the weekends and tends to play on his phone in bed noises and all. Maybe we could use one of these so he knows when it’s okay to turn sound on.
Julia Hess
haha this is fantastic. If only they worked on noisy hubbys too.
Gillian
There was nothing like this when my kids were young. But then my kids actually used to sleep in which I should have seen as an early sign of teenage behaviour!!!!!
Julia Hess
Haha oh yea teen years was great for sleeping in.
Gabe
I wish I would have thought of this when I had toddlers! Mine were always up and at em so early in the morning! Thankfully I’m a morning person, but I like my alone time in the morning. What a great idea.
Julia Hess
Yea wish I could enjoy a cup of coffee before it got cold. No alone time in the morning here.
Miranda Adejare
We love the Hatch Rest. We have used it from Day 1 with our little man and if it turns off during the middle of the night, it is almost a guarantee he will wake up. Best invention ever created. Thanks for sharing the other options. We didn’t do any research when it came to noise machines. We just saw this one and went with it. And our little boy is about to get transferred into a toddler bed since he’s getting too big for his crib, so we are definitely going to need to find ways to keep him asleep.
Miranda
Julia Hess
I wish I knew about it from day 1. It is definitely a good pick, and good for transitions.
Adrienne
That is really neat how the light changes colors. I remember those days with littles and a light always helped them fall to sleep without being scared.
Julia Hess
Oliver is going through the monster phase so he loves the light to keep him from getting scared.
Jenna
This is so ironic because I was just looking into getting a Hatch for my toddler as well! Thank you for this informative post and sharing your experience with it!
Julia Hess
I hope it works well for you and your toddler!
laurie harmon harmon
I am waiting for the hatch rest plus to arrive for our little one. It sounds like the best option for us. Thank you for your post sharing the choices and pros and cons of each.
Julia Hess
I hope your little one likes it!
Tamara Schroeder
Aren’t toddler sleeping habits fun? lol My 21 month old daughter has slept through the night since she was two months old but for the last month we’ve been having issues with her waking at 2am. I’m not sure she would understand the concept of staying in her room until it turned a certain color. How old is your son?
Julia Hess
He turned three in February. And has been in a full-size bed since he was 18 months. He just recently started getting out of his bed and room, before then he would wait until we came and got him up. I hope you find something that works for you.
Lynda Hogan
This would have been great when my oldest was a baby / toddler. He has woken up at 5 am since the day he was born! At least now at 10 yo he gets up himself and knows not to wake us! My girls always slept later anyway. Bit late for us, but it would make a good present for one of my friends. Bookmarking!
Julia Hess
Oh my goodness, 5 am is too early for me. Glad he now gets himself up and lets you sleep. It must be a boy thing and getting up early. Thank you.
littlemisadvencha
what a funny story! haha. kids really believe some of the silliest stuff. and we find it funny. thank you for sharing this!
Julia Hess
It is crazy to think as kids we thought the same thing. It just makes me giggle.
Nyxie
Excellent suggestions! I always love the natural alarm clocks which wake you up using light and gradually increasing sounds.
Julia Hess
Yea instead of that annoying beeping noise like a regular alarm clock.
Joanna
It looks like the HatchRest is the winner. It’s great that you can control it via bluetooth and also that it’s integrated with Alexa. She is so helpful 🙂
Julia Hess
Completely agree, it had more features that worked best for us.
Shreya
This is so helpful! Thank you!
Julia Hess
Of course!
Monidipa
I have never had a baby. But from your experience I guess I will suggest it to certain friends of mine who are having a hard time with their toddlers.
Julia Hess
I would greatly appreciate that. Thank you!
Amanda
Great idea for littles! Hope you get some sleep now!
Julia Hess
It seems to be helping so far!! Thank you:)
Britt K
I have seen a few different versions of these alarm clocks and I love that they start to teach children the concept of timing and schedules. This is a great skill that I fully believe will help them to adjust to the schedules that come with going to daycare/school down the road!
Julia Hess
I am a firm believer in Life Skills and if I can try to help teach them something it is a win-win.
Shelby Baird
Interesting! I’ve never heard of this before!
Julia Hess
Me either until we had to find a solution.
Alissa Ackerman
This sounds so useful!
I’m not a parent yet, but feel safer being prepared.. Losing sleep to a toddler that wakes up too early or doesn’t go to sleep on time sounds a bit nightmarish to me…sleep is so precious.
Julia Hess
Sleep is so precious, but becoming a parent has definitely forced me to be more of a morning person.
Mommy Peach
These look like some wonderful alarms for toddlers! I’m so glad they’re working out for you guys!
Julia Hess
Oh me too! It has been a life saver.
Kristine
This is a great alarm clock for kids, especially when waking up is always problem during school. I’ll try to get one for my girls too! I’m glad you managed to calm him down at the end ❤️ Thank you do the great post.
Julia Hess
I hope it works for your girls! We have not had to worry about waking up for school quite yet, should be interesting when we do.
Jennifer
I have one I used to use for my daughter. I need to go find it. My toddler likes to come wake us up in the morning!
Julia Hess
Who needs an alarm clock when you have a toddler. haha. They are an alarm clock themselves.
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