Alora is an A+
Response from developer
Supported, not anxious" — that's the whole reason Alora Wake exists, so reading this made my morning. Building a sleep routine you actually enjoy is no small thing, and I'm glad the wind-down and wake-up are both pulling their weight. Thank you for sharing this, Diane.
Smart Wake
Response from developer
Waking to your own music changes the whole feel of a morning — glad that landed. And that's exactly what Smart Wake is for: it looks for a naturally lighter moment in your sleep in the window before your alarm and wakes you there — always at or before your alarm time, never after. Hope it gives you those fully rested mornings.
Impressive
Response from developer
Pittsburgh, Basel, or Melbourne — that's the goal: a morning that fits your day wherever you happen to wake up. Really glad the sleep sounds, calendar sync, and pre-sleep routine are coming together into something that feels built around you. Thank you for taking the time to write this.
The alarm you didn’t realize you needed!
I also think this could be especially helpful for anyone with ADHD as there’s a delayed sleep response in ADHD that can make waking up rested more of a challenge.
The ability to notify a parent or accountability partner if someone doesn’t get up adds an extra layer of reassurance that I think could be especially valuable for teens, college students, or anyone who has trouble waking up consistently. It’s a thoughtful approach to a problem a lot of people deal with every day.
Response from developer
You've put your finger on exactly why the backup notification exists — a quiet safety net for anyone who can't afford to sleep through a morning, whether that's a student or someone with an early flight. And yes, waking during a naturally lighter moment in your sleep is so much kinder to your body than being jolted out of a deep stage. Thank you for thinking through who this could help — that kind of perspective genuinely shapes what gets built next.
Best Alarm App I’ve used
Also, the ability to wake up to a favorite song on Apple Music is a nice feature to change it up from the normal sounds that I’ve heard for years.
The planned bed time and health trackers have helped me track my sleep and fitness while getting me off my phone dinner before bed. It connects to devices and shows me all my stats for the day. This is something that has helped me get my health back on track after terrible sleep patterns and low step counts. It helps track patterns that I normally wouldn’t have seen while making me prepare for sleep earlier.
I recommend this app to anyone who needs some organization from the start of the day to the end!
Response from developer
Having your whole day laid out the moment you wake up — especially on the road — is exactly what the morning briefing was built for, so it means a lot to hear it's giving you that head start. And I'm glad the challenge hints and Apple Music wake-ups are earning their keep on the harder mornings. Hearing the planned bedtime helped you rebuild your sleep patterns made my week. Thank you for such a thoughtful writeup.