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Most of us know that we spend an ungodly amount of time on our phones. And yet, we’re still not very good at putting them down, especially during those times we know we should (like right before bed). So it should come as no surprise that a recent study found that 87% of Americans sleep with their phones in the bedroom, which makes the late-night scroll almost inevitable.
The research on what this is actually doing to our sleep is hard to ignore. Each additional hour of screen time after getting into bed is tied to a 59% higher chance of insomnia symptoms. After waking up feeling fatigued with only myself to blame, I knew my habits needed a hard reset.
That's where Hatch came in. I've been using their Baby model in my son’s room as a white noise machine and ok-to-wake clock (btw it’s still running flawlessly years later). So when my own sleep research kept pointing back to the brand, it wasn't a hard sell. I needed something, really anything, that would help get me off my phone and facilitate quality sleep. I opted for the Hatch Restore 3 and I can confidently say there's a reason it's still the brand people (including Miranda Kerr and Sofia Richie Grainge) keep investing in.
We like
- Hardware is designed to be phone-free, with intuitive buttons and controls right on the Hatch
- Science-backed sleep library with 80+ sleep sounds and 100+ lights options
- New content daily with a Hatch+ subscription
- HSA/FSA eligible
- 30-night bedside trial: Try Hatch for 30 days and if it’s not for you, return for a full refund, no questions asked
- In-app tutorials and resources to help you learn how to use the device
- Built-in bedside light button on the side of the Hatch
- Very easy set-up
We don't like
- Requires a Wi-Fi connection to set up and use properly
What is the Hatch Restore 3?
The Hatch Restore 3 is much more than just an alarm clock (though yes, it’s that, too). It’s a smart sleep clock that facilitates healthy sleep routines. The idea is pretty simple: good, consistent sleep starts with a routine, and a routine is a whole lot easier to stick with when you have the right tools and cues.
Building a bedtime routine with the Hatch Restore 3 is easy. And, if you’re thinking only kids need one, you may want to reconsider. Hatch found that nearly half (43.2%) of Restore users have bedtimes that swing by 2+ hours across a given week.
While this may seem fairly normal, it’s worth noting that a consistent bedtime helps regulate your circadian rhythm, the internal clock that controls when you feel alert and sleepy. So when you go to bed at the same time nightly, your body learns when to release melatonin and prepare for rest, making it easier to fall asleep and wake refreshed, according to Hatch’s State of Sleep report.
The Restore 3 builds your night around three simple stages—unwind, sleep, wake—with sound, light, or both at each stage. On paper, it sounds like what other smart alarm clocks already do. In reality, I quickly learned that the thoughtful and deliberate design—all aimed to promote healthy sleep habits—truly sets it apart. And, why the brand has dominated the sleep tech market since 2014.
How to Best Use the Hatch for Better Sleep
Hatch’s products are life-changing (and that’s a direct quote from a TQE Editor). Chock it up to the sleek design or how easy it is to integrate into your routine. I especially admire the research they put into their sleep. The brand literally lives and breathes sleep, trying to make it better for everyone. But, especially for the whopping 37% of U.S adults (me included) who don’t get the recommended seven hours of sleep per night.
Hatch’s recent State of Sleep report found that 30.2% of Restore users have no consistent bedtime, which, honestly, sounds about right. And when you think about it, this pattern makes sense: we wake up when we have to (usually by a blaring alarm clock or toddler—depending on what stage of life you’re in). But when it comes to bedtime, we go to sleep whenever we get around to it. Americans are excellent at planning our mornings and remarkably bad at protecting our nights.
The Restore 3 works on both ends of that problem. Here are a few ways I’ve used it to help set a consistent, phone-free bedtime, and more peaceful morning wake-ups.
Start by putting your phone in another room (yes, you and yes, you can do it):
This is the hardest step and also the most important one. The Restore 3 is explicitly designed to make your phone redundant at bedtime and to stop that late-night scroll. As an alarm clock, sound machine, reading light, and wake-up cue on one device, there’s really no excuse to sleep with your phone. All controls live on the device. In fact, unlike previous models, the Restore 3 features a big button at the top center of the clock. It can start (and skip through) your unwind routines, turn off and snooze the alarm and can adjust the volume with a simple turn of the knob. It’s very intuitive to use and also means one less reason to be on your phone in bed in the first place.
A wakeup routine that actually isn’t jarring
On mornings my kids aren't already staging a 7am indoor soccer match, I've noticed something I haven't experienced in years: waking up peacefully. Before using the Restore 3, my alarm blasted an obnoxious sound, I’d still hit snooze 10 times, after which I’d groggily stumble awake straight to the coffee maker.
Now, my mornings hit different. I wake to Circadian Sunrise, which starts with a deep, warm orange and then shifts into a brighter yellow, before my chosen alarm sound (Ambient Sunshine) even plays, all which helps mimic a natural dawn and prompting a gentler cortisol response. Even with two kids, it feels a little like being woken up at a spa, which is not something I expected to say about an alarm clock. Of course there are other options: 80+ alarm sounds and 100+ circadian-backed lights to be exact.
Experiment with what works
The Restore 3 comes loaded with solid out-of-the-box content: 40 sleep sounds, 20 circadian-backed lights, and a handful of unwind audio options. But if you want to go deeper, the Hatch+ subscription ($4.99/month or $49.99/year) unlocks 100+ audio options, 80+ sleep sounds, and new content daily. Think of it like a streaming service for your sleep routine. The 30-day free trial that comes with the device is a great opportunity to explore your options and figure out what you like and don’t. I found that I sleep very well to subtle yellow noise (who knew?). Hatch has an astounding 12 color noises (all variations of white noise), from green noise to pink noise to grey noise. It did take some time to identify what sleep sound I responded to, making the 30-day free Hatch+ trial really helpful.
Why Dupes Just Won’t Cut It
While the sleep tech category has gotten crowded—there's no shortage of sunrise alarms and white noise machines claiming to solve the same problem—Hatch built this category and has continued to iterate on it in ways the competition simply hasn't caught up to.
Most smart sleep devices offer white noise or basic nature sounds. Hatch's library and entire experience is built differently. With over 80 sounds and 100 circadian-backed lights, all curated around sleep science, the Restore 3 is designed to support the neurological shift your brain needs to move from alert to asleep.
Hatch specifically understands that light and sound both have psychological effects that make them especially great anchors for good habits. By training your brain to see and hear the same lights and sounds every night, you’re able to create healthier routines and behaviors, all without sleep aids like melatonin.
Don’t Snooze on the Hatch
I knew I needed a better nighttime routine—one that didn't involve falling asleep mid-scroll—but I didn't know where to start beyond just locking my phone away. Hatch gave me a realistic solution: science-backed cues that made a consistent routine easy to build and easy to stick with.
The routine is worth investing in. Because for many of us, we'll drop hundreds on a skincare regime or fitness classes without blinking, but treat sleep like an after thought, even when we know quality sleep supports immune function, emotional regulation, mental health, stress tolerance, and much more.
If better sleep is something you keep meaning to prioritize—and most of us have been meaning to for a while—the Hatch Restore 3 is a smart place to start.
