How to Set a Morning Alarm with a Gentle Sound on iPhone

Starting the day with a sudden loud alarm can leave you feeling jumpy, with your heart racing before your feet even hit the floor. Doctors who study sleep say a gentle wake-up is much better for your body, especially as you get older. Your iPhone has a wide range of soft alarm sounds built in. And you can also use a favorite song or a calm tone from nature. Setting this up takes only a few minutes.

The Clock app comes installed on every iPhone. The icon looks like a small clock face. Inside, the Alarm tab lets you create as many alarms as you like, each with its own sound, time, and label. You can have a weekday alarm at 6:30 a.m. with one sound and a weekend alarm at 8:00 a.m. with another. The alarm will also show a label on your screen, such as "Take blood pressure pill" or "Walking group at the park," which is a nice touch if your morning has steps you want to remember.

Apple includes several gentle sounds that work well for waking up without a startle. Some of the best are Early Riser, Birdsong, Slow Rise, By the Seaside, and Silk. These start quiet and grow gradually louder over about 30 seconds, giving your body time to come awake. Compare that with the Radar or Alarm sounds, which begin at full volume and can feel jarring.

If you have music on your iPhone, you can pick a favorite song as your alarm. Many people find waking to a familiar song from their younger years one of the kindest ways to start the day. You can also lower the alarm volume in Settings so even the louder sounds feel softer.

One small tip: place your iPhone across the room rather than on the nightstand. The walk to turn it off helps your body wake up. And you are less likely to hit snooze five times.