Sunrise alarm clocks are having their moment in the sun. But do they really help you sleep better?

If you feel like you aren't getting enough sleep, the good news is you probably aren't alone. The bad news is you're probably right.

Sleeping for the recommended eight hours poses a daily challenge for many of us. And it gets even harder around daylight saving time.

People's circadian rhythms — our 24-hour internal clocks — are largely dependent on sunlight. When we "spring forward" in March, we face darker mornings and brighter nights which, according to the Sleep Foundation, delays our internal clocks, making us sleepier in the morning and more alert at night.

Sunrise alarm clocks are designed to awaken people gradually with light (and sometimes soothing natural sounds) that gently increase over time, typically 30 minutes. The light is supposed to mimic natural sunlight and trigger the circadian rhythm to reset.

Ads for sunrise alarm clocks are popping up in lots of places. And sleep —or the lack thereof — has become such a hot topic that social media influencers are highlighting the latest trend in sleep technology. TikTokers, some with hundreds of thousands of followers, have given light-emitting alarms two thumbs up, especially for those who struggle with sleep, sleep in dark rooms and wake up before sunrise.

Is it just another baseless online hype? Maybe not.

"Here in the Midwest, we obviously have to contend with our six months of winter and sunlight not being a given, so these types of devices can be so incredibly helpful," said Sarah Moe, CEO and founder of Sleep Health Specialists. "It tends to allow most of us to avoid that sleep inertia groggy feeling and wake up feeling much more pleasant and able to start our day."

The honest answer: It depends.

Everyone is different, and everyone has different sleep habits. But Dr. Jagdeep Bijwadia, a St. Paul sleep medicine specialist, sees the benefits. From an evolutionary standpoint, he says, it makes sense for people to wake up gently with increasing light. However, he said he'd need more scientific evidence before he recommends them.

"Anecdotally, I've had patients that feel that their sleep has really improved, and they feel more refreshed when they wake up with these devices. But again, that's more anecdotal than evidence-based," Bijwadia said. "I don't think that it's been studied enough, for example, for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to recommend one device over the other."

Michael Howell, a professor of neurology at the University of Minnesota, says sunrise alarms could be especially beneficial for night owls and those of us in the North who don't get adequate sunlight during the day.

"A tremendous number of people are struggling to get a good night's sleep and to be functioning during the day because their bodies basically do not understand what time zone they are living in," Howell said. "They're kind of suffering from a permanent jet lag, and one of the best ways to address that is to get bright light in the morning because we — in particular Minnesota and at higher latitudes — do not get bright, healthy sunshine in the morning."

"You're basically replacing what should be there already," he said. "A human being should naturally get bright sunlight all morning. That's what's natural for us, just like getting good nutrition, getting exercise and getting adequate hydration. That's normal. So if you don't get that, you should supplement it."

If you are interested in buying a sunrise alarm, shop with these tips in mind:

If you don't want to invest in a sunrise alarm, here are some sleep tips to try: